Our Plan B

lithuanian Citizenship

Lithuanian Citizenship by Descent for those who are eligible to claim a Lithuanian Passport through a parent being Lithuanian at the time of your birth. This is classified as a standard route for Lithuanian Citizenship by Descent. The Nationality Laws of Lithuania are very similar to that or Irish Citizenship by Decent, where as long as your birth is registered in the Republic of Lithuania Civil Registry office you can continue to pass citizenship onto future generations regardless of where the birth takes place. The registration must be done before the next generation is born as this will stop the direct linage of Lithuanian citizenship.

In July 2016, Lithuania amended its Nationality Laws to allow for citizens to have dual citizenship, opening the doors to South Africans citizens to claim their ancestral Lithuanian citizenship.

You can do so if the following criteria apply to you:

• Either of your parents had Lithuanian citizenship or were registered in the Republic of Lithuania Civil Registry office before you were born.

Lithuanian Citizenship by Restoration was a route for citizenship which was created on the back of obtaining independence in 1990 from Soviet Rule. Many Jewish Lithuanian citizens were forced out of their country of birth because of persecution based on religion. These ancestors lost their Lithuanian citizenship or they had to renounce it when naturalising in the Union South Africa or in the case of the maternal linage, would acquire the citizenship of their husband (pre 1949).

Lithuanian Citizenship by Restoration is the claim of citizenship based on ancestors who were born as Lithuanian citizens and then citizenship was lost because of taking up a nationality of another country.

You can do so if the following criteria apply to you:

• At least one of your parents, grandparents or great grandparents were citizens of the Republic of Lithuania (which existed from 1918 to 1940).

• You have an ancestor who was exiled from the occupied Republic of Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990 and acquired citizenship of a different state;

• You have an ancestor who left Lithuania prior to 11 March 1990 and acquired citizenship of a different state; or

• You are the person who is a descendant of a person mentioned above, this includes parent, grandparent and even great-grandparent.