lithuanian citizenship by restoration.
Lithuanian Jews in South Africa have maintained strong ties with their historical homeland and consciously preserved their cultural identity. They are actively interested in their origins and roots. Many thousands of Lithuanian citizens emigrated from their birthplace to South Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. Frequently, such emigration was influenced by economic reasons and ideological, political, and historical reasons.
It is estimated that more than 80% to 90% of the 70,000 plus South African Jews have Lithuanian or Litvak ancestry. There is a strong cultural link between the South African Jewish community and Lithuania because of their unbroken Litvak links. The Lithuanian Government made changes to their Nationality Law's in June 2016, which acknowledged the thousands of Litvak's right to Lithuanian citizenship as this had been denied for generations. Currently, there will be thousands of South Africans eligible to apply for Lithuanian citizenship and benefit from all the rights and privileges of a European passport.
Changes to Lithuania's Citizenship and Nationality Law in 2016
When Lithuania became a full member of NATO and the European Union in 2004, it was brought into the Western world, a willing partner to rebuild and rebrand itself in modern secular terms. The Lithuanian Government recognises the importance of the Litvak diaspora, not only in financial terms but also to rehabilitate itself.
Before 2016, Lithuanian citizenship was only reinstated to persons with Lithuanian ancestry where it could be proven that an ancestor had fled Lithuania due to exceptional circumstances, such as persecution. The critical statement was you had to prove persecution. But finding and retrieving such documentation was extremely difficult, and many applications were denied purely based on this. Applicants do no longer need to show that their ancestor fled Lithuania for Lithuanian citizenship by reinstatement.
What are the criteria, and what is the process to apply
It is established that anyone who held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940, and their descendants, who have not acquired Lithuanian citizenship before the entry into force of this law, shall be eligible to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship, irrespective of whether the ancestor is in Lithuania or another country. They would be eligible to apply if:
At least one of your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, which existed from 1918 to 1940.
Your ancestor left Lithuania sometime before Lithuania restored its independence on 11 March 1990.
Your ancestor left to any country that was not part of the former Soviet Union (if your ancestor left to any of the Soviet Union countries, you might be eligible depending on the date and circumstances of them leaving Lithuania).
Benefits of Becoming a European Citizen & acces to Global citizenship
Becoming a Lithuanian citizen will allow you to travel to 175 countries/territories without a prior visa. You will be able to visit the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, only requiring to complete an online registration (electronic authorisation). There is no requirement to prepare documentation, pay visa costs and hope your application is approved. You will have the right to live and work in all the EU and EFTA countries without a need to arrange any permits, a work visa or an employer's invitation to work in the country. There is little to no difference between a Lithuanian passport or a German, Italian, French, or EU passport. Obtaining this passport will bring you one step closer to becoming a global citizen far easier than most other passports.
A European passport holder will have the ability to study at any European University under the same conditions as nationals. Tuition fees for EU nationals are considerably cheaper than international students, often 50% cheaper than a non-EU student. Another area in which students with European passports benefit so much is in obtaining student loans. Student loans are only available to a student who is an EU national. Being a Lithuanian citizen allows you to apply for many exclusive grants and scholarships opportunities that are only available. Non-EU nationals who desire to be on scholarship are required to apply for funding anywhere else.
Being a Lithuanian citizen allows you to conduct business and open legal entities in a simplified way. The ability to open foreign Euro-based bank accounts is always a great hedge against depreciating currencies. There would likely be the opportunity to raise debt within the EU as a citizen, which is extremely difficult for non-EU citizens. Regarding travel freedoms, you'll enjoy faster airport security on arrivals than non-EU citizens where long queues, reviewing and checking your documents check at border controls are standard. Most borders don't even require seeing a border officer – you simply scan your passport at the biometric door and go through, saving you potentially hours on every trip.
If you have Lithuanian or Eastern European ancestry, there is an opportunity to investigate whether you would be eligible to claim your European citizenship. Make an enquiry with Our Plan B, and an expert will quickly determine if you should proceed with an application.
