Before booking: documents and entry
- EU citizens: carry a valid passport or national identity card. A driving licence is not a travel document. Carry the document even on an internal Schengen journey.
- For a standard non-EU short stay, use a passport issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months after the intended departure. Count all Schengen days toward the usual 90 days in any 180-day period; Lithuania does not restart that allowance. Use the EU entry page to establish whether your nationality needs a visa.
- If a visa is required, follow the Lithuanian MFA’s application route for your country of residence. Prepare accommodation details, onward/return travel, funds and insurance evidence requested by the consulate. Russian and Belarusian passport holders should use the MFA’s specific restriction and application guidance before making non-refundable bookings. A visa application and permission to enter are separate questions.
EES and ETIAS: what applies now
The EU says EES has been fully operational since 10 April 2026 at the participating countries’ external border crossings. It records entry/exit for covered non-EU short-stay travellers, including biometric registration at the border. Allow time for those formalities when arriving from outside Schengen; this is different from a city-to-city journey inside it.
As checked on 13 October 2026, the official ETIAS FAQ says it is not in operation and is not collecting applications. You do not need to buy an ETIAS application for a trip while that remains the official status. Use the EU page for a future launch announcement; ETIAS is a separate pre-travel system, not the EES border registration.
Buying and activating a SIM card
- If your home plan has EU/EEA roaming, read its Lithuania data allowance and fair-use limit first. A domestic “unlimited” package does not necessarily give unlimited roaming. UK and other non-EU plans depend on the provider’s contract.
- For a local example, Ežys sells physical prepaid SIMs through Telia shops and other retailers. New Ežys cards require identity confirmation from 1 January 2025. Buy at a Telia shop with your passport/ID and ask staff to complete activation; do not assume a supermarket packet will work immediately. Online activation uses the listed Telia account, Smart-ID, Mobile-ID or banking methods, which a visitor may not have.
- Before paying, ask for the data amount, validity period, EU roaming allowance and renewal/top-up method. Before leaving, restart the phone and test mobile data with Wi-Fi off. A travel eSIM is another option if your phone supports it and is unlocked; confirm whether it includes calls or is data-only, and when its validity starts.
Health cover and getting help
Eligible visitors should obtain an EHIC from their home insurer before travelling. It covers medically necessary public-system care during a temporary stay under the local conditions, not every bill free of charge. It does not cover private treatment, rescue or repatriation. Carry travel insurance for those gaps and for any activities you book; save the insurer’s assistance number and policy details offline. Visitors without EHIC eligibility need their own medical cover.
For a serious emergency call 112 for ambulance, police or fire service. Give the location, what happened and who needs help. For non-emergency care, contact your insurer or accommodation to arrange a clinic rather than using the emergency number for booking. Carry a list of regular medicines and relevant prescriptions; specialist medicine-import requirements belong to the authorities, not a general travel checklist.
Before collecting a car
- Carry the original valid licence, identity document and rental/insurance papers. A valid EU licence is recognised in the EU. For a non-EU licence, establish the Lithuanian recognition or international-permit requirement for the issuing country with the authorities and rental company before paying; no single rule covers every foreign licence.
- Drive on the right, wear seat belts and use dipped headlights or daytime running lights in daytime. For ordinary passenger cars, summer tyres are prohibited from 10 November through 31 March. Ask the rental desk to show that the supplied tyres suit the season; do not decide solely from a mild forecast.
- Confirm the excess, deposit card requirements, fuel policy and permission for any cross-border trip. Arrange parking with your Old Town accommodation before driving there. The Klaipėda-Smiltynė vehicle ferry, Neringa entry charge and parking are three separate costs; the transport guide explains the connection.
Your Europe: driving licences and insurance
Arrival checklist: money and saved information
Lithuania uses the euro. Keep a payment card and some cash for a market or small trader. Where a card terminal offers a choice, compare the conversion before accepting payment in your home currency. Save the accommodation address, first transfer, tickets and emergency contacts offline. Decide your airport connection before leaving Wi-Fi; the separate airport guide has the bus and train instructions.
Sources
- 112 Lithuania - emergency services
- Your Europe: travel documents for EU citizens
- Your Europe: Schengen entry and visa rules
- European Union: Entry/Exit System FAQ
- European Union: ETIAS FAQ
- Ežys: prepaid SIM cards and identity registration
- Your Europe: EU roaming charges
- Your Europe - health cover for visitors
- Your Europe: driving licences and insurance
- Lithuanian Transport Ministry - road rules and tyres
- Lithuanian Police - road rules and tyres