Emergency number
Ambulance, fire and police. Free from any phone, works without a SIM card, and operators speak English. Emergency care is provided regardless of your insurance status.
PSD covers you once employed, self-employed, or a permanent resident โ register with a family doctor via esveikata.lt or in person โ your family doctor refers you to specialists โ call 112 for emergencies, regardless of cover
Table of Contents
Are You Covered?
Everything follows from this. Lithuania's public healthcare is funded by PSD โ privalomasis sveikatos draudimas, compulsory health insurance โ and whether you're in it depends on your status, not simply on living here.
| Your situation | Covered by PSD? |
|---|---|
| Employed in Lithuania | (any nationality) โ Yes โ employer pays 6.98% |
| Self-employed | and paying contributions โ Yes |
| Permanent residence permit | holder โ Yes โ from the date the permit becomes valid |
| Temporary permit + employed | and their children โ Yes |
| Family members of third-country professionals working here | โ Yes |
| Receiving a pension under an international agreement | โ Yes |
| Non-EU student, not working | โ No โ private insurance required |
| New arrival, not yet employed | โ Not yet |
| EU/EEA citizen visiting or short stay | Via EHIC from your home country |
| Resident but not working, studying or state-covered | Only if you self-pay โ โฌ80.48/month |
Not covered doesn't mean not treated
Anyone can access Lithuanian healthcare. The difference is who pays. If you're PSD-covered, treatment in the public system is largely covered. If you're not, you can still register and be seen โ you simply pay the clinic's own rates yourself. And emergency care is provided regardless of status.
How PSD Works
PSD is collected alongside Sodra social contributions. If you're employed, it's simply part of what comes off your gross salary.
The 6.98% sits inside the total 19.5% employee contribution โ it isn't an additional deduction. Our salary calculator shows exactly how it comes off a gross figure.
If you're resident but outside the system, you can self-pay PSD at โฌ80.48 per month in 2026 (6.98% of the โฌ1,153 minimum wage). For most students that's poor value against a private policy at โฌ50โ150 a year โ see our student health insurance guide.
Registering With a Family Doctor
Being covered isn't the same as being registered. You need to attach yourself to a primary care clinic and choose a family doctor (ลกeimos gydytojas) before you can use the system properly.
Choose a clinic near you
A public poliklinika or a private primary care clinic. Proximity matters more than you'd think โ you'll go there for everything.
Register in person or online
At the clinic reception, or through the national e-health portal at esveikata.lt.
Bring ID
Passport, ID card, or your Lithuanian residence permit. Your asmens kodas identifies you in the system.
Pick a family doctor from the available list
The clinic will tell you which doctors are taking patients. If English matters to you, ask before choosing.
Sign the registration form
That's it. You're now attached to that doctor.
Do this before you're ill. Registration is quick and free, but doing it while unwell โ in a language you may not speak, at a clinic you've never visited โ is miserable. It's a twenty-minute job in your first month that saves you a bad day later.
Your family doctor is the gatekeeper
Lithuania runs a referral system. In the public system you generally can't book a specialist directly โ you see your family doctor, who refers you onward. This surprises people from countries where you simply call a specialist. Plan for the extra step, and don't expect to skip it by turning up at a hospital.
The E-Health System
Lithuania is genuinely good at digital government, and healthcare is a strong example. The national portal at esveikata.lt, with an accompanying mobile app, lets you:
- View your health records and history
- Check e-prescriptions โ prescriptions are digital and collected at any pharmacy
- Book appointments with medical professionals
- Manage referrals to specialists
- Register with a clinic
Set it up early. Once you're registered and using the portal, most routine interaction with the system happens without a phone call.
Using the System Day to Day
Appointments. Book through esveikata.lt, the clinic's own system, or by phone. Waiting times for a family doctor are usually reasonable; specialist waits are where the public system strains.
Referrals. Your family doctor refers you to specialists. Keep the referral โ you'll need it.
Your asmens kodas is your identifier. It's on your residence permit card. Bring the card.
Waiting times are the main complaint. Non-urgent specialist appointments can take a while. This is precisely what people buy top-up private insurance to avoid.
Hospitals. Vilnius and Kaunas have large university hospitals with good reputations, including the teaching hospital attached to LSMU. Standards in the major cities are solid.
Dentistry. Largely private in practice, and paid for out of pocket. Lithuanian dental care is well regarded and considerably cheaper than Western Europe โ enough that dental tourism exists.
Public vs Private
Many people who are fully PSD-covered also use private clinics. That isn't a contradiction โ they're buying speed and language, not better medicine.
Public system
- โ Covered by PSD contributions
- โ University hospitals, full range of care
- โ Subsidised prescriptions
- โ Specialist waiting times
- โ Primarily Lithuanian, Russian widely spoken
- โ Referral required for specialists
Private clinics
- โ Much shorter waits
- โ Direct specialist access
- โ English-speaking doctors more likely
- โ Affordable by Western European standards
- โ Paid out of pocket or via top-up insurance
- โ Complex or emergency cases go to public hospitals anyway
A common pattern among foreign residents: rely on PSD for anything serious, and pay privately for routine appointments where waiting or language would be a nuisance.
What Things Cost
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Public care if PSD-covered | Largely covered | Funded by your contributions |
| Public care if not PSD-covered | Clinic's own rates | You pay; you're still treated |
| Self-paid PSD | โฌ80.48/month | 6.98% ร MMA โฌ1,153 |
| Private student health insurance | โ โฌ50โ150/year | Required for non-EU student permits |
| Private GP appointment | Verify | Affordable by Western standards |
| Private specialist appointment | Verify | Varies by specialism |
| Dental treatment | Verify | Largely private; well regarded and cheap |
| Prescriptions | Often partly reimbursed | Reimbursement varies by medicine |
โ Still to verify. Typical private consultation and dental prices need researching from clinic price lists before publication. PSD rates and insurance figures are confirmed.
Pharmacies and Prescriptions
Pharmacies (vaistinฤ) are plentiful, and pharmacists are generally helpful and often speak some English or Russian.
- Prescriptions are digital. Your doctor issues an e-prescription; you collect it at any pharmacy using your ID. No paper to lose.
- Many medicines are partially reimbursed under the compulsory insurance system โ how much depends on the medicine and your situation.
- Bring your ID card. You need it to collect an e-prescription.
- Some medicines available over the counter elsewhere require a prescription here, and vice versa. If you take something regularly, check availability before you move and bring documentation of your prescription.
Language
Public clinics operate primarily in Lithuanian. Russian is widely spoken, particularly by older medical staff โ if your Russian is good, you'll manage comfortably in most Vilnius and Kaunas clinics.
English is less consistent in the public system, though common among younger doctors. Private clinics in Vilnius and Kaunas are considerably more likely to offer English-speaking doctors, and for many foreign residents that alone justifies a top-up policy.
Practical tip
When registering, ask which family doctors speak English before choosing one. It costs nothing to ask at the point of registration and it's much harder to change later. If you're bringing a chronic condition, get your existing records translated before you arrive.
Emergencies
Call 112. It's the EU-wide emergency number, free from any phone, works without a SIM card or credit, and operators speak English.
- Emergency care is provided regardless of insurance status. Nobody is turned away from an emergency because their paperwork isn't sorted.
- Hospital emergency departments handle urgent cases. For non-urgent problems, use your family doctor โ turning up at A&E won't shortcut the referral system.
- Carry your ID. Your residence permit card or passport, with your asmens kodas.
- If you're uninsured, you may be billed afterwards. That's a strong argument for sorting cover early rather than gambling.
Not covered by PSD yet?
Non-EU permits require private cover โ โฌ10,000 minimum, or โฌ30,000 for a visa.
Common Mistakes
Waiting until you're ill to register with a doctor
Registration is quick and free, but doing it while unwell, in a language you may not speak, at a clinic you've never visited, is a bad experience. Do it in your first month.
Expecting to book a specialist directly
The public system runs on referrals โ your family doctor sends you onward. Turning up expecting to see a specialist without one is a common source of frustration for arrivals used to booking specialists themselves.
Assuming "not covered" means "not treated"
Anyone can be seen in the Lithuanian system. If you're not PSD-covered you simply pay the clinic's own rates yourself rather than being turned away.
Going to A&E for non-urgent problems
Hospital emergency departments are for urgent cases. Non-urgent issues go through your family doctor โ turning up at A&E doesn't shortcut the referral system.
Not asking about English before you choose a doctor
It costs nothing to ask at registration which family doctors speak English, and it's much harder to change afterwards.
Forgetting your ID at the pharmacy
Prescriptions are digital โ your doctor issues one electronically, but you still need ID to collect it at any pharmacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is healthcare free in Lithuania?
Not free, but funded through PSD contributions rather than paid at the point of use. If you're covered, public treatment is largely paid for. If you're not covered, you can still be treated but pay the clinic's rates yourself.
Am I covered as a foreigner?
If you're employed in Lithuania, yes โ your employer pays PSD contributions. Permanent permit holders are covered from the date the permit becomes valid. Non-EU students who aren't working generally are not, and need private insurance.
How do I register with a doctor?
Choose a clinic, register in person or via esveikata.lt, bring your ID, pick a family doctor from the available list and sign the form. It's quick and free โ do it early.
Can I see a specialist directly?
In the public system, generally no โ your family doctor refers you. Private clinics allow direct access, which is one reason people use them.
What is esveikata.lt?
Lithuania's national e-health portal and app. It holds your health records, e-prescriptions, appointment booking and referrals. Set it up early.
Does my EHIC work here?
Yes. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can use a European Health Insurance Card for necessary state healthcare on the same terms as residents. It doesn't cover private treatment or repatriation.
Will I find an English-speaking doctor?
More reliably in private clinics in Vilnius and Kaunas. Public clinics operate mainly in Lithuanian with Russian widely spoken. Ask about language when you register.
What's the emergency number?
112 โ free from any phone, no SIM needed, English spoken. Emergency care is provided regardless of insurance status.
Is dental care covered?
Largely private in practice and paid out of pocket. Lithuanian dentistry is well regarded and much cheaper than Western Europe.
What if I take regular medication?
Check availability and the prescription status of your medicine before moving, bring documentation from your current doctor, and register with a family doctor promptly so you can get a Lithuanian e-prescription.
Related Guides
Disclaimer. General guidance, not medical or insurance advice. Coverage rules, costs and procedures change. Confirm your own position with the National Health Insurance Fund, Sodra or your clinic. In an emergency, call 112 โ don't stop to check your paperwork.