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Branches - Lithuania

Updated 10/2010

Legal requirements

Legal requirements for legal entities are regulated by the following:

  • Civil Code lietuvių
  • Law on Companies lietuvių
  • Rules of the Register of Legal Entities lietuvių

Opening a subdivision of a legal entity

Legal entity can have the following types of subdivisions:

A branch is a structural subdivision of a legal entity, which has its registered office and performs all or a part of the legal entity's functions.

A representative office is a subdivision of a legal entity, which has its registered office, and enjoys the right to perform the operations specified, i.e. to represent the interests of the legal entity and safeguard them, to enter into contracts as well as perform other operations in the legal entity’s name, to conduct import and export operations however exclusively between foreign legal entities or other organisations, which have established the representative office, or its related enterprises, institutions or organisations and the representative office.

Branches of foreign companies:

  • Branches of companies established in European Union Member States;
  • Branches of companies established in states indicated in Article 77 and Item 8 of Annex XXII to the Agreement on the European Economic Area;
  • Other branches of legal entities established in foreign states, whose legal forms are similar to the legal forms of companies.

Many of the requirements and procedures for opening a secondary establishment are the same as for starting up a business.

Administrative procedures

Registration

A subdivision of a legal entity, a branch or representative office, is considered as formed from the moment of its registration in the Register of Legal Entities.

Information about registering branch and representative offices of foreign legal entities in the Register of Legal Entities:

  • Memo and forms for registering a legal entity lietuvių Online government service
  • Request forms for legal entities lietuvių Online government service

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania, 18 July 2000, No. VIII-1864 (Official Gazette, 2000, No. 74-2262) lietuvių
    • Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Companies, 13 July 2000, No. VIII-1835 (Official Gazette, 2000, No. 64-1914) lietuvių
    • Resolution No. 295 of 21 March 2007 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Rates of Payment to the State Enterprise Centre of Registers for the Registration of Legal Entities, Branches or Representative Offices, and for Registration of Changes in Data (Official Gazette, 2007, No. 37-1368) lietuvių
    • Resolution No. 1407 of 12 November 2003 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Establishment of the Register of Legal Entities and the Approval of the Rules of the Register of Legal Entities (Official Gazette, 2003, No. 107-4810) lietuvių
    • Order No. 1R-503 of 3 December 2007 of the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Regulations for the Management of the Register of Legal Entities (Official Gazette, 2007, No. 128-5230) lietuvių
    • Order No. 297 of 15 December 2003 of the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Forms of Certificates of Registration of Legal Entities, their Branches and Representative Offices, and Branches and Representative Offices of Foreign Legal Entities and Other Organisations (Official Gazette, 2003, No. 119-5450) lietuvių
    • Order No. 1R-204 of 1 July 2006 of the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Request, Notification and Other Forms for Submission to the Manager of the Register of Legal Entities (Official Gazette, 2006, No. 79-3120) lietuvių

    Key documents

    • Request and notification forms for submission to the Manager of the Register of Legal Entities lietuvių

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Further help

Department of the Register of Legal Entities of the State Enterprise Centre of Registers provides consultations on questions regarding registration of legal entities.

  • Consultation Service of the Register of Legal Entities lietuvių

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