Published: November 12, 2025
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Lithuania Travel Advisory and Lithuania Country Information Page.
Embassy & Consulate Contact Information
U.S. Embassy Vilnius
Akmenų g. 6, Vilnius, LT-03106
Tel: +370(5)-266-5500 (24/7)
Hours: Monday-Friday, 0800-1700.
OSAC Country Chapter
There is no active Country Chapter in Lithuania, but OSAC and the Regional Security Office are looking for potential members.
Contact OSAC’s Europe Team with any questions.
Lithuania Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should exercise normal precautions in Lithuania.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Vilnius as being a MEDIUM-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Lithuania.
Crime: General Threat
Residential thefts due to open windows, unlocked doors, and weak security features are common. Residential and commercial burglaries, usually non-confrontational crimes of opportunity, occur especially during evening hours. Burglars will not hesitate to enter unlocked/unalarmed dwellings where they believe occupants are either inattentive or asleep.
Vehicle break-ins usually are the result of valuables being left in plain sight. Police authorities generally classify the threat of thefts from vehicles, personal robberies, and residential break-ins as crimes of convenience.
Most violent encounters occur between 22:00-06:00 and involve individuals who are alone and/or inebriated. Travel in groups, especially at night, and avoid dim parks and streets.
In 2024, a total of 47,126 criminal activities were registered, marking a 4.3% increase compared to 2023. The analysis of criminal data revealed notable trends. Serious crimes increased by 2%, including a significant rise in murders (23%), theft (15.5%), vehicle theft (39.8%), fraud (18.7%), road traffic safety violations (5.2%), crimes involving weapons (8.3%), drug possession-related crimes (27.3%), property extortion (12.9%), criminal acts committed in public areas (7.6%), and crimes committed by groups of people (11.2%).
However, decreases were observed in several categories. Rape cases dropped by 6.5%, break-ins by 4.3%, criminal acts committed by juveniles by 13.8%, robbery by 1.2%, public order violations by 2.6%, criminal acts committed by intoxicated individuals by 10.8%, and thefts from vehicles by 26%.
Foreigners, ethnic minorities, and members of the gay and lesbian community have been subject to robberies, and racially-motivated verbal and sometimes physical harassment. These incidents tend to occur late at night near bars and nightclubs.
Organized crime exists and is the focus of several law enforcement entities. A limited number of small, organized criminal groups are typically involved in trafficking, drugs, large-scale theft, smuggling, cybercrimes, and financial schemes. Due to its membership in the Schengen Area and location between Belarus and Kaliningrad (Russia), each of which is a significant source of criminal activity, Lithuania is a transit state for smuggling activity. The State Border Guard Service has registered an increase in smuggling activity (primarily of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs) on the Kaliningrad-Lithuania and Belarus-Lithuania borders.
Refuse invitations from strangers to come into local bars; this is a ploy. Travelers lured into a drinking establishment have become heavily intoxicated and seen grossly inflated charges run on their credit cards. The scam is normally run by young women and men who speak excellent English.
Crime: Areas of Concern
Pickpocketing, theft, and petty crime do occur, particularly in areas where tourists and foreigners congregate. Various crimes occur near the train and bus stations; avoid these areas late at night. Most reports of crime are generated in Old Town Vilnius.
Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind, Hotels: The Inns and Outs, Considerations for Hotel Security, Taking Credit, and Our Two Cents: Petty Crime Basics and How to Minimize the Risk.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Lithuania.
Review OSAC’s reports, Kidnapping: The Basics and Active Shooter and Kidnapping Response Tips.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Vilnius as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Lithuania.
There are no known indigenous terrorist organizations in Lithuania, which is not a known base of support or sympathy for transnational terrorists. Lithuania faces the same threat of international terrorism as other Schengen Area countries. Lithuania is a staunch ally in the U.S. fight against terrorism and has implemented aggressive measures to protect itself.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Vilnius as being a LOW-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Lithuania. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
Lithuania is a stable democracy. The incumbent was re-elected in the 2024 presidential race. In July 2025, the Lithuanian Prime Minister stepped down following investigations into his business dealings that prompted protests calling for his resignation. Lithuania’s governing coalition collapsed following the resignation. Lithuania’s parliament confirmed a new prime minister and government program in September.
The geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe has raised concerns that events, unrest, and tension could affect the Baltic countries. Lithuanian leaders have expressed concern regarding Russian acts of sabotage and hybrid actions, particularly since the war in Ukraine started.
Protests & Demonstrations
Demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience are generally limited and peaceful. Recent demonstrations have protested government policy on pensions, salaries and social benefits, farming subsidiaries and education related changes. Authorities require permits for public demonstrations involving more than 15 persons. The government’s permit process typically identifies demonstrations in advance. Authorities monitor protests closely. Most public demonstrations are generally small, attracting fewer than 100 participants.
Review OSAC’s report, Surviving a Protest.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
There is little to no anti-U.S. sentiment present among the general population in Lithuania.
Law Enforcement
The Lithuanian Police system consists of the Police Department under the Interior Ministry, specialized police units, territorial police units, and police professional training institution. There are other law enforcement institutions to perform policing functions in particular fields: Financial Crime Investigation Service under the Interior Ministry; State Border Guard Service under the Interior Ministry; Customs Criminal Service under the Finance Ministry; and the Special Investigation (anti-corruption) Service, Public Security Service; and Dignitary Protection Service, which report to the president and parliament. Civilian authorities maintain effective control over police, and other agencies.
Police Response
Police are professional and competent but suffer from a lack of staffing resources and low salaries. Police agencies are professionally trained and competent, and officers very commonly speak English. Police tactical skills, resources, and emergency response capabilities are in line with EU standards in many respects. The number of police officers has dropped significantly in the last five years due to budget constraints and profession unpopularity.
The current number of police officers stands at 7,178, reflecting a steady decline over recent years. In 2024, there were 7,247 officers, and in 2023, the number was 7,482. This represents a significant decrease compared to 2015, when the police force consisted of 9,520 officers.
The police forces are proficient and capable, although response times can be lengthy. Police response times can vary from several minutes to an hour, depending on the nature of the call, time of day, call volume, and resource constraints. Significant traffic congestion and delays often hamper emergency police and medical responses. In order to respond to the needs of visitors, police concentrate most of their patrols in tourist and highly populated areas.
Due to the regional scope of organized crime networks and activities, law enforcement cooperates closely with counterparts in the EU (and especially the other Baltic countries), and minimally with Russia and Belarus.
The police emergency line in Lithuania is 112.
Transportation Security
Road Safety
In large cities, road conditions are generally up to Western European standards. Outside of city centers and off major throughways, road conditions often deteriorate. The roadways are typically poorly illuminated. Exercise care when driving after dark outside of city centers. Drivers must use headlights at all times. Speed limits are usually 50 km/hr (31 mph) in the city and 90/110 km/hr (56/62 mph) on the highways. There are currently many mobile and fixed speed cameras deployed throughout the country.
Seat belts are mandatory for the driver and all passengers. Children under the age of three must sit in the back seat in a child seat appropriate for their age and size. Drivers must have at least low-beam lights on at all times while driving. Pedestrians have the right of way at crosswalks.
Lithuanian drivers can be aggressive; drive defensively.
Lithuania has very snowy winters. Road conditions can deteriorate quickly with a heavy accumulation of snow. Conditions deteriorate further in early winter when there are less than six hours of daylight.
Police have a zero-tolerance policy for drinking and driving; penalties are severe. Police increasingly use random roadblocks, speed traps, and breathalyzer tests. Drivers in vehicles departing ferry terminals are often subject to breathalyzer tests. As of 2017, driving with a blood alcohol content over 1.5 BAC is punishable under the criminal code by fines of up to several thousand Euros, arrest, or imprisonment, and the revocation of a driver’s license for up to 10 years. The legal drunk driving limit is 0.4 BAC. Additionally, the legal drinking age in Lithuania has recently increased to 20 years of age from 18.
Solicitation of bribes by authorities and highway police is a concern. Drivers stopped by highway police for speeding infractions are subject to official adjudication with final payment, if necessary, paid through a bank. Under no circumstances should travelers pay money directly to a police officer.
In addition to a valid U.S. driver’s license, U.S. nationals must possess an International Driving Permit. This permit allows driving in Lithuania for 185 calendar days; anything thereafter requires a Lithuanian driver's license. Drivers must always carry a driver’s license, insurance, and registration in the vehicle.
If involved in a traffic accident in Lithuania, moving your vehicle from the accident site could be interpreted as an admission of guilt or even a hit-and-run violation. Lithuanian law requires you to leave your vehicle in its original position and notify the police by calling 112 under certain circumstances: if more than two vehicles are involved, if there are injured individuals, if damage has been caused to property belonging to an unknown owner, or if the parties involved cannot agree on who is at fault. If none of these conditions apply, the accident can be resolved without police involvement by completing a traffic accident declaration. This declaration can be filled out electronically or on paper and must be completed and signed by both parties.
The phone number for roadside assistance is 8-800-01414 from a regular phone, and 1414 from a GSM mobile phone.
Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the U.S. Department of State’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad.
Public Transportation Safety
Public transportation (e.g., bus, trolleybus) generally provides reliable, safe, and economical services. The bus service consists of a network of lines serving Vilnius and the suburbs. Additional urban transport systems include a transnational train system. Although there are some concerns about the consistency of timetables and speed of travel, the public transportation system provides several alternatives to personal vehicle use.
Taxi and ride-hailing companies also generally provide reliable, safe, and economical services. Avoid independent cabs that do not display a company name prominently. Remain alert to the potential for substantial taxi overcharging, particularly in areas tourists frequent. Expect higher charges when hailing a cab on the street or at a taxi stand.
Aviation Concerns
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has assessed the government’s Civil Aviation Authority as compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization aviation safety standards for oversight of Lithuania’s air carrier operations.
Lithuania has experienced limited air incursions of drones, including one which contained explosives, entering its airspace from Belarus. In September, Lithuania’s parliament granted its armed forces powers to shoot down any unmanned drone violating its airspace. Beginning in 2024 but as recently as October 2025, weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes from Belarus caused the temporary suspension of flight operations at Vilnius (VNO) and Kaunas (KUN) airports. Since 2022, Lithuania and the region have also faced widespread GPS jamming incidents, originating largely from Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. These incidents have occasionally caused disruptions to civilian airport operations and maritime navigation.
Review OSAC’s Report, Security in Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights and consider the European Union Air Safety List.
Maritime Security
Lithuania’s Baltic Sea coast is unusually shallow. Low salinity results in complicated conditions for sailors, with “salt pockets” deflecting sound waves. This causes problems for sensors and other navigational and surveillance equipment. The Baltic Sea has high levels of surface ice, confining shipping to narrow channels and causing problematic bottlenecks and turns. Large ships have reportedly refused to enter the port of Klaipėda for safety reasons after their GPS signals were disrupted. Russian GPS jamming and spoofing have also been reported to affect civilian maritime traffic in the eastern Baltic Sea.
An undersea communications cable connecting Lithuania and Sweden was cut in November 2024, resulting in a reduction of about a fifth of Lithuania’s internet capacity. In response to the rising number of incidents, NATO enacted Operated Baltic Sentry to increase the surveillance of ships in the Baltic Sea.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Lithuania, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Lithuania.
The law prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court. The government generally observed these requirements.
In general, foreign investors say that corruption is not a significant obstacle to doing business in Lithuania and describe most of the officials they deal with in Lithuania as reasonable and fair. According to a 2024 Eurobarometer study, only 10% of business executives indicated having experienced or witnessed corruption in the past three years. The Lithuanian Map of Corruption 2025 survey initiated by the Special Investigation Service (STT)—Lithuania’s anti-corruption law enforcement agency—showed positive anti-corruption trends in the business environment over the past decades. However, nepotism and cronyism – hiring relatives and friends – are still the most prevalent forms of corruption that hinder business development.
Health Concerns
The emergency line in Lithuania is 112. Most medical services are available in Vilnius, Klaipeda, and Kaunas. The quality of these services, however, may not be up to U.S. standards. Outside major cities, the quality and variety of medical aid compared to the U.S. standard is much lower and more limited.
Find contact information for available medical services and available air ambulance services on the U.S. Embassy website. The U.S. Department of State strongly recommends purchasing international health insurance before traveling internationally. Review the State Department’s webpage on health insurance overseas.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Health “H” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Lithuania. Review the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) country-specific Travel Health Notices for current health issues that impact traveler health, like disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, and natural disasters.
See OSAC’s Guide to U.S. Government-Assisted Evacuations; review OSAC’s reports, The Healthy Way, Shaken: The Don’ts of Alcohol Abroad, Health 101: How to Prepare for Travel, and Fire Safety Abroad; and visit the U.S. Department of State’s webpage on Your Health Abroad for more information.
Vaccinations
The following diseases are prevalent: Tuberculosis, Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), Lyme disease, and Rabies. Use CDC-recommended insect repellents containing either 20% DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 to help diminish bites from ticks and other insects if you intend to visit parks or forested areas. Those who will be camping or have prolonged outdoor exposure should pretreat clothing and equipment with permethrin. Tick-borne encephalitis vaccinations are as a series of three doses. The vaccine is not available in the United States. Those who will be living in Lithuania or those with shorter visits with extensive outdoor activities in wooded areas should receive the vaccine. There are no vaccines against Lyme disease. Like much of Europe, outbreaks of measles are frequent in Lithuania. Travelers should have two documented doses of MMR vaccine prior to traveling.
Review the CDC Travelers’ Health site for country-specific vaccine recommendations.
Issues Traveling with Medications
If traveling with prescription medication, check with Lithuanian State Medicines Control Agency (SMCA) under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania to ensure the medication is legal in Lithuania. Always, carry your prescription medication in original packaging with your doctor’s prescription.
Review OSAC’s report, Traveling with Medication.
Water Quality
Tap water is potable in Lithuania.
Review OSAC’s report, I’m Drinking What in My Water?
Natural Disasters
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Natural Disaster “N” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Lithuania.
Falling ice from buildings can be a substantial problem in the winter and spring and has caused deaths and injuries; slippery roads and sidewalks also present a substantial problem during these periods.
Flooding can be an issue in low-lying areas near rivers during the spring thaw. Floods of the coastal region usually start in spring, when the Nemunas River overflows from the coast. Floods submerge about 30 miles of roads. Flooding in the Šilutė region usually submerges about 34,595 acres of territory. Spring floods are typical only for this region.
Cybersecurity
Cybercrime is a growing concern. Lithuanian officials continue to report an increase in cybersecurity and cybercrimes. Lithuania established a National Cyber Security Centre due to increasing numbers of internet attacks against Lithuanian government organizations. There are around 25,000 annual attacks, and the number increases by 10-20% every year. Mobile phone users have reported phishing attempts through spurious text messages, often designed to look like a legitimate source such as the Post Office. Those traveling to Lithuania should recognize the potential for cyber security threats and respond appropriately to avoid becoming a victim.
Those traveling to Lithuania’s borders with Russia and Belarus should recognize the increased potential for cyber security threats and respond appropriately to avoid becoming a victim. Assume that Russian sources monitor all communications (e.g., emails, calls, texts) and avoid any communication you don't want to end up in Russian hands.
Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling Abroad with Mobile Devices, and Guide for Overseas Satellite Phone Usage.
Counterintelligence Issues
Those traveling to Lithuania’s borders with Russia and Belarus should recognize the increased potential for cyber security threats and respond appropriately to avoid becoming a victim. Assume that Russian sources monitor all communications (e.g., emails, calls, texts) and avoid any communication you don't want to end up in Russian hands.
Lithuanian authorities have detained individuals with suspected ties to Russia who are accused of planning or organizing acts of sabotage. Lithuanian authorities remain in an elevated state of vigilance against hybrid threats, especially those that might threaten critical infrastructure.
Review OSAC’s report Safeguarding Private-Sector Operations in Europe from Russian Sabotage.
Import/Export Restrictions
There are no known restrictions on the import and use of satellite phones.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
