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Passengers FROM ALL THE COUNTRIES (listed or not listed as affected) travelling on international routes organised and operated by carriers as regular, special and charter services by all modes of transport must complete a QUESTIONNAIRE and present the confirmation of the completed electronic form (QR code) to the carrier before boarding the vehicle. Those arriving in Lithuania from ALL COUNTRIES by their own transport until the moment of crossing the border of the Republic of Lithuania must fill in the QUESTIONNAIRE and provide confirmation of the completed electronic questionnaire (QR code) to NVSC specialists or other officials at the border checkpoint or passenger checkpoint. For more regularly updated information about entering Lithuania and isolation requirements, please consult here: https://nvsc.lrv.lt/en/information-on-covid-19/for-arrivals-from-abroad  

This means that the list of affected countries will include not only the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of South Africa but also other countries where mutations have been found. The list of affected countries will also include the EU countries marked in red in the maps published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

All the travellers are required to have evidence of the test and to self-isolate.

New coronavirus mutations have already been reported in many EU and world countries, but 7 countries around the world have been raising a particular concern due to the fast-spreading new coronavirus mutations: Ireland, Denmark, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, Brazil, Israel and South Africa.

As of Monday (25 January), all the travellers from the affected countries will be required to evidence the test taken within 48 hours before the entry or take a test in Lithuania. 14-day self-isolation is also mandatory for everyone, with a possibility of shortening the isolation time by taking a coronavirus test at their own expense on the 10th day of isolation.

Please note that those arriving from countries with fast-spreading virus mutations will be subject to different isolation requirements compared to arrivals from other countries. The former will be subject to more stringent isolation requirements: they will not be allowed to leave the place of isolation unless they need urgent medical assistance and have to go to a medical facility, or they have to go to a mobile testing point. People in isolation may go to a funeral, change the place of isolation, or go to a medical facility for other health care services with the permission of the National Public Health Centre (NPHC). Arrivals from the countries with fast-spreading virus mutations will have to self-isolate in a separate apartment or a house, or on another well-isolated floor of a private house or apartment or in a separate isolated room with a separate bathroom. Self-isolation will be possible in the same premises only with those that travelled together, except children, who will be allowed to stay with other family members, who will be subject to the same period of self-isolation.

Travellers from other affected countries may take a walk within the radius of 1 km. and leave the place of self-isolation without the notification of the NPHC or without its permission according to the list of exemptions. They can also self-isolate in the same apartment with non-traveling family members, only in another room, while reducing movement around the home and sharing of the common space.

The Ministry notes that self-isolation may not be required in specific cases. The exempted occupation groups and those coming for important medical reasons or for important family matters (funerals or visiting terminal patients) will be only required testing for coronavirus. The list of exemptions is much shorter for those travelling from third countries.

Those transiting through the Republic of Lithuania, crew members, who are employed in companies engaged in international commercial transportation, or who carry out international commercial transportation by all the means of transport will not be subject to self-isolation or testing requirements.  

It is also important to point out that those who already had the virus or have been vaccinated following the full vaccination schedule will not be required to test or self-isolate provided they have a medical certificate or vaccination certificate (with translation into Lithuanian, English or Russian) confirming that they had the virus within 90 days prior to the entry or their vaccination.

Tighter requirements for travellers have been taken in the light of the latest risk assessment published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. (ECDC). According to the ECDC, viruses are constantly changing due to ongoing mutations. Some of them do not play a major role in spreading of the virus, but some can cause the virus to spread faster or cause a more severe form of the disease. Several mutations in the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 are currently being observed around the world for their faster-spreading and a consequently adversely affecting the epidemiological situation.

According to the latest available information, the likelihood of such coronavirus mutations entering and spreading in the EU is assessed as high or very high. And given the faster rate of spread of the mutated coronavirus caused infection, a significant impact of the spread of new mutations on hospitalisation rates and deaths is likely, particularly among at-risk individuals, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

In order to slow down the risk of new coronavirus mutations entering and spreading, the ECDC recommends, along with non-medical coronavirus prevention measures, to refrain from non-essential travelling and strengthen the requirements for travellers, including testing and self-isolation, particularly for travellers from the territories with fast-spreading new coronavirus mutations.

Maps outlining the status of the common criteria for EU countries and regions published by the ECDC are available here.

The list of affected countries is published every Friday to take effect on Monday for the duration of that week.

List of affected countries: NPHC