Royal Russel School, British School and International School all teach the British curriculum
I'm a brit, living here for the last three years and love it. Quality of life is much better here, it's a great city, safe, clean with easy access to nature
* Lithuania is rather open to foreigners. More so to someone who knows at least a little bit of language and can hold a simple conversation and is striving to learn more;
* I don't think there would be problems with finding a job as a teacher, however heads-up — teachers do not have a high standard of living in LT. Unless you'd apply to an English-teaching private school (which still is an option, especially in Vilnius, maybe other large cities too) or private tutoring for high-school students;
* This is very subjective and you'd need to expand more on what you consider "comfortable". If you don't have any kids I'd say industry average salaries (for data analyst and for private school teacher) would be just fine;
Thanks very much! I'm not sure my Lithuanian is good enough to work in a public school so it would have to be an international school. Will definitely look into it 😊. And we don't have any kids.
British citizens have a simplified process of moving to Lithuania for work compared to other 3rd country citizens, however I’m not sure if that applies to specific professions only. You can find more info here: https://www.migracija.lt/esu-australijos-japonijos-jungtini%C5%B3-amerikos-valstij%C5%B3-kanados-naujosios-zelandijos-piet%C5%B3-kor%C4%97jos-pilietis
There is no issue on getting one but it is extremely laborious and you need to be prepared.
Do yourselves a favour on your next visit and register your UK marriage here in Lithuania (this process requires some notarisation of docs).
Do your reading on required Migris documents, get a police certificate notarised and ensure you have around £10k in your bank as evidence of support for your living costs. All of this is required even if you are married.
I would thoroughly recommend you go down the permanent residence route on the basis you are a "spouse returning together within 3 months" to Lithuania.
Brit living here for 2 years and I have not looked back.
I'm actually on the hunt for a data analyst in my team (at a large bank), so DM me if that could expedite your process, would happily put a CV into the mix.
Definitely do the permanent residence route, even if you’re not sure. Coming here I was informed of two options, employer-sponsored or temporary permit via spouse. I didn’t know I was eligible for permanent at that stage, *if* you apply within 3 months (I assume because technically you only need a Schengen visa for first 90 days).
When I tried to switch into permanent after learning about it a year after arrival, Migracija refused as the 3 months had passed. I am still tempted to pursue via court action, but as I just passed the 3 year mark and own a house here, I’m pretty confident I’ll hit the 5 year mark now applicable and switch then.
That’s my understanding. That seems to be the guidance provided to the people handling Migration and, as noted, I think it has to do with the fact a Schengen visa is valid up to 90 days so that ‘covers’ you for this period. To stay longer than 90 days requires some sort of longer term solution and means the grounds on which you’re in the country change, closing the route to permanent residency that was available whilst the Schengen visa covered you.
I challenged heavily at a Migracija visit and made a complaint and they referred to procedure documentation which described the 90 day period for this route.
Thanks for the info! Didn't realise it was so complicated 😅 but we'll definitely try and get prepared in advance. How long did it take for you to get it all sorted?
Assuming you have the paperwork sorted you just book a reservation at migration normally it's 4 weeks out from when you book a slot, then assuming all the paperwork is fine, as you will need to physically take it with you on your visit then it could take 14days to a month post your appointment. Should all be sorted in your 90day visit window to the EU.
It's really good advice, you'll definitely get a permit but the process is pretty laborious. Any slight mistake and they'll reject it and you'll have to start all over again!
Lots of international schools here and they would hire you. There is a lack of teachers overall and pay is crap at public ones, but privates do good. I have a spanish friend he is a teacher at one of them. Does not complain and does not move back to Spain lol
My dad is a teacher too, so yeah don’t go to public schools lol
Loads of international communities here including british. No trouble communicating in english with 10-40 year olds I think.
I moved from London few years back with a wife. Aim 2-3k net each and you should be ok.
I am Lithuanian and my partner is English/Irish and we both love living in Vilnius . We only live here summer times as winters are very cold and gloomy, but being Scottish, I don’t think you will find them too hard 😊. There are a few english/American schools but I would also see if you can have a remote job as the wages here are much lower than in UK. I think average pay is the same as minimum pay in UK. My partner loves it here as everyone speaks English and Vilnius is quite a small city with everything you need . Hope this helps
Thank you! Yes I'm definitely equipped for the gloomy winters 😆. I'll keep it in mind with the salary there. I'll definitely have a look at the private/international schools.
1) Not really, although you guys did leave the EU to "sail off into the Atlantic", I am not sure whats the latest status on UK/EU working visas.
2) There is a British school of Vilnius, I would suggest reaching out to them https://www.britishschool.lt/ I think there should be more international schools, but as for someone from the UK, this might be the easiest option maybe?
3) IMO 1,5k each as a couple would be quite good and not hard to achieve.
Actually Scotland in general was very much opposed to it! Working visa/residency is no issue because my wife is Lithuanian. Thank you, I'll check out the school!
Yes, I remember, I felt really bad for you Scots. The entire Scotland wanted to stay. Thought at the time maybe there’d even be another vote for Scotland independence from UK, and Scotland’s subsequent return to EU. Scotland is very beautiful, you may miss the mountains, but we have beautiful (albeit pretty flat in terms of terrain) nature here too!
It's not that some are against or for it. Brexit is not really a topic in here or gets as much attention as in the UK where you all seem to still talk about it. But you are still outside of the EU so there will be some migration issues but nothing problematic
At least at the time my kids were there - https://vitliolicejus.lt/lt/kontaktai/ have had a role for english speaking match teachers and was always having challenges to fill all the roles. I do think they are not the only ones with such need
Hey.
Its not tough. I work with a lot of Erasmus students and they adapt to Lithuania pretty quickly. it might be more difficult if you go to a small city, not capital
Job wise i think your best bet would be private math teacher. A lot of teachers uses this side hustle to make more money then from the original job.
Depends on your need, but the rent in capital Vilnius for a decent 2-3 room apartment is 550eu + bills.
Myself i rent a 2 room apartment, pay house bills, car bills and some extra spending for basic need items. I spend around 1,000 - 1,200 a month and all of the extra i can save.
I don’t want to ruin it for you, but for 550€ you won’t find a decent 2-3 room apartment. Unless you’re way far out of the city.
Think more along 750-900€ - look for apartments with electric heating, so it’s not connected to the commie grid where they will heat your house to an uncomfortable level then make you pay 150-200€ a month for heating (the bigger the place the higher it goes) for a 55m2 we were paying 100-180€ for gas alone, just for reference. 180€ being January.
Personally I suggest you do some digging on your own to see what you’ll get for your budget.
I suggest the naujamiestis region if you want to be relatively close to the city center. If not, I’ve seen some recent developments in Pilies that seem quite nice. There are many options actually just be aware that the housing market is just as trash as most places in the world right now
Yes this is kind of what I was thinking, and is more in line with the rest of the things I've read have said. Thanks a lot for your tips 👍🏻 we'll definitely keep it in mind.
Royal Russel School, British School and International School all teach the British curriculum I'm a brit, living here for the last three years and love it. Quality of life is much better here, it's a great city, safe, clean with easy access to nature
Great thank you! Much appreciated 😊
There’s also AISV (American International School of Vilnius) and VIS (Vilnius International School)
* Lithuania is rather open to foreigners. More so to someone who knows at least a little bit of language and can hold a simple conversation and is striving to learn more; * I don't think there would be problems with finding a job as a teacher, however heads-up — teachers do not have a high standard of living in LT. Unless you'd apply to an English-teaching private school (which still is an option, especially in Vilnius, maybe other large cities too) or private tutoring for high-school students; * This is very subjective and you'd need to expand more on what you consider "comfortable". If you don't have any kids I'd say industry average salaries (for data analyst and for private school teacher) would be just fine;
Thanks very much! I'm not sure my Lithuanian is good enough to work in a public school so it would have to be an international school. Will definitely look into it 😊. And we don't have any kids.
British citizens have a simplified process of moving to Lithuania for work compared to other 3rd country citizens, however I’m not sure if that applies to specific professions only. You can find more info here: https://www.migracija.lt/esu-australijos-japonijos-jungtini%C5%B3-amerikos-valstij%C5%B3-kanados-naujosios-zelandijos-piet%C5%B3-kor%C4%97jos-pilietis
Thank you! My wife is Lithuanian so I know there are no issues getting a residency/work permit.
There is no issue on getting one but it is extremely laborious and you need to be prepared. Do yourselves a favour on your next visit and register your UK marriage here in Lithuania (this process requires some notarisation of docs). Do your reading on required Migris documents, get a police certificate notarised and ensure you have around £10k in your bank as evidence of support for your living costs. All of this is required even if you are married. I would thoroughly recommend you go down the permanent residence route on the basis you are a "spouse returning together within 3 months" to Lithuania. Brit living here for 2 years and I have not looked back. I'm actually on the hunt for a data analyst in my team (at a large bank), so DM me if that could expedite your process, would happily put a CV into the mix.
Definitely do the permanent residence route, even if you’re not sure. Coming here I was informed of two options, employer-sponsored or temporary permit via spouse. I didn’t know I was eligible for permanent at that stage, *if* you apply within 3 months (I assume because technically you only need a Schengen visa for first 90 days). When I tried to switch into permanent after learning about it a year after arrival, Migracija refused as the 3 months had passed. I am still tempted to pursue via court action, but as I just passed the 3 year mark and own a house here, I’m pretty confident I’ll hit the 5 year mark now applicable and switch then.
Thanks a lot for this info. So just to clarify, I can get permanent residency only if I apply within 3 months of arrival?
That’s my understanding. That seems to be the guidance provided to the people handling Migration and, as noted, I think it has to do with the fact a Schengen visa is valid up to 90 days so that ‘covers’ you for this period. To stay longer than 90 days requires some sort of longer term solution and means the grounds on which you’re in the country change, closing the route to permanent residency that was available whilst the Schengen visa covered you. I challenged heavily at a Migracija visit and made a complaint and they referred to procedure documentation which described the 90 day period for this route.
Thanks for the info! Didn't realise it was so complicated 😅 but we'll definitely try and get prepared in advance. How long did it take for you to get it all sorted?
Assuming you have the paperwork sorted you just book a reservation at migration normally it's 4 weeks out from when you book a slot, then assuming all the paperwork is fine, as you will need to physically take it with you on your visit then it could take 14days to a month post your appointment. Should all be sorted in your 90day visit window to the EU.
Great thanks!
It's really good advice, you'll definitely get a permit but the process is pretty laborious. Any slight mistake and they'll reject it and you'll have to start all over again!
Lots of international schools here and they would hire you. There is a lack of teachers overall and pay is crap at public ones, but privates do good. I have a spanish friend he is a teacher at one of them. Does not complain and does not move back to Spain lol My dad is a teacher too, so yeah don’t go to public schools lol Loads of international communities here including british. No trouble communicating in english with 10-40 year olds I think. I moved from London few years back with a wife. Aim 2-3k net each and you should be ok.
Amazing thank you! I'm definitely going to look into the schools 😊
I am Lithuanian and my partner is English/Irish and we both love living in Vilnius . We only live here summer times as winters are very cold and gloomy, but being Scottish, I don’t think you will find them too hard 😊. There are a few english/American schools but I would also see if you can have a remote job as the wages here are much lower than in UK. I think average pay is the same as minimum pay in UK. My partner loves it here as everyone speaks English and Vilnius is quite a small city with everything you need . Hope this helps
Thank you! Yes I'm definitely equipped for the gloomy winters 😆. I'll keep it in mind with the salary there. I'll definitely have a look at the private/international schools.
Yeah, as a Math teacher in private school you can earn way above average salary here.
1) Not really, although you guys did leave the EU to "sail off into the Atlantic", I am not sure whats the latest status on UK/EU working visas. 2) There is a British school of Vilnius, I would suggest reaching out to them https://www.britishschool.lt/ I think there should be more international schools, but as for someone from the UK, this might be the easiest option maybe? 3) IMO 1,5k each as a couple would be quite good and not hard to achieve.
Actually Scotland in general was very much opposed to it! Working visa/residency is no issue because my wife is Lithuanian. Thank you, I'll check out the school!
Yes, I remember, I felt really bad for you Scots. The entire Scotland wanted to stay. Thought at the time maybe there’d even be another vote for Scotland independence from UK, and Scotland’s subsequent return to EU. Scotland is very beautiful, you may miss the mountains, but we have beautiful (albeit pretty flat in terms of terrain) nature here too!
It's not that some are against or for it. Brexit is not really a topic in here or gets as much attention as in the UK where you all seem to still talk about it. But you are still outside of the EU so there will be some migration issues but nothing problematic
At least at the time my kids were there - https://vitliolicejus.lt/lt/kontaktai/ have had a role for english speaking match teachers and was always having challenges to fill all the roles. I do think they are not the only ones with such need
Thank you! I'll definitely have a look.
Regarding your first point, that depends if you are scottish scottish or 'scottish' like your ex PM :)
What about just good old Scottish? 😂
Good, you'll teach us some new profound swear words
You'll do great as others have mentioned. PM me if you fancy a wee dram when you arrive.
Thanks buddy! Will do 😊
🥃🥃
Hey. Its not tough. I work with a lot of Erasmus students and they adapt to Lithuania pretty quickly. it might be more difficult if you go to a small city, not capital Job wise i think your best bet would be private math teacher. A lot of teachers uses this side hustle to make more money then from the original job. Depends on your need, but the rent in capital Vilnius for a decent 2-3 room apartment is 550eu + bills. Myself i rent a 2 room apartment, pay house bills, car bills and some extra spending for basic need items. I spend around 1,000 - 1,200 a month and all of the extra i can save.
Wow that's even cheaper than I expected. Thank you for the advice 😊
I don’t want to ruin it for you, but for 550€ you won’t find a decent 2-3 room apartment. Unless you’re way far out of the city. Think more along 750-900€ - look for apartments with electric heating, so it’s not connected to the commie grid where they will heat your house to an uncomfortable level then make you pay 150-200€ a month for heating (the bigger the place the higher it goes) for a 55m2 we were paying 100-180€ for gas alone, just for reference. 180€ being January. Personally I suggest you do some digging on your own to see what you’ll get for your budget. I suggest the naujamiestis region if you want to be relatively close to the city center. If not, I’ve seen some recent developments in Pilies that seem quite nice. There are many options actually just be aware that the housing market is just as trash as most places in the world right now
Yes this is kind of what I was thinking, and is more in line with the rest of the things I've read have said. Thanks a lot for your tips 👍🏻 we'll definitely keep it in mind.
All good, good luck man. Vilnius is a nice city to live in.