Official Translation Official Translation REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA LAW ON IDENTITY CARDS November 6,
- No. IX – 577 Vilnius Article
- Purpose of the Law This Law shall establish the purpose of the identity card and, circumstances of the issuance, change, use and validity thereof and the information included therein. ] Article
- Identity Card and Purpose Thereof
- The identity card shall be the main personal document of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter - citizen), which confirms his identity and citizenship and is designed for use in the Republic of Lithuania. 2.The identity card may be used to travel to foreign countries, with whom corresponding international agreements or understandings have been reached.
- An identity card may be a technical component part, the use whereof may be determined by other laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
- A citizen, who reaches age 16, must within one month contact an authorised institution regarding the issuance of an identity card. If necessary, an identity card may be issued to a person, who has not yet reached 16 years of age. Article
- Term of Validity of Identity Card
- An identity card issued to a citizen, who has not yet reached the age of 16, shall not be valid for more than five years.
- An identity card issued to a person who is over 16 years of age, shall be valid for a term of 10 years. Article
- Identity Card Entries
- The following information concerning the citizen, according to information of the central data base of the Register of the Population of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter - population register) shall be included: 1) name (names); 2) surname; 3) gender; 4) date of birth; 5) personal number; 6) citizenship.
- The identity card must include the citizen’s photograph and his signature. An identity card may be issued without his signature to a citizen who is unable to sign due to physical disability, or legal incapacity.
- In addition to the information indicated in paragraph one of this Article, the identity card shall also include the following: 1) the date when identity card was issued; 2) the name of the agency, which issued the identity card; 3) the date, to which the identity card will be valid. 4.The information included on the identity card shall be inscribed in Lithuanian letters, the citizen’s name (names), surname in accordance with the procedure established by the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania, which regulate the inscribing of these names and surnames in personal documents. Article
- Issuance and Changing of Identity Card
- The institutions authorised by the Ministry of the Interior (hereinafter - authorised institution), shall issue and change an identity card.
- In order to have an identity card issued or changed a citizen must present himself in person at the authorised institution according to his place of residence (hereinafter - place of residence). A person with legal incapacity shall contact his guardian or other legal representative, regarding issuance of an identity card, while a citizen, who is unable to present himself due to physical disability, shall do so through an authorised person.
- The identity card for a child under 16 years of age, shall be issued or changed upon a request of the parents (foster parents), guardian (provider). Should the child’s parents be divorced, the identity card shall be issued or changed upon the request of one of the parents (foster parents), with whom the established residence of the child happens to be. Depending on the interests of the child, the identity card may be issued or changed without this request, through the mediation of the State institution for the protection of the rights of the child.
- A citizen must submit to the authorised institution according to the place of residence, the documents for issuance of an identity card, no later than within one month of the date when he became 16 years of age. Should there be any compelling reasons present, an institution authorised by the Government may extend this term.
- An identity card shall be changed if: 1) a citizen changes the information indicated in items 1– 5 of paragraph one of Article 4 of this Law; 2) it has become unsuitable for use; 3) it contains inaccurate entries; 4) its validity has expired; 5) the citizen desires this, when no more than one year remains to its expiration date.
- In submitting documents for a change of identity card, a citizen, must submit the identity card, which is being changed, to the authorised institution according to his place of residence. Upon verification of the information, this card shall be returned.
- The citizen or his authorised representative shall claim the new identity card. Should an authorised representative claim the identity card, he must submit an authorisation and an identity card, and if the guardian of a person who is legally incapable or another lawful representative is claiming the identity card, he must present documents confirming his identity and the aforementioned circumstances.
- In claiming a new identity card, the identity card, which is being changed, must be presented. It shall be marked as invalid and returned to the citizen or his authorised representative and if the citizen happens to be legally incapable, to his guardian or another lawful representative. If the invalid identity card should be refused, it shall be destroyed in accordance with the procedure established by the Minister of the Interior for the issuing, change, and declaration as invalid and destruction of the identity card.
- Having lost his identity card a citizen must advise the police or the authorized institution according to his place of residence, regarding this. The lost identity card shall be declared as having become invalid. A new identity card shall be issued to the citizen.
- A temporary certificate may be issued to a citizen who has lost his identity card. The Government shall determine the form and procedure of issuance thereof.
- Should an identity card be lost, become unsuitable for use or its term of validity expire while the citizen is temporarily abroad, the diplomatic mission or consular institution abroad (hereinafter – consular institution of the Republic of Lithuania) of the Republic of Lithuania, may issue a document permitting return to the Republic of Lithuania, or allowing continuation of the journey, if the citizen does not possess another travel document, which is valid. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania shall establish the forms and procedure of issuance of documents.
- A person, who happens to find another citizen’s identity card, must turn it over to the police or to an authorised institution.
- The authorised institution shall issue or change the identity card no later than within one month from the day of receipt of the documents.
- The amount of State charges stipulated by the Government shall be required for the issuance or changing of identity cards. Article
- Invalidity of Identity Card
- An identity card shall become invalid upon the expiry of its term of validity, declaration of its invalidity or death of the citizen.
- An identity card shall be declared invalid if: 1) it has belonged to a person who has lost the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania; 2) it has been lost; 3) it has been changed for the grounds established in paragraph 5 of Article 5 of this Law; 4) it has failed to be claimed by the citizen within one year from the day it was written; 5) some circumstances have come to light, owing to which it could not have been issued; 6) it has been forged.
- A person who has lost his Republic of Lithuania citizenship as well as a person upon the issuance of an identity card to whom, certain circumstances have come to light, owing to which he could not have been issued one, must return the identity card to the authorised institution or a consular institution of the Republic of Lithuania. The consular institution of the Republic of Lithuania shall return the identity card to the authorised institution, which had issued it.
- The identity card of a person who is deceased shall be returned to the civil registry institution according to the place of residence or death or the consular institution, and given by this institution to the authorised institution which had issued it.
- An identity card shall be declared invalid in accordance with the procedure established by the Minister of the Interior, regarding the issuance, change and declaration of invalidity and destruction of identity cards. Article
- Seizure of Identity Card
- The police or another institution of law enforcement and, if the citizen happens to be abroad, a consular institution of the Republic of Lithuania, having determined that a citizen is availing himself of the use of an identity card, which has been declared invalid, based upon items 1, 2, 5 and 6 of paragraph 2 of Article 6 of this Law, or is using the identity card of another citizen, must seize it and hand it over to the authorised institution.
- The police or another law enforcement institution or court shall seize the identity card of an arrested citizen, also a citizen sentenced to imprisonment or one who is sentenced to administrative detention. The identity card shall be returned to citizens who are released from arrest, paroled from the place of imprisonment, one who has served his sentence or whose administrative detention has been concluded.
- It shall be prohibited to seize a person’s identity card, except in cases specified by this or other laws. Article
- Liability Persons in violation of this Law, shall be liable in accordance with the procedure established by laws. Article
- Coming into Force and Implementation of Law
- This Law shall come into force from January 1,
- The Law on Implementation of the Law on Identity Cards shall set the procedure of implementation of the Law. I promulgate this Law passed by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC VALDAS ADAMKUS