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Lithuanian A1 for Customer-Facing Work: The Rule and How to Take the Exam

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10 November 2026

Lithuanian A1 for Customer-Facing Work: The Rule and How to Take the Exam

The Lithuanian A1 rule for people who work with customers: how the NŠA exam is built, how to sign up, what it costs, what to bring and where to see the results.

Fluent is an unofficial learning service, not a state body. This article is a reference overview, not legal advice: NŠA and the Migration Department set the rules and dates, so check the official pages.

Where this information comes from

All figures and deadlines in this article are from the NŠA FAQ «Lietuvių kalbos egzaminas užsieniečiams», updated 27 February 2026. Where we use another source, we say so. Re-read the NŠA page before you register: rules and deadlines may change.

What the rule says

  • Since 1 January 2026 an amendment to the Law on the State Language has been in force: people who communicate directly with customers must serve residents in Lithuanian at least at the basic A1 level (per the NŠA FAQ, updated 27 February 2026).
  • For foreigners the A1 requirement applies for two years. After that, to keep working in the service or trade sectors, A2 is needed (per the NŠA FAQ, updated 27 February 2026). The FAQ does not say from what date the two years are counted.

Penalties and exceptions are set by the law; we did not read the official text, so check with the State Language Inspectorate or another official source.

How the exam is built

Per the NŠA FAQ, updated 27 February 2026:

  • NŠA organises the Basic–I (A1–A2) exams.
  • The exam has three parts: a test (1 — reading and writing, 2 — listening) and an interview with the examiner (3 — speaking).
  • The exam is held at a base school: a computer test and an interview.
  • You can take it only at the base school of the municipality where you live. If it has no free places, you are offered another base school.

How to register and what it costs

Per the NŠA FAQ, updated 27 February 2026:

  1. Registration is on eksternams.nsa.smm.lt, as the FAQ writes it.
  2. Registration opens 30 days before the exam and closes 7 days before it.
  3. The fee for the A1–A2 (Basic–I) exam in 2026 is 52 € (per the NŠA FAQ, updated 27 February 2026).

This figure applies only to the A1–A2 (Basic–I) exam. We do not give it for the Constitution exam or for the State Language exam for citizenship or permanent residence: check the fee and the duration on the official NŠA page.

What to bring and when to arrive

  • Per the NŠA FAQ, updated 27 February 2026: bring an identity document and arrive 30 minutes early.
  • Per the NŠA instruction for the written part (a separate source, not the FAQ): the identity check against a valid identity document runs from 9:40 for a 10:00 start.

For how the written and speaking parts run by the clock, see Lithuanian Language Exam (A1–A2 and State Language): How the Written and Speaking Parts Go.

Results and certificate

Per the NŠA FAQ, updated 27 February 2026:

  • Results are published no later than 15 working days after the exam, in your account: «Išlaikyta» or «Neišlaikyta».
  • NŠA issues certificates within 7 working days after the results and posts them to the base schools. The school hands the certificate out within 3 working days.

A course certificate does not replace the exam

Per the NŠA FAQ, a certificate of completing a Lithuanian course is not equal to a state-language proficiency certificate: you have to take the exam. Most of NŠA's information is in Lithuanian; the memos are in English.

What to do next

Practise Lithuanian words in Fluent's practice section. For more of the rules on exam day, see Common Mistakes at the Lithuanian Constitution and Language Exams.

Checked: 10 November 2026 against official sources.

Official sources:

Fluent is an unofficial learning service, not a state body. This article is a reference overview, not legal advice: NŠA and the Migration Department set the rules and dates, so check the official pages.

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