Starting a business in Lithuania: foreigner's guide (2026)

Lithuania imposes no restrictions on foreign ownership. A UAB may be 100% foreign-owned by a single non-resident individual or corporate entity, with no nationality or residency requirements for shareholders or directors.

A UAB (private limited liability company) requires a minimum authorised capital of €2,500, of which at least 25% must be paid in prior to registration. The alternative MB (small partnership) form has no minimum capital requirement.

Standard process: (1) reserve a company name via Registrų centras; (2) prepare articles of association and incorporation documents (certified translations required for foreign-language documents); (3) deposit share capital in a bank or EMI account; (4) submit application through the Registrų centras self-service portal; (5) register with the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) post-incorporation.

Online registration is completed in 1–3 business days; a notary-assisted route may take up to one week. The state registration fee is under €100; notary, translation, and virtual-office costs typically bring the all-in total to approximately €500–€800.

Registrų centras provides a fully digital e-guide and self-service portal (JAREP) enabling remote incorporation without physical presence in Lithuania, using Smart-ID or a qualified e-signature recognised under the EU eIDAS Regulation.

A Lithuanian registered address is mandatory for all legal entities. Non-resident founders may satisfy this with a virtual office, which is legally accepted and typically costs €100–€300 per year in Vilnius.