Looking for a credit card in Lithuania as a foreigner? You can get one โ the question is which bank, and when. This guide compares what Swedbank, SEB, Luminor and Citadele actually issue, what income and documents they ask for, how the Bank of Lithuania's credit register affects your application, and what to do if you are turned down.
Every bank here issues cards to foreign residents โ what decides the outcome is documented local income, so when you apply matters as much as where.
Table of Contents
Credit Cards in Lithuania Compared
Commercial comparison ยท Links to providers, no commission earned
Five providers issue credit cards to residents. Every figure below is taken from the provider's own published price list, and each card carries the provider's own representative example.
Revolut Credit Card
No monthly fee, applied in-app
Key highlights
Key features
- No monthly fee
- 62-day grace period
- In-app application
- Lithuanian licence
Card details
- Grace period
- 62 days
- Max limit
- โฌ10,000
- Min repayment
- 3% or โฌ10
Summary
- No annual card fee
- Longest interest-free period here
- Needs a permanent residence permit
- Must already be a customer
Representative example (Revolut Bank UAB) โ On an open-ended โฌ4,100 credit limit at 15% fixed annual interest, assuming the limit is used for 3 months, the total amount payable is โฌ4,255.01. Minimum monthly payment is 3% of credit used, at least โฌ10, plus accrued interest. APR: 16.08%
As published by Revolut Bank UAB โ revolut.com/lt-LT. Retrieved August 2026; providers revise these annually.
Swedbank Classic
Mainstream, if your salary lands there
Key highlights
Key features
- Mastercard
- 25-day grace period
- Published criteria
- Branch network
Card details
- Min. income
- โฌ600/month net
- Grace period
- 25 days
- FX markup
- 2.45%
Summary
- Approval criteria published up front
- Gold and Platinum tiers above
- Needs โฌ600/month net for six months
- Shortest grace period here
Representative example (Swedbank, AB) โ On a โฌ1,500 credit at 18% fixed annual interest over 12 months, paying โฌ2/month card administration, โฌ1/month daily services and a one-off issuance fee, the total amount payable is โฌ1,677.50. APR: 21.99%
As published by Swedbank, AB โ swedbank.lt. Retrieved August 2026; providers revise these annually.
SEB Mastercard Standard
Highest published ceiling, two repayment modes
Key highlights
Key features
- Mastercard
- 45-day grace period
- โฌ30,000 ceiling
- Free in DAILY+ plan
Card details
- Grace period
- 45 days
- Max limit
- โฌ30,000
- FX markup
- 2.65%
Summary
- Two repayment modes to choose from
- Highest published limit here
- No minimum income published
- โฌ250 plus โฌ10/month for non-EEA residents
Representative example (AB SEB bankas) โ On a โฌ2,000 credit limit at 17% annual interest over 12 months under the 5% minimum repayment option, with a โฌ2/month card fee, the total amount payable is โฌ2,309.08. APR: 21.04%
As published by AB SEB bankas โ seb.lt. Retrieved August 2026; providers revise these annually.
Luminor Black
Sold only in the Luminor Black package
Key highlights
Key features
- 45-day grace period
- Free ATM to โฌ1,200/mo
- Package bundled
- Remote onboarding
Card details
- Grace period
- 45 days
- Min limit
- โฌ600
- FX markup
- 2.45%
Summary
- โฌ1,200/month free ATM withdrawals
- Remote onboarding, in English
- Only sold with the โฌ6.90 Black package
- โฌ200 plus โฌ15/month for non-EEA residents
Representative example (Luminor Bank AS) โ On a โฌ1,000 credit limit at 18% fixed annual interest over 12 months, with โฌ6.90/month card administration under the Luminor Black bundle, the total amount payable is โฌ1,283.02. APR: 29.79%
As published by Luminor Bank AS โ luminor.lt price list. Retrieved August 2026; providers revise these annually.
A note on the fifth provider. Citadele's C cards carry published credit limits โ โฌ500โ5,000 on C supreme, โฌ700โ15,000 on C prime (citadele.lt) โ but publishes no representative example for them, so no cost of borrowing is quoted for Citadele here. It appears in the comparison table below.
The full comparison
| Card | Monthly fee | Interest | Interest-free | Credit limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revolut Credit Card | โฌ0 | personalised | up to 62 days | up to โฌ10,000 |
| Swedbank Classic | โฌ2 | from 17% | 25 days | from โฌ300 |
| Swedbank Gold | โฌ5 | from 17% | 30 days | from โฌ600 |
| Swedbank Platinum | โฌ16 | from 12% | up to 50 days | from โฌ2,000 |
| SEB Mastercard Standard | โฌ2 | 14% or 17% | up to 45 days | up to โฌ30,000 |
| SEB Mastercard Premium | โฌ4.50 | 14% or 17% | up to 45 days | up to โฌ30,000 |
| Citadele C smart | โฌ2.49 | 19% | up to 45 days | โฌ300โ1,500 |
| Citadele C supreme | โฌ4.99 | 19% | up to 45 days | โฌ500โ5,000 |
| Luminor Black | โฌ6.90 | 18% | up to 45 days | from โฌ600 |
Artea (formerly ล iauliลณ bankas) also issues Mastercard credit cards. Urbo (formerly Medicinos bankas) and GF Bankas issue debit cards and loans but no credit cards. Sources: Swedbank, SEB price list (1 Jan 2026), Luminor price list, Citadele, Revolut eligibility.
What You Need to Qualify
Lithuanian banks assess credit applications on a fairly conventional basis:
- An asmens kodas โ non-negotiable for a traditional bank product
- Legal residence โ usually a residence permit for non-EU citizens, or registered right of residence for EU citizens
- Documented, regular income โ typically salary paid into a Lithuanian account over several months
- An existing relationship with the bank โ most banks strongly prefer to issue credit to their own current-account customers
- A clean credit record โ Lithuania has a credit register, and existing obligations count against your capacity
How Much Credit You'll Get, and How Fast
No Lithuanian bank publishes a salary-multiple formula. What they publish is ranges โ from โฌ300 at the bottom (Swedbank) up to โฌ30,000, SEB's published ceiling. Where your limit lands inside that range is the bank's own assessment of your income and existing obligations.
The hard ceiling is regulatory, not the bank's. The Bank of Lithuania's responsible-lending rules for consumer credit cap all your monthly instalments together โ the new card included โ at 40% of sustainable income (resolution 03-62, point 9). Swedbank prints the same 40% rule in its own card criteria, so this is not theoretical.
On speed, only Swedbank commits to a window: from a few minutes up to 9 business days. The other banks publish no decision time at all โ treat any timeline you're quoted as an estimate, not a promise.
The Credit Register Your Bank Checks
Before approving a card, a Lithuanian bank checks the Paskolลณ rizikos duomenลณ bazฤ โ the loan risk database run by the Bank of Lithuania. It records borrowers and the loans they hold. Banks and their leasing subsidiaries report to it, as do foreign bank branches, credit unions, registered consumer-credit providers and peer-to-peer lending platforms.
If you have just moved here, your file is empty rather than bad. That is not a barrier in itself โ but it does mean the bank has nothing to go on except your income and your account history with them, which is why applying at the bank your salary already arrives in is the strongest move.
Check it yourself, free
Through epaslaugos.lt using your e-banking login, e-signature or ID card. Worth doing before you apply rather than after a refusal.
What it holds
Loans, leases and consumer credit reported by regulated lenders โ not your salary, and not your day-to-day spending.
Separate from Creditinfo
Creditinfo Lietuva is a private bureau that also holds payment-default records. The two are not the same register.
If You're Declined
A decline is not a dead end, and you are not left guessing why it happened.
The bank must tell you why. Under Article 9(2) of the Consumer Credit Law (Vartojimo kredito ฤฏstatymas), a lender that rejects you based on a database check must immediately and free of charge tell you the result and which registers it consulted. So ask โ you don't have to guess which database it was. The rule mirrors Article 9(2) of EU Directive 2008/48/EC.
Check your own file, free. The Bank of Lithuania's loan risk database is the one covered above โ read it yourself through epaslaugos.lt before reapplying. The private bureau has its own self-service portal, manocreditinfo.lt, which offers free credit-history monitoring once you register (paid report products exist alongside it).
There is no statutory waiting period before reapplying. No Lithuanian rule sets how long you must wait โ retry timing is practice, not law. What is documented: lenders' queries are logged by Creditinfo, and negative records stop affecting you five years after the debt's final repayment.
Secured cards do not exist in Lithuania. If you're hoping for a US-style deposit-backed card with guaranteed approval โ no. None of the seven issuers โ Swedbank, SEB, Luminor, Citadele, Urbo, Artea and Revolut โ publishes a secured or deposit-backed credit card; Urbo issues debit cards only. The actual workaround is the bridge products in What to Use While You Wait.
The realistic retry target is the bank your salary lands in, once you meet its published criteria. Swedbank's are public: โฌ600/month net income, six consecutive months of it, and total obligations at no more than 40% of income.
Building Local Credit History
If you're planning to stay โ and especially if you might want a mortgage โ building a Lithuanian credit record matters. Your credit history from home doesn't transfer.
Open a traditional bank account once you have your asmens kodas
Fintechs are excellent for daily life but generally don't build a relationship a lender will weigh.
Have your salary paid into it
Regular documented income into a local account is the single strongest signal.
Give it six to twelve months
Then apply for a modest credit product with that same bank.
Pay in full, every month
Revolving a balance costs you interest and doesn't improve your standing.
Keep obligations low
Existing credit reduces your assessed capacity for anything larger later โ including a mortgage.
What Credit Cards Actually Cost
Costs to check before signing anything:
- Annual or monthly card fee โ sometimes waived above a spending threshold
- Interest rate on balances carried past the interest-free period
- The interest-free period itself, and exactly when it starts
- Cash withdrawal charges โ usually expensive on credit cards, and often with no interest-free period at all
- Foreign currency markup โ this is where fintech debit cards genuinely beat bank credit cards
- Late payment charges
Cash withdrawals on a credit card are the expensive trap
They typically attract a fee and start accruing interest immediately, with no interest-free period. If you need cash, use a debit card.
What to Use While You Wait
If you do not qualify yet, these cover most of what a credit card is actually used for. None of them build credit history.
Revolut's debit card is usable within minutes of approval, with spending controls that a traditional credit card will not give you, and for the overwhelming majority of new arrivals it is the answer to "how do I pay for things" in the first week. Wise is the one to hold alongside it if you regularly spend or receive in more than one currency: its debit card converts at the mid-market rate with a visible fee rather than a hidden markup, which matters if you still have income or commitments in your home country.
Key highlights
Key features
- Available before arrival
- Lithuanian IBAN โ counts as local
- Instant virtual card
- Excellent FX for travel
Account details
- standard plan
- โฌ0
- to open
- ~10 min
- Requires
- Passport
Summary
- Available before arrival
- Lithuanian IBAN โ counts as local
- Instant virtual card
- Excellent FX for travel
- Debit, not credit โ no borrowing
- Builds no local credit history
- Car hire may prefer credit
Key highlights
Key features
- Mid-market exchange rates
- Hold 40+ currencies
- Opens with a passport
Account details
Summary
- Mid-market exchange rates
- Hold 40+ currencies
- Opens with a passport
- Not a Lithuanian IBAN
- Debit only
Common Mistakes
Applying in your first weeks
You almost certainly won't qualify, and the declined applications are recorded.
Assuming your home credit history counts
It doesn't transfer. An excellent record elsewhere means nothing to a Lithuanian lender.
Using a credit card for foreign currency spending
Bank credit cards usually apply a markup. Revolut or Wise will be cheaper for anything in another currency.
Taking cash out on credit
Fees plus immediate interest. Rarely justified.
Accepting Dynamic Currency Conversion
When a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and choose euros. The markup is typically 3โ7%.
Carrying a balance to "build credit"
This is a myth. Paying in full builds your record just as well and costs nothing.
Assuming online payments need a Lithuanian phone number
They don't. Swedbank, SEB and Luminor all confirm 3D Secure purchases through your banking credentials โ Smart-ID, biometrics or a PIN generator โ not SMS codes, so a foreign SIM is no blocker. The one caveat: Mobile-ID is the single confirmation method tied to a local SIM.
Why You Can Trust This Guide
Read our full editorial guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a credit card in Lithuania as a foreigner?
Yes, but generally only once you have an asmens kodas, legal residence, and several months of documented income paid into a Lithuanian account. New arrivals are usually declined.
Do I need a credit card in Lithuania?
Rarely. Lithuania runs on debit and contactless payments. The main genuine use cases are car hire deposits and some hotel bookings โ and even those often accept a debit card with a hold.
What can I use instead while I wait?
A debit card from Revolut, Wise or Paysera โ all open with just a passport and work immediately. They do not build local credit history, but they cover day-to-day spending and most online purchases.
Does my credit history from home transfer?
No. You build a Lithuanian record from scratch, primarily through a local bank account with regular salary deposits.
How long before I can get one?
Typically six to twelve months of salary paid into a Lithuanian account, with your residence documentation in place. Applying earlier usually means a decline.
Will a credit card help me get a mortgage?
A clean repayment record helps demonstrate reliability, but unused credit facilities can also reduce your assessed borrowing capacity. Don't take on credit purely as mortgage preparation.
Are credit cards accepted everywhere?
Card payment is near-universal in Lithuania, though some very small businesses have minimum amounts. Contactless is standard, and Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely supported.
What happens if my application is declined?
If the rejection was based on a database check, the Consumer Credit Law (Article 9(2)) obliges the lender to tell you the result immediately, free of charge, including which registers it consulted โ so ask. Then check your own file free via epaslaugos.lt and manocreditinfo.lt, and reapply at the bank your salary is paid into once you meet its published criteria.
Can I get a secured credit card in Lithuania?
No. None of the seven issuers โ Swedbank, SEB, Luminor, Citadele, Urbo, Artea or Revolut โ publishes a secured or deposit-backed credit card, and Urbo issues debit cards only. The practical bridge is a fintech debit card while you build the salary history banks want to see.
How big a limit will I get?
No Lithuanian bank publishes a salary-multiple formula, only ranges โ from โฌ300 (Swedbank) up to โฌ30,000 (SEB's published ceiling). The hard cap is regulatory: Bank of Lithuania responsible-lending rules limit all your monthly instalments together to 40% of sustainable income.
Will online payments work with my foreign phone number?
Yes. Swedbank, SEB and Luminor all confirm 3D Secure purchases through banking credentials โ Smart-ID, biometrics or a PIN generator โ not SMS codes. The only confirmation method tied to a Lithuanian SIM is Mobile-ID.
Related Guides
Ready to Apply for Your Card?
Revolut applies in-app with no monthly fee. Bank cards need a Lithuanian current account and several months of salary first.
Nothing on this page is paid placement and no provider pays to appear. Where one runs an affiliate programme we may earn a commission if you sign up through our link; where one does not, we link to them anyway. Ordering reflects published terms and how well each option works for someone arriving from abroad โ never what it pays.