Access to education in the Republic of Lithuania
Pre-school education
Children of preschool (3 to 7 years) and school (7 to 17 years) age who come from Ukraine can study free of charge in preschool institutions of the Republic of Lithuania.
Parents or guardians of children have to apply to the municipality where the child is registered to enroll them in education.
Information on the admission of Ukrainian children to educational institutions is provided by municipal education departments, where coordinators have been appointed.
The coordinators provide all necessary information on admission to kindergarten.
You can find the coordinators' contacts via the link.
Children in the Republic of Lithuania, even if they do not speak Lithuanian, are admitted to pre-school education free of charge.
Education for children who do not speak Lithuanian is adaptive. That is, children will learn Lithuanian additionally, not just in a class or group. The duration and process of learning Lithuanian will be individual, adapted to the needs of the child.
If your child has a disability or special educational needs, you should contact your local education department for these contacts.
Specialists from the Education Department will help you choose an educational institution that best meets your child's needs.
If the child has special educational needs and requires individual and adapted environments, then attendance at a special education center or a special school will be suggested.
You can get help and advice from the Centre for Education of the Blind and Visually Impaired of the Republic of Lithuania if your child has a visual impairment by calling +370 679 87400.
If a child has an autism spectrum disorder, the Department for Counselling Children with Developmental Disabilities of the Centre for Education of the Blind and Visually Impaired of the Republic of Lithuania will provide advice by calling +370 677 58544.
For children with hearing impairments, the Centre for Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of the Republic of Lithuania provides assistance by calling +370 664 28118.
School education
Children from Ukraine can study at schools in the Republic of Lithuania free of charge.
The procedure for enrolling children in school is similar to that for pre-school education.
You have to apply to the municipality of your child's place of residence for their education.
You can apply to the admission committee of the municipal administration or to the education department of the municipality.
Information on the admission of Ukrainian children to educational institutions is provided by municipal education departments, where coordinators have been appointed.
The coordinators will provide all the necessary information about admission to school.
School specialists should assess how best to integrate the child - whether to study in the same class with peers or to learn Lithuanian in separate groups. During the adaptation period, specialists will prepare conditions for the child to start the learning process without stress.
If your child does not speak Lithuanian, the school will draw up an individual study plan that provides for further training and necessary assistance. The Lithuanian language is learnt not only in the classroom, but also additionally. Learning Lithuanian is individual for each student. In schools of the Republic of Lithuania, learning a second foreign language is compulsory from the sixth grade.
When choosing a school, you should take into account whether the school has groups for learning Lithuanian.
If you do not want your child to study in Russian, there are schools in the Republic of Lithuania where the educational process is organised in Belarusian, Polish and German.
Schools can accept students who do not have a temporary residence permit or a national visa.
Ukrainian families raising school-age children and sending their children to school in the Republic of Lithuania are entitled to free school meals and support for the purchase of school supplies. You can also receive a monthly compensation for your children's education. In order to receive these benefits, you need to apply to the local authorities at your place of residence.
There are also many Ukrainian schools in the Republic of Lithuania.
Vilnius
The International Ukrainian School (IUS) offers Ukrainian language education for Ukrainian children, and upon graduation, students receive a certificate of complete secondary education of the state standard of Ukraine with the right to further enter higher education institutions of Ukraine and the Republic of Lithuania. You can call +37066850741. For more information, please follow the link.
"Gravity" is a Kharkiv school registered in the Republic of Lithuania (Vilnius). Education at the school is in Ukrainian and includes the study of the Lithuanian language and the history of the Republic of Lithuania. In addition, Gravity offers English classes 6 times a week according to the Cambridge English for Schools system.
You can call +37 068 327 432. For more information, please follow the link.
School "Varnų Sala" is a private Lithuanian school with classes for Ukrainian children, with instruction in Ukrainian. For more information, please call +37060668611 or follow the link.
Ukrainian day school at the Martin Majvido Gymnasium. The free education is based on the Ukrainian curriculum with Ukrainian teachers. Children learn Lithuanian, English, Ukrainian, mathematics, art and other subjects. For more information, please call +37060958029 or follow the link.
Klaipeda
The International Ukrainian School (IUS) offers education in the Ukrainian language, and upon graduation, students receive a certificate of complete secondary education of the state standard of Ukraine with the right to further enter higher education institutions of Ukraine and the Republic of Lithuania. For more information, please call +370 610 87 268 or follow the link.
Language courses
To help Ukrainians learn Lithuanian, the Employment Service offers free Lithuanian language courses. The courses are available to all Ukrainians who have obtained a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania on the basis of temporary protection. The courses last about three weeks and are aimed at learning Lithuanian for specific professions. Unemployed people are paid a scholarship during the course.
To register for the course, you need to:
- follow the link;
- enter "lietuvių" in the search;
- select the training provider closest to your place of residence;
- go to the Employment Service and start your training.
For more information, please call 1883. You can also visit any customer service department for a consultation. You can choose a department by following the link.
More information about free Lithuanian language courses for Ukrainians is also available from the Ukrainian Centre. You can contact the Ukrainian Centre at +370 605 61 527.
The list and instructions for Lithuanian language courses you can find via the link.
Vilnius
The charity organisation Caritas offers free Lithuanian language courses online. To enrol in the courses, you need to visit the Caritas office in Vilnius and fill out an application form. For more information, please contact 867037044.
Vytautas the Great University offers short intensive online courses of basic Lithuanian from scratch. Classes are free of charge. You can register for the courses online via the link.
Children and youth club "Satrija" conducts Lithuanian language lessons for adult Ukrainians. Cost of lessons: 30 euros per month, the duration of the lesson is 1.5 hours, and the lessons will be held in Lithuanian and Russian. Registration is available via the link.
Kaunas
Kaunas Education and Innovation Centre invites you to attend free Lithuanian language courses for adults. Pre-registration via the link.
Trakai
The Trakai Adult Education Centre in cooperation with the Employment Service of the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania invites you to learn Lithuanian. Register for the course via the link.
Sites for self-study of the Lithuanian language:
There is also a Lithuanian language textbook from Vilnius Technical University via the link.
The Institute for Equality in Education offers free language courses in English, Norwegian, Lithuanian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Swedish and other languages. Classes are taught by professional teachers and translators, most of whom are fluent in Ukrainian or Russian. To register, please follow the link.
You can learn more about language courses via the link.
Vocational education
For Ukrainians who want to study in vocational education institutions, it is necessary to determine which program to study and choose one of 44 professional schools.
In order to find out about the possibilities of studying at a particular school, you can contact the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania at (85) 219 1190.
Information about vocational schools in the Republic of Lithuania is available only in Lithuanian, so if you have any additional questions, please contact the coordinator in your municipality. Contacts of the coordinators you can find via the link.
Vocational training services for those who have a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania issued on a humanitarian basis are free of charge.
You can find available vacancies on the following job search sites:
