A meeting between the Director of the Vilnius Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Dzianis Kuchynski, and the Director of the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, Indrė Gasparė, took place at the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
The parties discussed the current migration situation, humanitarian support for Belarusians fleeing repression, and practical steps to simplify administrative procedures and facilitate the integration of the Belarusian community in Lithuania.
Dzianis Kuchynski informed Indrė Gasparė about the ongoing repression inside Belarus, including the recent pressure against the European Humanities University, its students, graduates, and applicants. He expressed deep gratitude to Lithuania for its continued solidarity and consistent migration policy, which has enabled thousands of Belarusians to find safety and obtain legal status.
Indrė Gasparė shared up-to-date statistics from the Migration Department. As of July 2026, 48,613 Belarusians reside in the Republic of Lithuania with valid residence permits:
- 33,880 of them have residence permits based on employment, 4,650 through family reunification, 1,212 on humanitarian grounds, and 884 for studies;
- 4,203 people hold permanent residence permits;
- 123 people have a temporary EU residence card, and 79 have a permanent EU residence card.
Belarusians continue to lead in attracting highly qualified specialists (Blue Cards) in Lithuania. Of the 4,787 Blue Cards issued in Lithuania, more than 50% — 2,750 cards — were granted to Belarusian citizens (for comparison, Russian citizens received 600, and Ukrainian citizens 362).
The meeting addressed mechanisms for legalizing the status of Belarusians forced to leave the country due to political persecution, as well as those released from political imprisonment.
The parties also confirmed the possibility of certifying civil status documents issued in Belarus in Lithuania without an apostille for persons holding humanitarian residence permits. This mechanism allows people at risk of persecution in Belarus to resolve important matters, including marriage and birth registration, as well as interactions with banks and state institutions.
❗️If you have a humanitarian case and are experiencing difficulties with document certification, please contact the Legal Team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office: legal@tsikhanouskaya.org.
Dzianis Kuchynski conveyed to Indrė Gasparė, who is also a member of the board of Regitra, proposals from the Belarusian community regarding the adaptation of certain procedures related to driving licenses. These include:
- the possibility of taking the theoretical driving exam in Belarusian;
- possible ways to simplify the procedure for exchanging driving licenses for Belarusian citizens, taking into account the experience of other European Union member states (including Poland).
Ms. Gasparė and Mr. Kuchynski addressed the prospects of a dedicated meeting between the Migration Department and Belarusian civil society organizations, businesses, and diaspora. Such a meeting would serve to identify and systematize pressing issues related to legal stay, facilitate the exchange of up-to-date information on residents’ rights and responsibilities, and improve communication between Lithuanian state institutions and the Belarusian community.
Dzianis Kuchynski spoke about ongoing educational and language initiatives organized by Belarusian organizations, emphasizing the importance of good neighborly relations, learning the Lithuanian language, and respecting the culture and laws of the country that has welcomed Belarusians.
The Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will continue to convey practical proposals from the Belarusian community to Lithuanian state institutions and work to make it easier for Belarusians in Lithuania to resolve administrative issues.
