Recognition of professional qualifications

Recognition of professional qualifications of nationals of European Union member states, European economic area states and the Swiss confederation acquired in another member state in order to practice regulated professions of a teacher, vocational teacher

The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania is responsible for recognition of professional qualifications of citizens of Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation as well as of third-country nationals enjoying the freedom of movement in Member States conferred to them by the European Union legislation in order for them to find employment as or to temporarily or occasionally provide services of a teacher, vocational teacher, class teacher, special pedagogue, speech therapist, surdopedagogue, typhlopedagogue, social pedagogue or school psychologist, which are regulated professions in the Republic of Lithuania.

The applicant or his / her authorized representative shall submit to the Ministry in person or by post (address: A. Volano g. 2, LT-01516, Vilnius) an application in the prescribed form and the specified documents or their notarised copies (if original documents are submitted, the Ministry shall certify their copies and return the originals to the applicant).

If necessary, the Ministry may address other authorities for evidence of the applicant’s formal qualifications and other documents.

The Ministry shall make the final reasoned decision on the recognition of professional qualifications of a teacher, vocational teacher, class teacher, special pedagogue, speech therapist, surdopedagogue, typhlopedagogue, social pedagogue or school psychologist without any undue delay and no later than within 3 months from the date of receipt of the submitted documents.

The Ministry shall notify the applicant of its decision in writing (or if a person so requests, he/she may pick up the decision in person).

The service is provided free of charge.

Application for recognition of a profesional qualification

Форма прохання про визнання професійної кваліфікації з метою отримання праці за професійною кваліфікацією педагога у Литовській Республіці

Application for temporarily and occasionally provided services

Legal acts governing recognition of professional qualifications:

Law on the Recognition of Regulated Professional Qualifications of the Republic of Lithuania;

Description of the Procedure of the Recognition of Regulated Professional Qualifications for Working or Providing Temporary or Occasional Services in the Republic of Lithuania Practicing the Regulated Profession Assigned under the Area of Supervision of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania;

In order to be employed as a teacher, vocational teacher, class teacher, special pedagogue, speech therapist, surdopedagogue, typhlopedagogue, social pedagogue or a school psychologist in the Republic of Lithuania, persons are required to have official language proficiency category 2 or 3.

Required documents

The applicant or his/ her authorized person shall submit to the Ministry an application and the following documents or copies thereof (if documents have been drafted in another than the official language of Lithuania, they shall be accompanied by their translations into Lithuanian; translations shall be certified by a signature of the document translator, and/or a seal of the translations bureau) for the assessment and recognition of the acquired professional qualification of a pedagogue.

The following documents shall be submitted:

  1. document attesting the nationality of the person;
  2. document attesting the change of the name and/or surname (if it was changed);
  3. evidence of formal qualifications and annexes listing the subjects covered and the number of study credits (if any);
  4. certificate of the assessment of higher education qualifications obtained abroad and/or academic recognition of qualifications issued by an institution providing academic recognition services;
  5. documents certifying the applicant’s professional pedagogical experience (if any) and its duration. If a person has exercised teaching profession in another Member State, which does not regulate this profession, he/ she shall submit documents proving that he/ she has worked as a pedagogue on a full-time basis for one year (or for an equivalent duration on a part-time basis) during the last ten years;     
  6. other documents certifying professional teacher development (if any);
  7. documents related to the improvement of a professional qualification of a pedagogue (if documents of a professional qualification of a pedagogue have not been submitted);
  8. a power of attorney, if an application is submitted by an authorized person;
  9. documents certifying an aptitude test pass or a professional adaptation period (if one of these compensatory measures have been prescribed);
  10. a document certifying the right of movement in Member States confirmed by legislation of the European Union (to be presented when a person is not a national of a Member State).

Procedure of the recognition of professional qualifications of third country nationals of in order to practice regulated professions of a teacher, vocational teacher, class teacher, special pedagogue, speech therapist, surdopedagogue, typhlopedagogue, social pedagogue or a school psychologist in the Republic of Lithuania

The applicant or his/ her authorized representative shall submit to the Ministry in person or by post (address: A. Volano g. 2, LT-01516 Vilnius) an application in the prescribed form and the specified documents or their notarised copies (if the original documents are submitted, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport shall certify their copies and return the originals to the applicant).

If necessary, the Ministry may address other authorities for evidence of the applicant’s formal qualifications and other documents.

The Ministry shall make the final reasoned decision on the recognition of the professional qualification of a teacher, vocational teacher, class teacher, special pedagogue, speech therapist, surdopedagogue, typhlopedagogue, social pedagogue or school psychologist without any undue delay and no later than within 3 months from the date of receipt of the submitted documents.

The Ministry shall notify the applicant of its decision in writing (or if a person so requests, he/she may pick up the decision in person).

The service is provided free of charge.

Application for recognition of a professional qualification

Legal acts governing the recognition of professional qualifications:

Law on the Recognition of Regulated Professional Qualifications of the Republic of Lithuania;

Regarding the Approval of the Description of the Procedure of Recognition of Regulated Professional Qualifications of Third Country Nationals Assigned under the Competence of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania;

In order to be employed as a teacher, vocational teacher, class teacher, special pedagogue, speech therapist, surdopedagogue, typhlopedagogue, social pedagogue or a school psychologist in the Republic of Lithuania, persons are required to have official language proficiency category 2 or 3.

Required documents

The applicant or his/ her authorized person shall submit to the Ministry an application and the following documents or copies thereof (if documents have been drafted in another than the official language of Lithuania, they shall be accompanied by their translations into Lithuanian; translations shall be certified by a signature of the document translator, and/or a seal of the translations bureau) for the assessment and recognition of the acquired professional qualification of a pedagogue.

The following documents shall be submitted:

  1. document attesting the nationality of the person;
  2. document attesting to the change of the name and/or surname (if it was changed);
  3. evidence of formal qualifications and annexes listing the subjects covered and the number of study credits (if any);
  4. decision of an institution engaged in academic recognition of pedagogical qualifications acquired in accordance with educational programmes of foreign countries and international organizations;
  5. documents certifying the applicant’s professional experience as a pedagogue (if any) and its duration;
  6. other additional documents certifying professional pedagogical qualification (if any);
  7. a power of attorney, if an application is submitted by an authorized person.

Last updated: 18-11-2023