Do I need a separate work permit to work while studying?

No. If you hold a valid temporary residence permit issued for studies, you can work without applying for a separate work permit. EU students do not need a work permit at all.

Can I work full-time over the summer?

Yes. During the official holiday period set by your institution non-EU students can generally work up to full-time (up to 40 h/week). In term-time the current limit is generally up to 20 h/week; doctoral students have no cap.

Will working affect my residence permit?

Your right to work is tied to staying enrolled. If you stop studying, your study-based permit (and the right to work it carries) can be cancelled, so keep your enrolment in good standing.

Do I pay tax on a student job?

Yes. Wages are subject to personal income tax and Sodra social-insurance contributions like any employee's. If you work on a contract, your employer withholds and pays these for you.

Can I stay to find a job after graduating?

Yes. Non-EU graduates can apply for a temporary residence permit valid 12 months for job search and self-employment, on top of the 3 months your study permit stays valid after studies end.

Can international students work in Lithuania?

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change — confirm anything important with the official source linked below and your university's international office.

Yes — most international students can work in Lithuania during their studies, and you usually do not need a separate work permit. How many hours you can work, and the paperwork involved, depends on whether you are an EU citizen, a non-EU degree student, or here on Erasmus/exchange.

The short version by status

Your status	Work permit needed?	Hours during term
EU/EEA/Swiss student	No	Up to full-time (40 h/week)
Non-EU student with study residence permit	No	Generally up to 20 h/week in term; up to 40 h/week in holidays
PhD / doctoral student	No	Full-time, no hour limit
Erasmus / short exchange	Depends on visa or permit	Often restricted — check your stay basis

EU, EEA and Swiss students

If you are a citizen of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you can work in Lithuania on the same terms as locals. There is no work permit and no special hours cap — you can work up to full-time. You should register your stay (a temporary residence certificate) if you remain longer than three months, and you will pay Lithuanian taxes on your earnings.

Non-EU degree students

If you are from outside the EU, your right to work comes from your temporary residence permit issued for studies. As long as that permit is valid and you stay enrolled, you can work without a separate work permit.

How many hours you can work

As a general rule for non-EU degree students:

In term time — generally up to 20 hours per week.
During the official holiday periods set by your institution — up to full-time (40 hours per week).
PhD/doctoral students — no hours limit; you can work full-time year-round.
Work that is part of your studies (programme internships and practical placements) and the first 3 months after your studies end (while your study permit remains valid) are also outside the term-time cap.

A 20 h/week term-time cap for all students is PROPOSED, not yet law (as of 2026)

In March 2026 the government submitted a draft to the Seimas that would cut undergraduate non-EU/EEA students' work rights from up to 40 to 20 hours per week in term time and tie working-hour tracking to delivery and ride-hailing platforms. As of spring 2026 this is proposed (not yet in force) — it had not been passed into law. The same package would also (all proposed, not law) cap the study residence permit at 8 years and bar non-EU master's students from bringing family. Confirm the rule that applies to your level and permit on Migration's official site or with your university's international office before you commit to hours.

Your right to work ends if you stop being a student — losing enrolment can lead to your study permit (and the work right it carries) being cancelled.

Erasmus and exchange students

Your situation depends on how you are in the country. If your stay is based on a national (D) visa rather than a study residence permit, your work rights may be limited or excluded — check the conditions of your specific visa or permit, and ask your home and host university coordinators. Many exchange stays are short, so focus on whether work is permitted at all before counting on the income.

Tax and social insurance

A student job is taxed like any other job. Expect:

Personal income tax (GPM) — generally 20% for most employment income (as of 2026 — confirm on VMI or the Migration Information Center).
Sodra social-insurance contributions — deducted from your gross pay (pension, health, sickness and other components).

If you have an employment contract, you don't file anything

Your employer registers you, withholds tax and Sodra, and pays them on your behalf. You only deal with the tax office yourself if you are self-employed or freelancing.

Gross pay and take-home pay are very different numbers once tax and Sodra come out. For a worked example of what actually lands in your account, see student take-home pay and tax.

Working a registered job where your employer pays the PSD (health) part of Sodra also brings you into the state health-insurance system. This matters most for non-EU students on a national (D) visa, who are otherwise outside state healthcare and need private cover. Beware coverage gaps between contracts: if you stop working and PSD stops being paid, you can fall out of the state system, which can endanger both your health cover and your residence permit. See work-hours cap and earning reality for how this fits with the hours limits.

After you graduate

Non-EU graduates have two stacked options to stay and find work:

Your study permit stays valid for 3 months after studies end — full-time work allowed.
You can then apply for a temporary residence permit valid 12 months for job search and self-employment, with no separate work permit needed during it.

Once you have a job, you transition to a work-based residence permit. Lithuania has also widened the window for graduates of its universities to apply for a permit years after finishing — check the current rules with Migration.

The honest job reality

A study permit lets you work — but finding work as a student is harder than the rules alone suggest:

Language is the main gatekeeper. Many student-friendly jobs (hospitality, retail, delivery, call centres) expect Lithuanian or Russian. Genuinely English-only roles cluster in IT, start-ups, international shared-service centres and some customer-support teams, and are competitive.
The 20 h/week term-time cap limits earnings. At student wage levels, part-time work helps with living costs but rarely covers tuition plus rent — budget on the assumption it is a top-up, not a salary. See work-hours cap and earning reality.
Timing matters. Most students land work after they have settled in, improved their CV in Lithuanian, and networked through their university career centre — not in the first weeks.

Avoid illegal and exploitative work — it can cost you your permit

Working without a written contract (cash-in-hand, "we'll register you later", or above your permitted hours) is illegal and dangerous. Undeclared work means no Sodra, no PSD health cover and no legal protection, and being caught can lead to your study residence permit being cancelled and future applications refused. Watch for red flags: an employer who refuses a contract, holds your passport, pays only cash, or pressures you to exceed your hours. You can report abuse and get free advice from the State Labour Inspectorate (VDI) and from the Migration Information Centre (see below).

Where to look for jobs

The most-used job portals are CVbankas.lt and CV-Online.lt. Your university career centre and the "Work in Lithuania" platform also list roles, including English-speaking positions at international companies and start-ups. Always insist on a written employment contract before you start.

Free, official help in English

The Migration Information Center ("I Choose Lithuania") gives free consultations on residence, work, healthcare and benefits in English. Use it to confirm the exact hours rule for your permit before you commit to a job.