Health Insurance in Lithuania: A Guide for Foreign Workers

Lithuania runs a compulsory health insurance system where access depends on contributing: pay your monthly contribution and most care is free at the point of use, regardless of nationality. When you work legally, the contribution comes straight out of your pay, and you are covered automatically; if you are not employed, you can still join by paying yourself. For a foreign worker, the key is making sure the contribution is being paid, because a lapse suspends your right to free care. This guide explains how the system works, what it covers, what it costs, and what foreign workers and professional drivers need, including how cover ties in with residence. Lithuania is in the European Union, the euro area and the Schengen area, which keeps things straightforward for European arrivals.

The short version: compulsory health insurance, known by its Lithuanian initials PSD, is run by the National Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health. Employees have the contribution deducted from their pay; the social insurance board collects it and passes it to the Fund, which pays the hospitals. Self-employed and non-working residents pay a monthly contribution themselves. Once insured, you register with a family doctor and most care is free, with only small charges for some medicines. Care is concentrated in the cities and waiting times for some specialists can be long, so a few foreign workers add private cover.

How health insurance in Lithuania works

Lithuania uses a compulsory social insurance model. The National Health Insurance Fund, with its territorial funds, administers the scheme under the Ministry of Health: it pools the contributions and pays the providers it contracts. Funding comes from payroll contributions rather than general taxation — the State Social Insurance Fund Board collects the money and transfers it to the National Health Insurance Fund, which pays hospitals and clinics. Care is organised around the family doctor, your first point of contact, who provides primary care and refers you to specialists. There are three levels: primary care with the family doctor, secondary care with specialists, and tertiary care in hospitals. You can choose your clinic and family doctor freely and switch if you wish, as long as the provider has an agreement with a territorial fund.

The types of cover you will come across.

A few kinds of cover sit side by side in Lithuania. Compulsory health insurance is the statutory layer for residents who contribute. Private health insurance, from local insurers, is used for faster access and more personalised care. International health insurance covers you inside Lithuania and abroad. Travel insurance is short-term cover for visitors only. Because Lithuania is in the European Union and the European Economic Area, the European Health Insurance Card covers necessary care during a temporary stay, the United Kingdom’s Global Health Insurance Card works the same way, and the S1 and S2 forms handle pensioners, postings and planned treatment. People who are not covered by compulsory insurance must pay for all their care or rely on a private policy.

Who actually needs health insurance?

Everyone resident is expected to be covered, and the route depends on your status. Employed foreign workers are covered through the contribution deducted from their pay; the employer registers you with the National Health Insurance Fund. The self-employed pay their own monthly contribution. The state contributes for socially sensitive groups, such as children, pensioners and the registered unemployed. The position for foreigners turns on your residence: permanent residents join the scheme from the date their permit is valid and pay monthly like citizens. In contrast, temporary residents are covered only if they are legally employed, or have worked six months and then registered with the Employment Service. The state does not cover non-European Union students, who must hold private insurance. A lapse in contributions suspends your right to free care until the debt is cleared.

What the public system covers

For people insured under compulsory health insurance, cover is broad and free at the point of use: family doctor visits, specialist consultations with a referral, hospital treatment, maternity care, diagnostics, emergency care and subsidised medicines. There are no co-payments for the healthcare services themselves — you pay only a share of the cost of subsidised medicines, which should not exceed a small capped amount or a set percentage of the reference price. Ambulance transport is free. Dental care is free when you use a dentist contracted to a territorial fund, though you pay for materials such as fillings, and because around four in five dentists work privately, much dental care is paid out of pocket. Emergency care is provided free to all residents, whether or not they are insured.

What it costs

For employees, there is no separate premium — the compulsory health insurance contribution is a defined percentage of your pay, deducted automatically. The self-employed and non-working residents pay the same percentage of the minimum monthly wage themselves, which works out at a modest fixed amount each month that is set for the year. Once insured, healthcare services carry no co-payment; your only routine cost is the capped share of subsidised medicines. On top of the public system, private health insurance is relatively inexpensive for faster access, while comprehensive international plans cost more, depending on age and benefits. All amounts are in euros. You should budget for the small medicine charges and for private dental treatment.

Why do most foreign workers add private cover?

Compulsory insurance covers the substance of care well. Still, waiting times for some specialists and elective procedures, the largely private dental sector and the wish for English-speaking, more personalised service lead some foreign workers to add a private layer. Private cover mainly buys faster access to specialists and private clinics, shorter waits and multilingual staff. International plans also fund treatment overseas and medical evacuation. When you compare policies, look at what is covered for a hospital stay, the outpatient and dental limits, any waiting periods, whether pre-existing conditions are excluded, and — if you drive across borders or travel often — whether cover extends beyond Lithuania. Some employers offer private health cover as a benefit, so check what your package already provides.

Health insurance for your residence permit

European Union and European Economic Area citizens do not need a permit and join the compulsory scheme through employment, or use an S1 if insured elsewhere. Third-country nationals’ cover depends on their permit: permanent residents join compulsory insurance from the validity of their permit and pay monthly. In contrast, temporary residents are covered only through legal employment, and otherwise must pay for care or hold private cover. Non-European Union students need private insurance. Proof of health cover is generally part of a residence application. Residence and migration matters are handled through the Migration Department. Because the rules differ by permit type and can change, always confirm the current requirements with the Migration Department before you apply, and make sure your contributions do not lapse once you are here.

Health insurance for truck and transport drivers

Professional drivers carry more health risks than most workers — long hours at the wheel, time away from home and the constant risk of a road accident. Lithuania sits on routes between the Baltic states, Poland, and the wider European Union, with the major port of Klaipėda, road and rail corridors running south through the country, and the strategic land route past Kaliningrad, so many drivers cross frontiers regularly. Compulsory cover and the European Health Insurance Card cover necessary care across the European Union and European Economic Area. Still, it is worth checking on-road emergency cover along the routes you actually drive, accident and injury cover including hospitalisation and rehabilitation, and the occupational-health provisions for the medical examinations a professional licence requires. A private layer that extends beyond Lithuania adds protection.

Using your insurance day to day

Day to day, you register with a family doctor at a clinic that has an agreement with a territorial fund, and the family doctor is your first point of contact and the source of referrals to specialists. You are free to choose and switch clinics. The system is fully digital: medical records, prescriptions and referrals are handled through the national e-health platform, and paper records have largely disappeared. You show your identity document when you seek care; for medicines you pay your capped share at a contracted pharmacy. In an emergency, call 112, the European emergency number; emergency care is free for all residents. Hospitals and specialists are concentrated in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. Lithuanian is the official language; English is widely spoken in the cities and private clinics, less so in smaller public facilities.

Choosing a private insurer

For private or international cover, check that the insurer is authorised to operate in Lithuania and look closely at what the policy covers. Confirm the benefits for a hospital stay, the outpatient and dental limits, and whether private clinics are included. Study the exclusions with care — pre-existing conditions are the typical gap — and check the waiting periods that apply to planned treatment and maternity. If you need cover because you are not in the compulsory scheme, make sure the policy is adequate for your needs. If you travel often, make sure cover extends beyond Lithuania. Set any policy against cover your employer may already arrange. No single insurer is recommended on this page; the goal is neutral information so you can decide for yourself.

For professional drivers in Lithuania

If you are relocating to drive in Lithuania, make sure your employer registers you and your contributions are paid, register with a family doctor, and consider private cover for faster access and cross-border protection. Every employer on our platform complies with Lithuanian labour and social insurance law, including the registration that gives you access to the compulsory health insurance system.

• Browse driver vacancies in Lithuania.
• Register a driver profile.
• For employers — guidance on employment package requirements

Health insurance by Lithuanian county

Lithuania is divided into ten counties, and the rules are the same in each — compulsory cover, private cover on top — but hospital networks and travel distances differ by area. Here is the picture county by county.

Vilnius County

The capital region and the country’s main centre for advanced treatment, with university hospitals, most specialists and the busiest transport hub. Driver jobs in Vilnius County.

Kaunas County

The central county around the second city, Kaunas, a major industrial and logistics hub with university hospitals and motorway junctions. Driver jobs in Kaunas County.

Klaipėda County

The western coastal county centred on Klaipėda, home to the country’s only seaport and a major freight gateway, with a regional hospital. Driver jobs in Klaipėda County.

Šiauliai County

A northern county centred on Šiauliai, on the route towards Latvia, with a regional hospital serving the north. Driver jobs in Šiauliai County.

Panevėžys County

A north-central county centred on Panevėžys, a logistics point on the main corridor towards Latvia, with a regional hospital. Driver jobs in Panevėžys County.

Alytus County

A southern county near the Polish and Belarusian borders, centred on Alytus, with a regional hospital. Driver jobs in Alytus County.

Marijampolė County

A south-western county on the corridor to Poland, centred on Marijampolė, a key transit area with a regional hospital. Driver jobs in Marijampolė County.

Telšiai County

A north-western county centred on Telšiai, with a regional hospital and routes towards the coast. Driver jobs in Telšiai County.

Tauragė County

A western county on the route between Kaunas and the coast, centred on Tauragė, with a regional hospital. Driver jobs in Tauragė County.

Utena County

A north-eastern county near the Latvian and Belarusian borders, centred on Utena, with a regional hospital. Driver jobs in Utena County.

Related guides

• Health insurance in Europe — overview
• Lithuania residence permit guide
• Lithuanian citizenship guide

Official government sources

• National Health Insurance Fund (VLK) — compulsory health insurance.
• Ministry of Health — health policy.
• State Social Insurance Fund Board (Sodra) — contributions.
• Migration Department — residence permits.
• Bank of Lithuania — currency and the euro.

Information only — not legal, medical or insurance advice. Rates, covered services and rules can change. Always confirm current details with the official Lithuanian authorities above before you act.