Open a Bank Account in Lithuania
Lithuania is one of the pearls of the Baltic States. It is located on the Baltic Sea coast and is famous for fabulous beaches, comfortable health resorts, unique products made of local amber, delicious cheeses and ancient architectural monuments.
The country’s seaside resorts – Palanga and Neringa – attract with the purest air, in which the smell of the sea mixes with the aroma of coniferous forests. Druskininkai Resort offers ski lovers comfortable snow slopes all year round. Romantic ancient castles of Lithuania can be found in different parts of the country. Connoisseurs of historical architecture primarily go to Vilnius, Trakai and Kaunas.
Advantages of Opening an Account in Lithuania
- Internet banking in Russian.
- Multi-currency account.
- Security and stability.
Lithuanian Banks
The Bank of Lithuania is the central bank that controls the activities of commercial banking institutions and credit organizations. It is a member of the European System of Central Banks.
- Luminor Bank AB is the third-largest bank in the Baltic States.
- Siauliu Bank – works with individuals and corporate clients.
- Meridian Trade Bank is a universal Latvian bank with a wide range of services.
- Medicinos Bank is a medical bank, one of the first in the country to provide Internet banking and mobile wallet services.
- Bigbank AS is an international bank operating in 9 European countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Austria, Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands.
- DnB NORD is part of the largest financial group DNB ASA (Norway), which operates in the markets of Denmark, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
How to Open an Account for a Non-resident
Not all Lithuanian banks are ready to open an account for a non-resident. As a rule, a substantial reason is required to open an account:
- opening a business in the country,
- studying at a Lithuanian university,
- work in the country,
- obtaining a residence permit.
The most loyal to foreign citizens are: Meridian Trade Bank, Medicinos Bank, Siauliu Bank.
Required documents
- identification card,
- valid visa, residence permit or permanent residence,
- a completed questionnaire in which it is necessary to explain the reason for opening an account.
Different banks may require additional documents.
- To date, the issue of opening an account for any European company in the EU is quite complicated. There is no need to talk about the importance of having a bank account with a company, every businessman knows this. Now, Lithuania offers a unique opportunity for business to open a coveted bank account without any problems.
- Lithuanian banks allow both residents and non-residents to open accounts;
- there is an opportunity to choose a bank in accordance with the business objectives (both small local banks and the largest Scandinavian banking groups operate in the country);
- possibility of opening bank accounts for individuals – citizens of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and other CIS countries;
- widespread use of the Russian language (Internet banking, bank employees);
- availability of a multi-currency account;
- state guarantee of return of deposits up to 100,000 euros in one bank;
- the lack of currency control in the country, the availability of funds and transfers at any time of the day.
The ability to order government services, bank services or other commercial services for your business in Lithuania without personal presence via Internet banking.
Account Opening Procedure
For legal entities:
In Lithuania, it is becoming increasingly difficult to open an account of a company in which the shareholder and/or director is a non-resident of Lithuania, but it is still possible.
Each bank is individual. Most banks ask to pay a preliminary irrevocable fee, which must be paid at the time of submission of documents, while some banks, in addition to all documents, ask to provide extensive documentation confirming the company’s connection with Lithuania.
On average, the period for reviewing documents ranges from a few days to a couple of months, depending on which bank is reviewing the documents and what the company is doing. It is also possible to open a bank account in Lithuania in 1 day, which sounds like a fantasy for many European countries.
In any case, the director of the company must be personally present at the bank at the time of opening a bank account.
For individuals:
In general, the rules for opening a bank account for non-residents in Lithuania do not differ from the procedure for opening an account for a company. You must report to the nearest service department and present your passport with a valid Schengen visa. You are also required to confirm the need for a bank account, and sometimes a connection with Lithuania. Otherwise, the account will not be opened to you.
We select for our clients (for them personally and their companies) the bank that best meets their request and needs based on their citizenship, ties with Lithuania. By contacting a bank that does not suit you and does not work with clients like you, you risk losing time and being left without a fee for reviewing documents, which is not refunded even in case of refusal to open a bank account.
If you wish to open a business bank account in Lithuania, our team here at IB-IA GROUP UAB will be delighted to assist you. We have eight years of experience in helping clients to open bank accounts in Europe. We tap into our vast network of trusted partners in the European financial services industry to offer the most suitable and cost-effective solutions that improve the functioning of the businesses we serve.
