Two state exams stand between most foreigners and a permanent residence permit in Lithuania, and the same two exams appear again in the list of conditions for citizenship. They are run by the same agency, booked through the same MIGRIS account and taken in the same base schools, but they test very different things. This article explains both, how they fit into the residence and citizenship procedures, who is exempt and how to plan them.
The two exams
The state language proficiency exam (valstybinės kalbos mokėjimo egzaminas) checks Lithuanian at the level set for permanent residence and citizenship, which corresponds to A2 of the Common European Framework, the first state language category. It has a written part on a computer (reading and writing, short texts and a message of 50–80 words), a listening part and an oral interview about everyday topics: yourself, family, work, daily life. The written and listening parts are marked by the computer; the speaking part by examiners.
The Constitution fundamentals exam (Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucijos pagrindų egzaminas) is a test of 20 questions in Lithuanian with three answer options each. You pass with 14 correct answers. The questions cover all chapters of the Constitution: the state, human rights, the Seimas, the President, the Government, the courts, local self-government, finances, defence and the procedure for amending the Constitution.
Both are administered by the National Agency for Education (NŠA) in base schools across the country and are held several times a year on published dates.
When you need them
Permanent residence permit
A foreigner who has lived in Lithuania legally and continuously for five years on temporary residence permits may apply for a permanent residence permit under the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens. One of the conditions is passing the state language exam and the Constitution fundamentals exam. The permit is issued for five years and renewed without new exams.
Citizenship by naturalisation
The Law on Citizenship requires, among other conditions, ten years of legal residence, a permanent residence permit at the time of application, a lawful source of income, a clean record under the law's disqualifying grounds, and the same two exams. If you passed them for permanent residence, the certificates remain valid: they have no expiry date and are not retaken.
Other cases
Certain jobs require a language category certificate; that route uses the NŠA registration system directly and does not involve the Constitution exam. Applicants for citizenship on the basis of Lithuanian descent, restoration of citizenship or as a person of Lithuanian origin generally do not sit the exams either; check the ground you are applying under.
Who is exempt
The Law on Citizenship exempts from both exams:
- persons who have reached 65 years of age;
- persons with an established working capacity level of 0–55 %;
- persons of old-age pension age with an established severe or moderate level of special needs;
- persons with severe chronic mental disorders.
For permanent residence the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens provides comparable exemptions on grounds of age and health, and separate rules for some categories, for example foreigners under temporary protection. The Migration Department applies the list current on the day of your application; if you think you may qualify, ask before paying for an exam.
Registration and fees
For both residence and citizenship purposes you register in MIGRIS at migracija.lt, in the "Egzaminai" section, choosing the exam, the base school in the municipality where you live, work or study, and a date. Registration closes 15 calendar days before the exam. After reserving you pay online; unpaid reservations are cancelled and the candidate is not added to the list.
Fees according to the NŠA memo: 57 € for the state language exam and 21 € for the Constitution exam, per attempt. Bring an identity document on the day.
In what order
The NŠA memo states that a candidate who has not passed the language exam cannot take the Constitution exam. The safe plan is therefore language first, Constitution second: either on a later date or, where the base school offers both on the same day, one after the other. Several sources in 2026 report that MIGRIS lets you book the two in any order; the system will show what is possible when you reserve. Whatever the order, prepare for the Constitution exam in Lithuanian, because reading the questions is itself a language task at roughly A2 level.
Results, certificates and retakes
Results are announced within 12 working days; base schools usually confirm them by phone, and the Constitution test typically shows the score on screen at the end. Certificates are printed by the NŠA and handed out by the base school. There is no limit on the number of attempts and no waiting period beyond the next available session; each attempt is paid separately.
Dates in 2026
The NŠA publishes a yearly schedule. In 2026 the Constitution fundamentals exam sessions were set for 13 February, 30 April, 9 July, 24 September, 10 November and 8 December, and the language exam has more frequent sessions. Municipal base schools may hold the exams at different times, so confirm the date in MIGRIS.
A realistic timeline
If you are approaching the fifth year of temporary residence, start the language exam preparation three to six months before the anniversary, depending on your level, and register for the earliest session you feel ready for. The Constitution exam needs about two weeks of daily practice and can be booked for the session after the language exam, so that both certificates are in hand when you submit the permanent residence application. Processing of the permit itself then takes up to a few months.
Preparing for the Constitution part
The syllabus is the Constitution: 154 articles in 14 chapters. Read it once in your language, then practise questions in Lithuanian with a translation so that you recognise the terms used on the screen. Most questions are about numbers and procedures, which is why a structured question bank beats rereading the text. The Konstitucijos testas app covers the fourteen sections of the official programme with 350+ questions, explanations with the quoted article, a mistake list and an exam simulator with the real format, in English or Russian with the Lithuanian original always shown.
This is general information, not legal advice. Requirements, fees and exemptions are set by law and by the Migration Department and the NŠA, and they change; verify the current rules on migracija.lt and nsa.smsm.lt.