Who Is Exempt From the Lithuanian Constitution and Language Exams
Who the two Lithuanian laws do not require to pass the Constitution and state-language exams: age, levels, disorders and children. The authority alone decides.
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 comes from
This article retells two provisions that were read on the official portal e-tar.lt:
- The Law on Citizenship (Lietuvos Respublikos pilietybės įstatymas), Art. 18(4): for citizenship.
- The Law on the Legal Status of Aliens (Įstatymas dėl užsieniečių teisinės padėties), Art. 53(8): for permanent residence, that is, the permit to reside permanently in Lithuania, in Lithuanian «leidimas nuolat gyventi».
We retell only these parts. Whether an exception fits you is decided by the authority, not by this article.
In short
- Both laws name age 65, a level of 0–55 percent (different terms), serious chronic mental and behavioural disorders, and children.
- The two laws use different Lithuanian terms for the levels and needs. We quote them and do not equate them.
- The exemption covers the points the law names, not all conditions at once.
- The Government sets the exam rules and the documents confirming a pass; for fees and documents see the official pages.
The two provisions side by side
How to read the table: «—» means that the part of that law we read has no such item. Cells in one row are not equivalent: the two laws use different terms and their conditions differ (for example, in the Citizenship law the special-needs level also requires pension age).
| Group | Citizenship (Art. 18(4)) | Permanent residence (Art. 53(8)) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 65 or older | 65 or older |
| Level (each law's own term) | 0–55 percent «darbingumo lygis» (work-capacity level) | 0–55 percent «dalyvumo lygis» (participation level; until 31 December 2023 the text said «darbingumo lygis») |
| Needs (each law's own term) | Pension age and «didelių ir vidutinių specialiųjų poreikių lygis» (high and medium special-needs level) | «individualieji pagalbos poreikiai» (individual assistance needs; until 31 December 2023 «specialieji poreikiai») |
| Disorders | Serious chronic mental and behavioural disorders | The same |
| Children | Children under 18: points 3, 4 and 5 do not apply | Children |
| Earlier permit revoked | — | Under Art. 54(1) point 3 or 4 |
Citizenship: Article 18, part 4
Citizenship law, Art. 18(4). Points 3 and 4 of part 1 (the state-language exam and the Constitution basics exam) do not apply to:
- persons aged 65 or older;
- persons for whom a 0–55 percent «darbingumo lygis» has been established (the law's own term; in English «work-capacity level»);
- persons who have reached pension age and for whom a «didelių ir vidutinių specialiųjų poreikių lygis» has been established in the manner set by law;
- persons with serious chronic mental and behavioural disorders.
For children under 18 the same part says: points 3, 4 and 5 of part 1 do not apply, that is, both exams and the condition of a lawful source of subsistence.
Permanent residence: Article 53, part 8
Aliens law, Art. 53(8). The requirements set in part 6 of this article (the state-language exam and the Constitution basics exam) do not apply to:
- persons aged 65 or older;
- persons for whom a 0–55 percent «dalyvumo lygis» has been established (the law's own term; in brackets the law adds that until 31 December 2023 it was «darbingumo lygis»);
- persons for whom «individualieji pagalbos poreikiai» have been established in the manner of the Law on the Fundamentals of Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disability (Lithuanian: asmens su negalia teisių apsaugos pagrindų įstatymas; in brackets the law adds that until 31 December 2023 it was «specialieji poreikiai»);
- persons with serious chronic mental and behavioural disorders;
- children;
- foreigners whose earlier permit to reside permanently was revoked on the grounds of Art. 54(1) point 3 or 4 of this law.
Art. 53(6) names the exams for permits on grounds 8, 8-1 and 8-2 of part 1. More on this in Lithuanian Citizenship or Permanent Residence: How the Requirements Differ.
Different terms in the two laws
The Citizenship law and the Aliens law use different Lithuanian terms for levels and needs: «darbingumo lygis» and «specialiųjų poreikių lygis» in the first, «dalyvumo lygis» and «individualieji pagalbos poreikiai» in the second. We do not equate these terms and do not explain what the levels mean. How they are established and which document confirms them we do not write: that is decided by the authority, not by this article.
What is exempt and what is not
- In the Citizenship law, Art. 18(4) names points 3 and 4 of part 1 (both exams) and, for children under 18, also point 5 (the source of subsistence). The other points of part 1 are not named in this part.
- In the Aliens law, Art. 53(8) speaks of the requirements of part 6 (the exams). Other conditions of Art. 53 are not named in this part.
- Refugee status is named in the Citizenship law in Art. 18(5): for such persons point 6 of part 1 (a written declaration to renounce other citizenship) does not apply. That part says nothing about the exams.
- Spouse of a citizen: Art. 19(1) of the Citizenship law names both exams. We do not claim whether Art. 18(4) applies to such a case: ask the authority.
Who decides
Whether an exception fits you is decided by the authority, not by this article. Which documents confirm age, level or needs and how to arrange them we do not write. The Government sets the exam rules and the documents confirming a pass (Citizenship law Art. 18(3), Aliens law Art. 53(6)). For fees and documents see the official NŠA page and ask the Migration Department.
What next
If you do need the exams, look at how they run: read the articles below and practise in Fluent's practice section and in the Constitution programme.
Checked: 10 November 2026 against official sources.
- Law on Citizenship XI-1196, edition in force from 2024-01-01
- Law on the Legal Status of Aliens IX-2206, edition in force from 1 November to 31 December 2026 (after that date check the edition in force)
Official sources:
- Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, XI-1196 (e-tar.lt)
- Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, IX-2206 (e-tar.lt)
- Exams for foreigners (NŠA)
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.
Read also
- Lithuanian Citizenship or Permanent Residence: How the Requirements Differ
- Lithuanian Constitution Exam: Format, Pass Mark and Topics
- Lithuanian A1–A2 Language Exam (Basic–I): Parts and Scoring
- How to Register for the Lithuanian Constitution and Language Exams: E-Migris or eksternams
- Lithuanian Constitution Exam: Sample Questions With Answers
- Lithuanian Constitution Exam: How Exam Day Works and What Is Banned
- Lithuanian Language Exam (A1–A2 and State Language): How the Written and Speaking Parts Go
- Common Mistakes at the Lithuanian Constitution and Language Exams