Lithuania

Key points for young drivers:

• Motorway 130 km/h (110 in winter), but with a licence held less than 2 years – 100 km/h, and 80 km/h outside built-up areas.
• Alcohol: 0.4 ‰, for novice drivers (up to 2 years) and motorcyclists 0.0 ‰.
• Lights on day and night, phone only in a holder with a hands-free kit.
• In the car: fire extinguisher, warning triangle, first-aid kit, high-visibility vest, spare wheel or repair kit.
• No vignette for cars; carry paper proof of insurance, because electronic documents aren’t accepted.
• Also stop for pedestrians who are just waiting to cross.

Seat belts and child seats

Everyone wears a seat belt, including in the back. Children up to 135 cm tall travel in a child seat suited to their height and weight.

Traffic lights

At many junctions there is a green arrow for turning right on red. How it works: first you stop at the stop line (or, if there isn’t one, before the pedestrian crossing), let pedestrians and cars pass, and only then turn.

Turning left at junctions with a separate signal: you only go when the green arrow is lit. There is no red arrow – if the green one isn’t on, you wait.

Helmet not compulsory

Cyclists aged 18 and over – helmet recommended but not mandatory.

Helmet compulsory

• motorcycle (also with a sidecar) and moped
• tricycle and quadricycle (without a factory-fitted cab and seat belts)
• e-scooter and other micromobility devices – everyone, regardless of age
• bicycle – under 18 (rider and passenger)

Compulsory equipment in the car

• fire extinguisher
• warning triangle
• first-aid kit
• high-visibility vest
• spare wheel or tyre repair kit (according to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Compulsory equipment on a bike

• after dark and in poor visibility: white light at the front, red at the back and a high-visibility vest
• during the day: a high-visibility vest (red, orange or yellow) or lights on
• helmet – mandatory under 18

Winter tyres and snow chains

Winter tyres (or M+S) are mandatory from 10 November to 31 March.

Note: the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Odyseusz, 2026) says the requirement starts on 1 November – the safest option is to have winter tyres on from the start of November. Check before you travel at odyseusz.gov.pl (in Polish).

Phone, drugs and other bans

• Phone only through a hands-free kit and in a holder – you don’t hold it in your hand.
• Drugs: a total ban on driving under the influence of narcotics (including THC, methamphetamine, MDMA).
• “A” lanes – public transport only; “A+” – also bicycles and mopeds; “TAKSI” – taxis; “4+” – cars with at least 4 people; lane with an electric car symbol – electric cars.
• You must stop not only for a pedestrian on the crossing, but also for one who is waiting to cross.

Vignettes, tolls and low-emission zones

In a car you drive on Lithuanian roads free of charge. Buses, minibuses and goods vehicles (categories N1–N3) need an e-vignette.

Watch out: if your car is registered as a goods vehicle in the vehicle registration certificate (e.g. a passenger car registered as a van), you pay too. Information: vialietuva.lt.

Documents and insurance

• your driving licence from an EU/EEA country is valid
• carry a paper proof of third-party motor insurance – the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns that electronic documents (e.g. in phone apps) are not accepted
• no Green Card needed (EU)
• borrowed or hired car – you need a valid authorisation to use the vehicle

What to watch out for

• Speed cameras and average speed checks are common; fines from Lithuania are sent to the car owner’s address in their home country.
• You can pay a police fine on the spot by card terminal in the patrol car; paying within 7 days cuts the amount by 30%.
• In the countryside many roads are gravel, which GPS navigation often doesn’t show; there are speed bumps at the entrances to towns and villages.
• After a minor collision you don’t have to call the police – a joint accident report is enough. Call the police if someone is injured, more than 2 cars are involved, or a driver is drunk or has no licence.
• From the left lane, even on an expressway, you may turn left and make U-turns – watch out for cars slowing down.

Sources

• Your Europe – Road rules: Lithuania
• Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Odyseusz: Lithuania (in Polish)
• Lithuanian Police – speed limits
• Lithuanian Ministry of Transport – seasonal rule changes
• Via Lietuva – e-vignettes
• Last updated: September 2026.