Visitors Guide
Climate
Lithuania enjoys one of the mildest climates along the Baltic coast. Summer sunshine may last nine hours a day, but winters can be very cold. Annual rainfall averages 490mm and humidity 80%.
Dress codes
Warm clothing is necessary in winter. Business dress is conservative but relatively informal, with a jacket and tie expected for meetings. A raincoat is useful during spring and autumn.
Social customs/useful tips
Social behaviour is fairly informal. Lithuanians are open and hospitable. Straight professional questions receive straight answers. Business cards are used widely and shaking hands is the common form of greeting and farewell. Most Lithuanians are punctual - being late for a meeting can be a bad start.
It's polite to round up bills in bars and restaurants although you should check your bill to see if service is included before doing so.
Lithuanian-Russian relations are not as tense as those between Estonians and Latvians and Russians, although care should be taken when discussing Russia and its role in the region. Lithuanians also dislike being described as members of the Baltic states, rather than Lithuanian.
Floors
Lithunaians consider the floor on the ground to be the first floor and so on.
Eating habits
Baltic cuisine tends to be plain and sturdy, with potatoes in a variety of forms featured prominently. Beetroot soup, rukstinies (sorrel soup), the Lithuanian version of borscht and various meat dishes, including suktiniai (beef olives with a mushroom and onion filling), are among the specialities. The main drinks are coffee and beer.
Some Lithuanian food recipes are here.
Security
Compared to other European capitals, the crime rate in Vilnius is relatively low, but street crime does occur. Make use of hotel safe deposit boxes and be careful not to show valuables when walking around the city. Car theft is common.
Credit cards: An increasing number of hotels, restaurants and other businesses accept major credit cards.
Entry requirements
Currency advice/regulations
Import and export of national currency is not allowed. A refund is possible against exchange receipt.
Import of foreign currencies is unlimited, but a declaration is required for amounts over the equivalent of Lt10,000. Export is allowed up to the amount declared, less amounts exchanged or spent. Export exceeding the equivalent of Lt100,000 is not permitted.
Lithuania is still primarily a cash economy. Visitors can change money in banks, shops, kiosks and hotels. Traveller's cheques are more widely accepted than elsewhere in the Baltic states.
Customs
A small amount of personal goods may be brought into Lithuania duty-free. On arrival, declare valuable items such as jewellery, cameras, computers and musical instruments.
If arriving by air or sea you can bring in one litre of spirits, two litres of wine, three litres of beer and 200 cigarettes/250g tobacco.
Road and rail border quotas are different, being half a litre of spirits, two litres of wine, half a litre of beer and 100 cigarettes/100g of tobacco.
You would however be a fool to do so, as these commodities are cheaper to buy in Lithuanian shops. You can take home as much art as you wish tax free unless it’s over 50 years old, in which case expect to pay between a 10% and 20% duty. Take it along with your passport and two photographs of the work in question to the Committee of Cultural Heritage, Snipiskiu 3, tel. (+370 5) 272 40 05/272 41 13, where it will be valued and you’ll be given all the necessary paperwork you need to export it. Many of the better antique shops in Vilnius can take care of all the paperwork for you. For more detailed information point those browsers at www.cust.lt.
Passports: Passports are required by all.
Required by all, except citizens of EU, North America, Australasia and some Asian countries for tourist and business visits up to 90 days.
For a full list of visa-free citizens visit website of Embassy of the Republic of the Lithuania to the United States of America or contact the nearest consulate.
Business visas for all others must be applied for with an invitation from a local company or organisation and certified by the migration authorities in Lithuania (stamped and signed by a migration officer). A business letter, by the visitor's company, giving purpose of visit and full itinerary should also be included.
Electricity supply
220V AC, 50Hz. European plugs are required.
Travellers from non-socket-friendly societies should bring an appropriate adaptor, as they are not available anywhere in Lithuania.
Health (for visitors)
Most medical supplies are available, including disposable needles, anaesthetics, antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals.
Mandatory precautions
Vaccination certificates are required for cholera or yellow fever if travelling from an infected area.
Advisable precautions
It is advisable to be 'in date' for the following immunisations: polio (within 10 years), tetanus (within 10 years), typhoid fever, hepatitis 'A' (moderate risk only).
It is recommended that bottled water is used for drinking; tap water is occasionally brown.
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