Lithuania dual citizenship with Russia: can you keep both passports in 2026

10 min read · Published 6 October 2026

Lithuania generally does not recognise dual citizenship, and the 2019 and 2024 referendums failed to change that. Both passports are kept only under narrow exceptions for descendants of emigrants and deportees. We explain who qualifies.

In short

As a rule, no: on acquiring Lithuanian citizenship you must give up Russian citizenship. Both passports are kept by descendants of Lithuanian citizens who were deported during the occupation or left before 11 March 1990, not for the territory of the USSR.

Previous passport on naturalisation	With conditions
Country rule	Only by roots: for people who left Lithuania before 11.03.1990 and their descendants. Everyone else must renounce
Legal basis	Article 12 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the Law on Citizenship of Lithuania
What Russia requires	notify the Interior Ministry within 60 days
Checked	October 2026

Russia allows a second citizenship, so Lithuanian law decides everything. It assumes a single citizenship and allows exceptions only for those whose family left Lithuania involuntarily or before independence was restored - and not for the Soviet Union.

What Lithuania requires on naturalisation

Article 12 of Lithuania's Constitution and Article 7 of the Citizenship Law allow dual citizenship only in cases expressly named in law. The 2019 and 2024 referendums on widening these cases failed: 73-74% of voters backed them, but turnout fell short of half the electorate.

Citizenship can be restored by citizens of pre-war Lithuania before 15 June 1940 and their descendants down to great-grandchildren. The previous passport can be kept in two cases: the ancestor was deported, exiled or imprisoned during the occupation, or left Lithuania before 11 March 1990 but not for the territory of the Soviet Union after 15 June 1940. If the ancestor moved to another Soviet republic after 1940, for example Russia, citizenship can be restored, but Russian citizenship must be given up.

Descendants of ethnic Lithuanians whose ancestors lacked pre-war citizenship get a certificate of Lithuanian descent: it opens residence and simplified citizenship, but a second passport is kept only under the same exceptions. Ordinary naturalisation requires giving up the previous citizenship.

What Russia requires

Russia allows a second citizenship and does not end its own, but inside the country treats you only as a Russian citizen (Article 10 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ on Citizenship).

Within 60 days of receiving the second passport, file a notification with the Interior Ministry (MVD). If you are abroad at that moment, the period runs from the day you enter Russia.
Attach a copy of the foreign passport or another document proving the citizenship.

Failure to notify falls under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code: a fine of up to $2,400 or up to one year of income, or up to 400 hours of compulsory work.
Late or incomplete notification: a fine of $10-15 under Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences.
A residence permit abroad must be reported under the same rules (Article 11 of Law No. 138-FZ).

A Russian citizen with a second passport may not hold state or municipal office, serve in government bodies or stand for election. The duties of a Russian citizen, including military service, remain, and inside Russia the second passport is not taken into account.

How to keep both passports: step by step

Check the ancestor. You need a citizen of pre-war Lithuania before 15 June 1940, and to keep the Russian passport - proof of deportation or departure before 11 March 1990, not for the USSR.
Gather evidence in Lithuanian archives and registry offices: a pre-war passport or residence card, parish records, deportation or emigration documents.
Rebuild the chain of generations with birth and marriage certificates, apostilled and translated into Lithuanian.
File the application with the migration department; Russian citizens are checked longer, with no set deadline.
If no exception applies, renounce Russian citizenship only after Lithuania's decision, so you are not left without a passport.
Notify the Russian Interior Ministry within 60 days of receiving the passport, or within 60 days of entering Russia if you are abroad.

The application fee is about $135. The 2023 restrictions on visas and residence for Russian citizens do not apply to restoring citizenship or to people of Lithuanian descent.

What happens to children

A child of a Lithuanian citizen acquires citizenship by birth wherever born. If the other parent is a Russian citizen, the child has two citizenships from birth, which the law allows. Minor children of an applicant are included on the parents' application, while adult children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren apply on their own right.

Taxes and military service

Taxes depend on residence, not the passport. You become a Lithuanian tax resident after 183 days a year or with your centre of vital interests in the country. Income tax from 2026 is 20%, 25% and 32% in bands, dividends 15%. The double tax treaty with Russia has not applied since 1 January 2026. More on taxes in Lithuania.

Lithuania has conscription for basic military service for young male citizens. The military duty of a Russian citizen remains until you leave Russian citizenship.

Common mistakes

Counting on the exception if the ancestor moved to Russia after 1940. Citizenship will be restored, but Russian citizenship must go.
Confusing life in the Vilnius region with Lithuanian citizenship. In 1920-1939 it was Polish territory.
Filing with a gap in the chain of documents. One missing certificate stops the case.
Leaving Russian citizenship before Lithuania decides. You may end up without a passport.
Missing the Russian Interior Ministry notification when keeping both passports: 60 days, with criminal liability for not filing.

How to get Lithuanian citizenship

The main route for Russian citizens is restoring citizenship through a pre-war ancestor or a certificate of Lithuanian descent. Ordinary naturalisation requires 10 years in Lithuania, language and constitution exams and giving up the previous citizenship, and since 2023 visas and residence on general grounds are not issued to Russian citizens. Restoration terms are on Lithuanian citizenship by descent.

Requirements, timelines and costs are on the page Lithuanian citizenship.

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

The main risk is losing your Russian passport needlessly

The law does not stop you applying to restore Lithuanian citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: misjudging the exception and giving up a Russian passport unnecessarily, a gap in the chain of documents, confusion over the Vilnius region. We check the ancestor's history and the right to keep both passports, search Lithuanian archives and prepare the application. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process.

The cost of support depends on the archive search and the number of applicants; a consultant will calculate it in the chat.

Talk to a consultant now

This topic in other countries

Dual citizenship rules with Russia in other countries:

FAQ

Can you hold Lithuanian and Russian citizenship at the same time?

As a rule, no: on acquiring Lithuanian citizenship you must give up Russian citizenship. Both passports are kept by descendants of Lithuanian citizens who were deported during the occupation or left before 11 March 1990, not for the territory of the USSR.

Do I need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry about Lithuanian citizenship?

Yes. A Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days under Article 10 of Law No. 138-FZ; failing to notify carries criminal liability under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.

Does Lithuania allow dual citizenship?

Only in cases named in law: for descendants of those deported during the occupation and those who left before 11 March 1990, not for the USSR. Otherwise the previous citizenship must be given up.

Can you hold Lithuanian and Russian citizenship at once?

Yes, if your Lithuanian-citizen ancestor was deported or emigrated before 1990, not to the USSR. If they moved to Russia after 1940, the Russian passport must be given up.

Can Russian citizens restore Lithuanian citizenship?

Yes. The 2023 restrictions on visas and residence do not apply to restoring citizenship, but the security check takes longer.

Did the dual citizenship referendums change the rules?

No. The 2019 and 2024 referendums failed on turnout, so the rules are unchanged in 2026.

Will a child get both citizenships?

A child of a Lithuanian citizen gets Lithuanian citizenship by birth, and the law allows them to hold Russian citizenship too.

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Lithuania dual citizenship with Russia: can you keep both passports in 2026

What Lithuania requires on naturalisation

What Russia requires

How to keep both passports: step by step

What happens to children

Taxes and military service

Common mistakes

How to get Lithuanian citizenship

This topic in other countries

FAQ

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

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