Lithuanian Displaced Persons Camp Records and
Thousands of Lithuanians fled their homeland during World War II
Lithuanian Jews — Litvaks — were citizens of independent Lithuania between 1918 and 1940. Many were deported, killed or forced to flee during the Soviet and Nazi occupations, and their families lost Lithuanian citizenship.
Their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren can apply to restore it. We help Jewish families trace their Lithuanian roots, find records lost in the Holocaust and displacement, and prepare the application to the Migration Department of Lithuania.
Yes, in many cases. If your parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Lithuanian citizen before 15 June 1940 and left Lithuania during the occupation — as a refugee, Holocaust survivor or deportee — you can usually restore Lithuanian citizenship and keep your current one.
| Your ancestor's situation | Can citizenship be restored? | Can you keep your other citizenship? |
|---|---|---|
| Lithuanian citizen before 15 June 1940; fled, survived the Holocaust or was deported, and left between 1940 and 1990 | Yes | Usually yes |
| Lithuanian citizen who emigrated before June 1940 (for example in the 1920s–1930s) | Often possible | Assessed individually |
| Left the Russian Empire before 1918 and never held Lithuanian citizenship | No | — |
| Records destroyed in the Holocaust | Alternative evidence can be used | Same rules as above |
Eligibility depends on your ancestor’s citizenship before the Soviet occupation and on how they left Lithuania. The key factors are:
Typical qualifying situations include grandparents who survived the Holocaust and left Lithuania after the war, relatives deported to Siberia, and families who passed through Displaced Persons camps before emigrating to the United States, Canada, Israel, South Africa or elsewhere.
Many Litvak families emigrated earlier, in the 1920s and 1930s. These cases are assessed individually: citizenship can often be restored, but whether you can keep your other citizenship depends on the circumstances of departure.
Some families have more than one qualifying ancestor. We review the whole family tree and choose the line with the strongest evidence.
Proving the family line is the hardest part for most Jewish applicants, because many records were destroyed during the Holocaust and the war. Useful sources include:
Testimony from relatives and synagogue or community records can support the file, but they supplement — rather than replace — official documents.
All documents not in Lithuanian need a certified translation. Documents from Hague Convention countries need an apostille; documents from other countries need consular legalization.
The procedure is the same for all descendants; what differs is the research needed to rebuild the evidence.
| Stage | What happens | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility review | We assess your family tree and choose the qualifying ancestor | A few days |
| Document search | Archive requests in Lithuania and abroad, genealogy databases | Several weeks, longer for lost records |
| Translation and apostille | Certified Lithuanian translations and authentication | 2–4 weeks |
| Review by the Migration Department | Completeness check, eligibility, document verification, background checks | 6–12 months |
| Decision and passport | Formal notification, then the passport application | After approval |
We identify which ancestor held Lithuanian citizenship before 1940 and how they left.
We request records from Lithuanian archives and use immigration records and Jewish genealogy resources to fill gaps.
Every foreign document is translated into Lithuanian and authenticated.
We file a complete, consistent application. Details must match across all documents; discrepancies lead to questions and delays.
Most applications are decided within 6–12 months. After approval you can apply for a Lithuanian passport.
Most refusals result from incomplete evidence rather than ineligibility, and many cases succeed after the gaps are fixed.
Different spellings of names, dates or places across documents need explanation and bridging records.
Without it the claim cannot succeed; archive records can often provide it when family papers are lost.
Every foreign document needs a certified translation and an apostille or legalization.
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.
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.
Records of Litvak families are often spread across several countries and languages. These guides help.
Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Jews who were Lithuanian citizens before 15 June 1940 and lost citizenship through persecution, the Holocaust, deportation or the occupation.
Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of a qualifying citizen. Later generations are not covered.
Usually yes, if your ancestor left Lithuania during the occupation (1940–1990). If they emigrated earlier, this is assessed individually.
Lithuanian archives, immigration records abroad, Yad Vashem and JewishGen often hold records that can replace them.
Yes, this is common. The key is to identify the exact town and check whether it was in independent Lithuania.
Collecting documents usually takes a few weeks; review by the Migration Department takes 6–12 months.
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