In Lithuania, the most important platform for accessing online public services is the portal „e-Government gateway” (elektroniniai valdžios vartai). It allows natural persons, businesses and public sector to access all public and administrative e-services. 594 services for natural persons, 406 services for businesses, and 134 services for the public sector are available in this portal.
All the information in the portal is structured in a user-friendly manner according to the main life events: „Birth of a child“, „Losing and finding a job“, “Starting a business”, etc. Moreover, all e-services are divided into different categories, such as „Healthcare“, „Migration“‚ „Taxes“ etc. Additionally, there is also a list of the most popular services. Citizens and businesses can benefit from verification of signed document (ADOC) with an e-signature, as well as the creation and signing of e-documents (for example, agreements, authorisations etc.).
Identification is a mandatory requirement for the users to receive the services. The portal allows identification through various sources: e-bank or other electronic identification solutions. EU citizens’ identification is available through eIDAS.
In terms of public documents, the competent authority for most of the documents mentioned is State Enterprise Centre of Registers. This institution allows citizens and residents of the Republic of Lithuania to request birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates as well as documents concerning the change of name, and parenthood. Public documents concerning nationality (IDs and passports) and absence of criminal record are supervised by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos vidaus reikalų ministerija), while residency documents are administered by the municipalities.
In regards to the online public services, the possibility to lodge an application for legal aid is currently under supervision by the State Guaranteed Legal Aid Service under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania (Valstybės garantuojamos teisinės pagalbos tarnyba prie Lietuvos Respublikos teisingumo ministerijos) Initiation of a civil case online, and electronic service of judicial documents is under supervision of the Lithuanian National Courts Administration (Nacionalinė teismų administracija), and participation in judicial auctions, company formation and access to information on companies are supervised by the State Enterprise Centre of Registers (Registrų centras).
Purpose and scope:
In February 2022, a new Legal Aid Services Information System (TEISIS) was established with an aim to improve inter-institutional cooperation between pre-trial investigation institutions and the State Guaranteed Legal Aid Service (Valstybės garantuojamos teisinės pagalbos tarnyba). Through this system, natural persons can request aid from the counsel / authorised representatives on a mandatory basis and to receive notifications directly from the system about their selected counsel / authorised representatives. A natural person can request legal aid either via face-to-face meetings, interactive consultations or in-writing. A person can select one of the available topics of legal aid [1] and describe the need for legal counselling in writing. In the system, a natural person can select to receive legal advice in any official EU language. Legal aid is divided into primary and secondary legal aid.
Primary legal aid concerns:
- applications for divorce by mutual consent of both spouses;
- an agreement on the legal consequences of a divorce;
- statements regarding the issuance of a court order;
- objections to the creditor's statement;
- applications for the issuance of a court permit for the sale or mortgaging of real estate;
- applications for a court order to accept an inheritance;
- requests for prior judicial authorisation to enter into transactions involving the assets of a person who is incapacitated in a particular area or has a limited capacity in a particular area.
Where necessary, persons providing primary legal aid shall assist in completing or completing:
- requests for mandatory mediation;
- requests for secondary state-guaranteed legal aid.
Primary legal aid includes:
- advice on out-of-court dispute resolution,
- steps towards a peaceful settlement of the dispute and the drafting of a peace agreement,
But it does not include:
- filling in the declarations submitted to the tax administrator.
Secondary legal aid concerns:
- preparation of documents, defence and representation in cases, including enforcement proceedings;
- representation in cases of out-of-court settlement of disputes, if such a procedure is established by law or a court decision;
- reimbursement of legal costs in cases examined in civil proceedings;
- reimbursement of litigation costs in constitutional justice cases;
- reimbursement of expenses related to the proceedings in the administrative procedure;
- reimbursement of the costs of court proceedings for administrative misconduct;
- reimbursement of the costs of a civil action in criminal matters.
Competent authority: State Guaranteed Legal Aid Service under Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania ( Valstybės garantuojamos teisinės pagalbos tarnyba prie Lietuvos Respublikos teisingumo ministerijos)
Conditions of access:
- Eligibility requirements: Primary legal aid is granted to:
- Citizens of the Republic of Lithuania;
- Citizens of the Member States of the European Union;
- Natural persons legally residing in the Republic of Lithuania and the other Member States of the European Union;
- Persons specified in international agreements of the Republic of Lithuania and directly applicable legal acts of the European Union.
- Secondary legal aid is granted to:
- Citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, citizens of other European Union Member States, as well as other natural persons legally residing in the Republic of Lithuania and other European Union Member States, whose assets and annual income do not exceed the Government-guaranteed legal aid levels stated in the Law on the Legal Aid Guaranteed by the State [2].
- Citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, citizens of the other Member States of the European Union, as well as other natural persons legally residing in the Republic of Lithuania and the other Member States of the European Union specified in Article 12 of the Law on the Legal Aid Guaranteed by the State [2] which provides 17 different categories of persons eligible for the secondary legal aid regardless of the person's (family's) property and personal income.
- Other persons specified in the international agreements of the Republic of Lithuania and directly applicable legal acts of the European Union, whose assets and annual income do not exceed the levels of assets and income established by the Government for receiving legal aid or who are specified in Article 12 of the Law on the Legal Aid Guaranteed by the State [2].
- Identification and authentication requirements:
- Authentication through the e-government gateway http://www.epaslaugos.lt/.
- Documents to be provided: In terms of the primary legal aid, applicants are not requested to provide any documents. Regarding the secondary legal aid, applicants are requested to provide:
- a request for state-guaranteed legal aid;
- documents substantiating the personal claim;
- documents proving the right of a person to receive state-guaranteed legal aid;
- the consent of the lawyer if they wish the secondary legal aid to be provided by a lawyer who is not included in the list of lawyers providing secondary legal aid.
Legal effects of electronic document: N/A
Possibility to complete the procedure fully online: Yes
Cost: The service is free for the primary legal aid. The service for secondary legal aid can be either fully, partially or not compensated by the State depending on the income level of the natural person. More information on the conditions for the expenses regarding the secondary judicial aid is available here.
Links: https://teisis.lt/external/home/main
[1] Administrative law and administrative process, Civil law and civil procedures, Criminal Law, Criminal proceedings, Family law, Labor law, Property law, Social security law, Other.
[2] Available at: https://e-seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAD/TAIS.98693/asr
In Lithuania, it is not possible to introduce claims for damages online. More information on compensation processes in Lithuania are available on the EJN’s factsheets.
Purpose and scope: In Lithuania, it is possible to initiate a civil case online via the E-Service Portal of Lithuanian Courts (Lietuvos teismų elektroninių paslaugų portalas). Besides initiating a case online, users can also listen to the audio records of the court hearings, familiarise themselves with the court processes, forms and deliver the procedural documents to the court, fill in the documents according to the prepared forms, receive notices about the admission of the documents, the discovered errors, the hearings of the case, and pay fines imposed by the court, as well as imposed expenses of litigation and the stamps duty.
Competent authority: Lithuanian National Courts Administration (Nacionalinė teismų administracija)
Conditions of access:
- Eligibility requirements: The online service is intended for natural persons (individuals and legal representatives of minors and protected adults), legal entities and lawyers.
- Identification and authentication requirements: Authentication through the e-government gateway http://www.epaslaugos.lt/. Interested parties may access to the portal using e-signature, e-banking, identity cards or court issued data.
- Documents to be provided: Documents might need to be provided, depending on the type of proceeding. The portal has a wide range of prepared forms that need to be filled in by natural persons, legal entities or lawyers in order to initiate a case.
Legal effects of electronic document: N/A
Possibility to complete the procedure fully online: Yes.
Cost: The service is free.
Links: https://e.teismas.lt/lt/public/home/
More information on how to initiate court proceedings online in Lithuania is also available on the EJN’s factsheet.
Purpose and scope: Natural persons, legal entities and lawyers can consent to the electronic transmission of judicial documents by filling in a form electronically. By consenting to electronic transmission, the user can consult the progress of his/her case online, receive notices about the admission of the documents, the discovered errors, the hearings of the case, and pay fines imposed by the court online. The process participants, who initiate the civil or administrative cases electronically, shall pay only 75% of the stamp’s duty.
Competent authority: Lithuanian National Courts Administration (Nacionalinė teismų administracija)
Conditions of access:
- Eligibility requirements: The online service is intended for natural persons (individuals and legal representatives of minors and protected adults), legal entities and lawyers .
- Identification and authentication requirements: Authentication is through the e-government gateway http://www.epaslaugos.lt/. Interested parties may access to the portal using e-signature, e-banking, identity cards or court issued data.
- Documents to be provided: The filled-in, dated and signed consent form.
Legal effects of electronic document: Once received and approved, the consent allows the judicial authorities to electronically transmit notices, receipts and summons.
Possibility to complete the procedure fully online: Yes
Cost: The service is free.
Links: https://e.teismas.lt/lt/public/home/
More information on service of judicial documents in Lithuania is also available on the EJN factsheet.
Purpose and scope: Online auctions in Lithuania are organised via E-Auction system (Varžytynės ir aukcionai). The information system enables residents and businesses to participate remotely in electronic forced sale auctions (judicial auctions) conducted by bailiffs and insolvency administrators and in electronic auctions for the sale of state-owned and municipal property. Persons are able to actively participate in electronic auctions and forced sale auctions (judicial auctions) at the lowest cost. Electronic services are provided by bailiffs, insolvency administrators, State Enterprise, the State Property Bank (Turto bankas), and municipalities, other state and private sectors. Through the E-Auction system, residents and businesses can participate in online auctions regarding the sale of real estate (buildings and/or land), stocks, vehicles and other equipment (i.e. manufacturing machines).
Competent authority: State Enterprise Centre of Registers (Registrų centras)
Conditions of access:
- Eligibility requirements: The online service is intended for natural persons and businesses.
- Identification and authentication requirements: Authentication through the e-government gateway http://www.epaslaugos.lt/.
- Documents to be provided: A person must confirm his/her identity using personal identification methods offered on the website, specify his/her contact details, the bank account number where the participant’s registration fee/guarantee deposit should be returned in case the person was not successful at the auction, get familiar with the procedure for participating in the auction and pay the participant’s registration fee/guarantee deposit during the registration.
Legal effects of electronic document: N/A
Possibility to complete the procedure fully online: Yes.
Cost: The service is free. The person wishing to participate in a specific auction must pay the auction participant's registration fee (if applicable) and the participant's guarantee deposit, the amounts of which are specified in the auction announcement.
When it’s possible or mandatory, process participants via e.teismas.lt portal may manage judicial mediation. Applications for mediation, in Lithuania, also can be submitted directly to the State Guaranteed Legal Aid Service (Valstybės garantuojamos teisinės pagalbos tarnyba) by registered letter or email (such applications must be signed electronically).
If requests are sent by registered mail or electronically, a copy of the identity document of the party to the dispute shall be provided.
In case of doubt as to the authenticity of a copy of an identity document, the State Guaranteed Legal Aid Service has the right to request the party to the dispute who submitted a copy of the identity document to submit the original document or a copy certified by a notary or other person authorised to perform notarial acts.
More information on mediation services is available here and on the EJN’s factsheet.
Company formation
Purpose and scope:
The following legal entities can be registered electronically by the State Enterprise Centre of Registers (Registrų centras):
- individual enterprise,
- a limited liability company,
- association,
- small community,
- public institution,
- charity and support fund.
Branches of European companies, joint stock companies, closed joint stock companies or branches of limited liability companies established in another member state of the European Union and a state belonging to the European Economic Area can also be established electronically.
The Register of Legal Entities registers legal entities, their branches and representative offices, branches and representative offices of foreign legal entities and other organizations; registers, records, collects, stores, processes, organizes, stores and provides data, information and documents about them.
The Register of Legal Entities contains complete information (and historical data) about the legal form and status of legal entities, fields of its activity, size and structure of the authorized capital, members of sole and collective management bodies, etc. The Register of Legal Entities also contains data on the sole shareholder of a joint-stock company and a closed joint-stock company. Data on members, participants, shareholders of 8 major legal forms of legal entities is processed in the Information System of Participants of Legal Entities (JADIS). Data on beneficial owners of all forms of legal entities are processed in Sub-system of Legal Entities Beneficial Owners (JANGIS) of JADIS.
Most business companies must submit annual financial statements to the Register of Legal Entities since 2004.
Competent authority: State Enterprise Centre of Registers (Registrų centras)
Conditions of access:
- Eligibility requirements: All natural and legal persons wishing to register a company.
- Identification and authentication requirements: Authentication through the e-government gateway http://www.epaslaugos.lt/.
- Documents to be provided: This depends on the legal form of the legal entity.
Legal effects of electronic document: N/A
Possibility to complete the procedure fully online: Yes.
Cost: The fee varies depending on the type of the legal entity registered. Full information on the price categories is available here.
Link: https://www.registrucentras.lt/p/671
Access to information on companies
Purpose and scope:The objective of the service described below is to obtain information on companies.
The website of the State Enterprise Centre of Registers (Registrų centras) includes a database of all legal entities registered in Lithuania. Each legal entity has a specific code, name, address, legal form[1] and legal status[2].Every person who has indicated the legal entity code or legal entity name to the Register of Legal Entities manager has the right to receive data on the legal entity name, code, legal form, registered office (address), legal status, restricted activities of the legal entity, applicable international sanctions and legal entity check-out from Register of Legal Entities date online free of charge.
In addition, the Register of Legal Entities contains information about the registration of a legal entity, registration of changes to its data or information free of charge in an electronic information publication authorized by the Register of Legal Entities manager.
Competent authority: State Enterprise Centre of Registers (Registrų centras)
Conditions of access:
- Eligibility requirements: None
- Identification and authentication requirements: None
- Documents to be provided: None
Legal effects of electronic document: N/A
Possibility to complete the procedure fully online: N/A
Cost: These services are free.
Links:
https://www.registrucentras.lt/jar/p/
https://www.registrucentras.lt/p/121
It is possible to electronically order register extracts and copies of documents, including financial documents, for a fee.
Competent authority: State Enterprise Centre of Registers (Registrų centras)
Conditions of access:
- Eligibility requirements: All natural and legal persons wishing to receive a register extract or a copy of a document.
- Identification and authentication requirements: Authentication through the e-government gateway http://www.epaslaugos.lt/.
- Documents to be provided: Request to provide Register of Legal Entities data.
Legal effects of electronic document: N/A
Possibility to complete the procedure fully online: Yes.
Cost: The fee varies depending on the type of register extract or document. Full information on the price categories is available here.
Link: https://www.registrucentras.lt/p/784
[1] Individual enterprise, limited liability company, association, small community, public institution, charity and support fund.
[2] Legal status provides information on the current status of the company and whether it is in any process of being restructured, liquidated, bankrupt etc., or no legal action is taken at the moment (no legal status registered).
No online public translation services in the field of justice have been identified.