MIGRIS Application: Step-by-Step Guide for Lithuania Student TRP

Last checked: November 2026

We both went through this as students. This guide follows the order you meet things on screen. The portal’s wording changes from time to time, so we describe buttons and menus in general terms rather than promise exact labels.

What MIGRIS is and when to start your MIGRIS application

MIGRIS is the Migration Department’s online system for visas, residence permits and appointments, reached through migracija.lt. Non-EU degree students apply for a temporary residence permit (TRP) for studies.

Do not open the form until you have three things ready: your mediation letter number from the university, your full set of scanned documents, and a clear idea of which application centre you can travel to. The general suggestion is that you book your visit no earlier than 7–8 months and no later than 3 months before your planned arrival, so for a September intake most students start between spring and early summer. If you are still collecting documents, our guide to documents required for a Lithuania student visa is the place to begin.

Before you log in: a quick checklist

Step 1: Get your mediation letter number

The mediation letter is the university’s formal confirmation to the Migration Department that it has admitted you. You do not upload a paper letter: the university registers it electronically in MIGRIS and gives you a number, which you type into your application.

Each university has its own way of requesting it. At Vilnius University you request it through the applicant portal after accepting your offer, and the university then sends an invitation to the email address you gave. Make sure the university used your exact passport details, and give it the same email you will use in MIGRIS.

Step 2: Log in and choose the right form

On migracija.lt, go to the section for foreigners and work through the service selector. University guides from VU, LSMU, VDU and VILNIUS TECH describe the same general path:

1. 1. Choose your citizenship from the drop-down list.
   2. Choose the option to get a residence permit in Lithuania, then a temporary residence permit.
   3. Select studies as the purpose, then the option that describes you as a student.
   4. Choose to apply for a new permit (not a change or replacement of an existing one).
   5. Enter your email address. MIGRIS sends a one-time sign-in code to that address, which you enter to continue.

There is no long registration form; your email effectively becomes your account. Picking the wrong purpose or the wrong action (changing a permit instead of issuing one) leads to a negative pre-check and lost weeks.

Step 3: Fill in each section of the MIGRIS application

The form is split into sections, with required fields marked by a red asterisk.

Personal data

Enter your names, date and place of birth, and citizenship exactly as they appear in your passport, including the order of names and any second names.

Travel document

Passport number, issuing authority, and issue and expiry dates. Double-check the expiry date against the 6-month rule above.

Lithuanian study institution

This is where the mediation letter number goes, with the university’s details. Some universities publish the exact details to copy in.

Additional information

Questions about your previous education, previous stays in Lithuania or the Schengen area, and family members. VILNIUS TECH also asks students to prepare a list of countries lived in or visited over the past 10 years, so have your travel history to hand. Answer honestly.

Payment

You will be asked whether you have already paid the state fee or will pay at the place of service. More on this below.

Documents

Here you upload your scans. Some document types (such as health insurance) are chosen from a drop-down list before you attach the file.

Step 4: Upload your documents properly

The exact file formats or size limits for MIGRIS uploads would be on the portal, and the portal itself will tell you if a file is rejected. In practice, clear PDF scans work best. Our advice:

• • Scan in colour, the whole page, with no cut-off edges or fingers in the frame. Phone photos of documents on a bed are a common reason for a request for new copies.
  • Combine multi-page documents (bank statements, passport pages) into one PDF per document.
  • Upload the apostille or legalisation pages together with the criminal record certificate, plus translations where needed.

You must still bring the originals to your appointment.

Step 5: Pay the state fee

According to the Migration Department’s state fees page, the standard TRP fee is €160, but a foreigner admitted to a study programme pays €80 under the general procedure. The urgent procedure (€320) is only available when applying in Lithuania; at an external service provider you get the general procedure only.

You have two options. You can pay by bank transfer to the State Tax Inspectorate (with the correct payment code) and upload the receipt, or you can select the option to pay at the place of service, in which case no receipt is needed. If you apply through VFS Global you also pay a separate service fee: VU’s 2026/27 checklist quotes €110, while an older VU guide gave a range of €40–160 depending on the country. Both the state fee and the service fee are non-refundable, even if you are refused.

Step 6: Choose where you will submit

Before you submit, MIGRIS asks where you will give your biometrics and present the originals. You can choose a Migration Department office only if you can enter and stay in Lithuania legally. Most students abroad choose an external service provider, which is VFS Global.

There is no TRP desk in Nigeria, so Nigerian applicants typically use VFS in Accra, Ghana. A VFS centre opened in Harare on 22 October 2025, which saves Zimbabwean students a trip abroad. The list of centres changes, so check the Migration Department’s services for persons abroad page before you choose, but you still need a valid visa or right of entry to the country where that centre is.

Step 7: Wait for the preliminary review, then book your visit

After you submit, the Migration Department pre-checks your form, the mediation letter and the information you gave. You cannot book a visit until this review is done.

Since 22 October 2025, appointments at external service providers are booked only in MIGRIS, not on the VFS website. The Migration Department explains that when your status reads that the application has been submitted to the external service provider, a booking option appears in your account. You choose the centre and a free time slot. The calendar shows dates up to 4 months ahead and is refreshed every working day at 4:00 pm Lithuanian time, so if nothing is free, check again after that time.

VU notes that after a second negative preliminary assessment, you cannot submit a new application for 4 months. That is a strong reason to get the form right the first time. You must then attend your appointment with the originals within 4 months of submitting the request in MIGRIS.

Step 8: Attend the appointment and track your status

At the centre you sign the application, give fingerprints and a photo, and hand over the originals. Your passport is normally returned the same day. After that, requests for extra documents, the decision and card collection details all appear in MIGRIS, so log in regularly.

The standard decision time is up to 2 months, and the clock can stop if the Department asks for more documents. We explain what to expect week by week in our article on Lithuania TRP processing time.

Common MIGRIS application mistakes

• • Wrong form or purpose. Choosing work, family or a permit change instead of a new TRP for studies.
  • Name mismatches. Your name in the form, the mediation letter and the bank documents should all follow the passport.
  • Expired or unused mediation letter. If you wait too long, ask your university for a new one before you submit.
  • Criminal record certificate without apostille or legalisation. This is one of the most common reasons for a negative pre-check.
  • Funds that do not reach the full amount or a sponsor without a signed affidavit and their own statements.
  • Blurry or partial scans. The reviewer cannot accept what they cannot read.
  • Ignoring the MIGRIS inbox. Requests for extra documents have deadlines.

If you want a second pair of eyes before you press submit, our student visa and immigration support covers checking your MIGRIS application line by line. For the full list of entry conditions, see our guide to Lithuania student visa requirements.

FOUNDER NOTE: take your time while filling in the application. Read every line, every information bubble, everthing carefully! If an application is rejected or returned for corrction twice, you’ll need to wait 4 months before applying again so asking us or doing it carefully is absolutely necessary. 

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to create a MIGRIS account before applying?

Not in the traditional sense. You enter your email address and MIGRIS sends a one-time code each time you log in. Use the same email throughout and the one your university has on file.

Can I edit my MIGRIS application after submitting it?

Generally not once it is submitted for review. If the Department finds problems, the pre-check will be negative and you will need to correct and resubmit, so read everything twice before you send it.

How long does the preliminary review take?

No official timeframe is published and it varies with demand, so do not leave your application until close to your intake.

Can I book my VFS appointment on the VFS website?

No. Since 22 October 2025 appointments at external service providers for Lithuanian TRPs are booked only through MIGRIS, after your application has passed the pre-check.

Do I pay the state fee before or after submitting?

Either. Pay by bank transfer and upload the receipt, or choose to pay at the place of service. The VFS service fee is paid separately.

Filling in MIGRIS is mostly about patience and accuracy. If you would like us to look over your documents or your form before you submit, book a free consultation and we will talk it through with you.