Social Welfare

The entitlement of foreign nationals living in Vilnius to social benefits is determined based on their legal status in the Republic of Lithuania. When assessing eligibility for a specific social benefit, consideration is given to the individual’s residence permit, its type, the duration of their residence or employment in Lithuania, as well as other criteria established by the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania.

• • Their level of disability has been determined.
  • Their level of participation (previously referred to as the level of working capacity until 31/12/2023) has been established. 
  • They have reached retirement age.
  • They have experienced acute injuries and/or diseases and/or have movement disorders, but their disability or participation level has not yet been determined.
    • Food provision

    Support for individuals (families) who, due to insufficient independence or income, are unable to provide themselves with food. Such support can be organized by providing free meals in canteens, community facilities, or other catering establishments, as well as by organizing and supplying food products.

    • Provision of food products

    Information on eligibility for food support can be found here (in English, Russian, Ukrainian)

    • Free meals in canteens:
    • Charity Foundation “Vilties centras”

    Gardino g. 2A and Gerovės g. 29, Vilnius

    Working hours: I–V, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (lunch served at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.; food is prepared for take-out)

    • Caritas of Vilnius Archdiocese
    1. K. Paco g. 4, Vilnius

    Working hours: I–V, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (lunch served at 1 p.m.; afternoon meal at 4 p.m.)

    • Organisation of personal hygiene and care services

    These services are targeted at individuals living in Vilnius: children experiencing social risk and their families; children with disabilities and their families; adults with disabilities and their families; elderly individuals and their families; adults experiencing social risk and their families; families experiencing social risk; other individuals and families. Services are provided on an as-needed basis. Personal hygiene services are offered by organising opportunities to use the shower. 

    Free personal hygiene services are provided at the following facilities:

    • Caritas of Vilnius Archdiocese

    Social Assistance and Integration Centre “Betanija”

    1. K. Paco g. 4, Vilnius

    Tel.:  +370 602 74 234

    Working hours: I–V, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    • Charity foundation “Vilties centras”

    Gardino g. 2A, Vilnius  

    Tel.: +370 675 81 570

    Working hours: I–V, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    • Provision of essential clothing and footwear

    Provision of essential clothing, footwear and other supplies. Support is provided to individuals visiting the Social Assistance Centre of Caritas of Vilnius Archdiocese, including homeless individuals, low-income persons, single mothers, persons released from prison, senior citizens, and others. Support can be picked up at Paco g. 4, Vilnius.

    Support is distributed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.   

    Contacts for inquiries

    Tel.: +370 655 02 288 (in Russian)

    • Technical assistance tools

    Technical assistance tools refer to any special or standard product, tool, equipment, or technical system used by persons with disabilities. These tools help to prevent, compensate for, reduce, or eliminate the impact of impaired functions on an individual’s health, independence, education, and work activities.

• Home help services

Home help refers to services provided at an individual’s residence to assist them (or their family) in managing household tasks, caring for their personal needs, and participating in society.

These services can be accessed by: adults with disabilities and their families; elderly individuals and their families; children with disabilities and their families; other individuals and their families (including those who have temporarily lost their independence due to illness or other reasons).  

More information is available here (in English, Russian, Ukrainian).

Contacts for inquiries

Tel.: +370 664 28 544 (in Russian)

• Home accommodation services 

Home accommodation services offer a supportive living environment and essential services to individuals (or families) who do not require constant, intensive care, allowing them to manage their personal (or family) lives independently. 

Services can be accessed by:

• Single elderly individuals who do not own residential housing and for whom social services at home are not available.
• Adults with disabilities who cannot access social services at home.

More information is provided here (in English, Russian, Ukrainian).

Contacts for inquiries

For more information, please contact the employees of the social work department in the relevant wards. 

You can find the list of employees and their contact details here (in English, Russian, Ukrainian).

• Transport services

Transport services are provided to individuals who, due to age, disability, or illness, experience mobility problems and are unable to use public or private transport. This service is also available to those whose adult children, guardians, or other family members cannot provide transport assistance for objective reasons.

More detailed information and application procedure can be found here (in English, Russian, Ukrainian).

Contacts for inquiries

Tel.:  +370 670 14 645 (in Russian)

• Social care services

Social care refers to a range of services that offer comprehensive assistance to individuals requiring ongoing specialist support. These services can be provided in various settings, including a person’s home, a day care centre, or an institution.

Services can be accessed by: children with disabilities; adults with disabilities, and elderly individuals.

Contacts for inquiries

Tel.:  +370 670 14 972 (in Russian)

• Children’s day centre

Children’s day social care

Children’s day social care is a service designed to support the development of social and life skills for children and their family members.

Parents or guardians can apply for these services either through a social service institution or directly to an institution that provides day social care for children. A list of available institutions can be found at the bottom of the service description.

Children’s day social care at Vilnius City Municipality Administration (more information provided here)

The applicant seeking children’s day social care services must submit the following: 

1. A completed application form for a children’s day social carer, which can be found here.
2. The child’s identity document or a copy of it.
3. If the child’s place of residence is in another municipality, a written explanation in free form detailing why the application is not being made to the municipality of their residence. 

Contacts for inquiries

For more information, please contact Jurgita Zabotkienė via email at jurgita.zabotkiene@vilnius.lt; or by phone at +370 5 211 2231 (in Russian)

• Temporary custody of the child

Important! When submitting an application, you must include a registration card issued by the Migration Department or a temporary residence permit for the Republic of Lithuania.

Temporary care of a child is established at the request of the parents or other legal representatives in accordance with the law.

Temporary care of a child is established at the request of the parents or other legal representatives of the child, in accordance with the law. It is granted only in cases of significant reasons and for a period not exceeding six months.

The reasons may include:

• going abroad for work, an internship, a business trip, etc; 
• an unexpected deterioration in the health of the child’s parents or other legal representatives, necessitating urgent treatment.

The following documents must be submitted to the municipal administration of the child’s place of residence:

1. An application to establish temporary custody of the child (the application form can be found here).
2. An extract from the child’s birth record or a document confirming the child’s identity.
3. Documents confirming the identity of the parents or other representatives of the child as required by law.
4. A document confirming the identity of the person who will temporarily take care of the child.
5. Documents proving the reasons for which temporary care is requested for the child, such as a medical institution certificate; documents of employment or professional activity outside the Republic of Lithuania (employment contract, copy of service contract, a letter confirming employment, internship, or participation in professional or volunteering programmes and their duration; copy of order, decree, invitation, etc.);
6. If the request for temporary care is made not by the child’s parents but by other representatives in accordance with the law, a copy of the court decision appointing the child’s guardian (caregiver) or a copy of the order from the director of the municipal administration appointing the child’s temporary guardian (caregiver).

The application should be submitted to the municipal administration of the child’s place of residence in one of the following ways:

• By email to savivaldybe@vilnius.lt.
• In person: visit the Customer Service Department, located at Konstitucijos pr. 3, Vilnius, 1st floor.

• Provision of day social care services for children with disabilities

Important! A temporary residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania is required to provide this service.

Day social care refers to a set of services providing comprehensive assistance to children with disabilities who require specialist care and for whom the need for day social care has been established. These services are offered in specialized children’s social care homes and day care centres.

To apply for social care services, the child’s parents (guardians) or other legal representatives should contact the employees of the Social Labour Division of the Vilnius City Social Services. Centre according to their place of residence. 

• You can find the list of employees and their contact details here. Information is available in Russian and English.

The institution providing day social care for the child is chosen by the child’s representative or, in the absence of a representative, by the municipality, taking into account the child’s best interests.

More information on submitting documents can be found here (in English, Russian, Ukrainian).