The Number of Foreigners Residing in Lithuania Decreased by More than 3,000
According to preliminary statistical data of 2024 available to the Migration Department, the number of foreign citizens legally residing in Lithuania has decreased.
The total number of foreigners residing in Lithuania on 1 January was 217,988. Half a year ago – on 1 July – this number was 221,285.
The top three of the largest foreigner communities remained unchanged with Ukrainians – 77,080 – taking the lead, followed by Belarusians – 57,511, and Russians – 14,978.
Foreigners currently constitute 7,52% of the total residents in Lithuania.
According to the data available, the number of temporary residence permits, issued or replaced to foreign citizens, has decreased. In July-December last year, the number of these documents issued or replaced was 68,835. Meanwhile the number of temporary residence permits issued or replaced in the first half of 2024 was 78,121.
Currently, the Migration Department continues the replacement of digital temporary residence permits issued to Ukrainian refugees of war. The number of Ukrainians living in our country at the beginning of this year was 48,018 and the exact number should become clearer in early March, when the replacement of the digital permits is completed.
According to the data of 2024, during the first half of the year, Lithuania provided temporary protection to 26,271 Ukrainian refugees, which is nearly 9 thousand fewer than in the same period the year before, when the temporary protection scheme was used by 35,075 refugees.
The number of certificates of Lithuanian origin issued by the Migration Department has decreased as well: 102 of them were issued in July-December last year, and 191 in January-June.
A certificate of Lithuanian origin enables its holder to acquire a Lithuanian citizenship or to obtain a permanent or temporary residence permit in Lithuania through a simplified procedure.
This decrease is due to the decrease in the number of applications for this document submitted in recent years, with 492 applications submitted in 2023 and only 221 submitted in 2024.
According to the data available to the Migration Department, the number of asylum applications from foreigners has also decreased from 204 in the first half of last year to 158 in the second half.
Belarusian citizens continue to be the most common asylum seekers in Lithuania, with 87 of these applications submitted in the first half of 2024 and 54 in the second half.
The Migration Department plans to issue a more detailed annual statistics report in February, when the 2024 Migration yearbook is completed and published.
Last updated: 06-02-2025
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