Lithuanian Displaced Persons Camp Records and
Thousands of Lithuanians fled their homeland during World War II
Lithuanian citizenship by descent lets children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Lithuanian citizens restore the citizenship their family lost during the Soviet occupation — and, in most cases, keep their current passport.
We provide end-to-end legal support: eligibility check, archive research, document preparation, translations and the application to the Migration Department of Lithuania, including complex cases with missing or incomplete historical records.
Yes, if your family line fits the rules. Your parent, grandparent or great-grandparent must have been a Lithuanian citizen before 15 June 1940 and left Lithuania during the occupation, between 15 June 1940 and 11 March 1990. Every generation between you and that ancestor must be documented.
| Your relation to the Lithuanian citizen | Can you apply? | What you need to document |
|---|---|---|
| Child | Yes | Your birth certificate naming the parent, and the parent's proof of Lithuanian citizenship |
| Grandchild | Yes | Plus your parent's birth certificate (and marriage certificate if a surname changed) |
| Great-grandchild | Yes | Plus your grandparent's birth certificate — every link in the chain |
| Great-great-grandchild | No | Beyond the generations covered by the law |
A Lithuanian passport is a European Union passport. Restoring citizenship by descent brings practical benefits well beyond family history.
Free movement across EU member states — from jobs in Berlin to universities in Paris — without visas or work permits.
As an EU citizen living in an EU country you can join its healthcare and social security system on the same terms as its nationals.
Descendants who restore citizenship on this basis do not have to give up U.S., Canadian or Australian citizenship.
Children born after you become a Lithuanian citizen generally acquire Lithuanian citizenship at birth.
Your family's Lithuanian identity becomes legally recognised — something many clients describe as the most meaningful part.
Eligibility depends on when your ancestor held Lithuanian citizenship and why they left. You can usually apply if:
15 June 1940 is the date the Soviet occupation began. Citizens of independent Lithuania at that date can pass the right to restore citizenship to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The reason for leaving matters. Forced departure during the occupation is the basis for keeping dual citizenship. If an ancestor left voluntarily before 1940, citizenship may still be restorable, but usually only if you give up your current citizenship.
Every family history is different, so each case needs an individual legal assessment.
Applying for Lithuanian citizenship by descent follows a fixed sequence. Gathering documents takes the most time; official review usually takes 6–12 months.
| Step | What happens | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eligibility assessment | We review your family history and confirm the legal basis | 3–5 days |
| 2. Documents and translation | Archive requests, apostilles and certified translations | 2–4 weeks |
| 3. Application submission | Filing with the Migration Department of Lithuania | Up to 10 business days |
| 4. Review by the Migration Department | The authority examines the file and may request more evidence | 6–12 months |
| 5. Decision and passport | After approval you apply for a Lithuanian passport | After confirmation |
Send us your basic family information. We identify the qualifying ancestor and the strongest legal route.
We collect civil records from your country and Lithuanian archives, then arrange apostilles and certified Lithuanian translations.
We prepare the application and submit it to the Migration Department, directly or through a Lithuanian consulate.
Processing time depends on case complexity and the authority’s workload. Complete files are decided faster.
Once your citizenship is confirmed, you apply for a Lithuanian passport at a consulate abroad or at the Migration Department in Lithuania.
Civil records from U.S. states and Canadian provinces usually arrive quickly. Requests to Lithuanian archives take longer and require correspondence in Lithuanian.
Our team works directly with Lithuanian archives and often locates records families believed were lost — from birth entries to interwar internal passport files.
One team handles your case from the first family-tree review to the final decision.
We analyse your ancestry, confirm the legal grounds and choose the strongest route when more than one exists — for example, whether to apply through a parent or a grandparent. A preliminary file review shows gaps before you file.
We request records from Lithuanian state archives through local partners and coordinate certified translations and apostilles for every document.
We prepare and submit your application to the Migration Department of Lithuania, communicate with the authority in Lithuanian and handle all follow-up requests, keeping you updated throughout.
Most problems are preventable. These are the issues we handle most often:
Missing papers delay submission, and poor translations fail official review. We locate records and coordinate certified translations.
Citizenship by descent and other restoration procedures have different requirements. Applying under the wrong one leads to refusal regardless of document quality.
An old Lithuanian passport is the strongest evidence, but archive records can also prove citizenship. We identify what works for your case.
Notarised copies are usually not enough. Documents need apostilles and certified translations.
Our staff includes seasoned professionals in citizenship and migration law, supported by translators and a client assistance team working to secure the best results for every case. Get to know the specialists guiding you.
Client testimonials demonstrate our track record helping diaspora descendants successfully reclaim nationality. Real families share experiences navigating the process with professional guidance.
I worked with DE Civitate to restore my Lithuanian citizenship through my grandfather’s side of the family, and I’m very glad I didn’t try to handle it alone. At first, I thought it would be a simple “collect documents and submit” situation, but there were a lot of details that could easily have caused delays—name variations in records, missing certificates, and questions about how to prove the family line properly. DE Civitate broke everything down step by step, told me exactly what mattered, and helped us build a clean, well-organized file. They were responsive, straightforward, and very methodical, which made the whole process feel manageable instead of overwhelming. In the end, we achieved a positive outcome. I would absolutely recommend DE Civitate to anyone going through Lithuanian citizenship restoration.
I used DE Civitate to help restore my mother’s Lithuanian citizenship, and I’m genuinely grateful we chose them. This process is long and paperwork-heavy, and in our case it suddenly got more complicated than we expected. DE Civitate stayed calm, explained what was happening in plain language, and told us exactly what they needed from us and why. They handled the tricky parts, kept things moving, and were quick to respond whenever we had questions. In the end, everything worked out and we got a positive result. If you’re dealing with Lithuanian citizenship restoration and don’t want to risk mistakes or delays, I’d strongly recommend DE Civitate.
Most of the work in a citizenship by descent case is evidence. Start with these guides.
Yes, if your grandparent was a Lithuanian citizen before 15 June 1940 and left during the occupation, and you can document the line through your parent.
Yes. The right extends to great-grandchildren of a qualifying citizen. Great-great-grandchildren are not covered.
Yes, in most descent cases. Descendants of citizens who left during the occupation can restore Lithuanian citizenship and keep their other citizenship.
Review by the Migration Department usually takes 6–12 months after a complete filing; collecting documents beforehand typically takes a few weeks.
We search Lithuanian archives for birth entries, internal passport files and other records that can replace lost family papers.
First your Lithuanian citizenship is confirmed; then you apply for a passport at a Lithuanian consulate or at the Migration Department in Lithuania.
No. Citizenship by descent does not require a language exam or residence in Lithuania.
A separate document confirming Lithuanian origin. It is not the same as the right to restore citizenship — see the comparison guide for the difference.
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