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Yes โ non-EU students need private health insurance for their residence permit
Non-EU international students are almost certainly not covered by Lithuania's state PSD system, and private health insurance is a condition of the residence permit application โ not optional. The good news: it's cheap, typically โฌ50โ150 a year.
Table of Contents
The Short Answer
If you're a non-EU international student in Lithuania, you are almost certainly not covered by the state health insurance system, and you must buy private health insurance. It's a condition of your residence permit โ not optional, not something you can sort out later.
The good news is that it's cheap, and it's cheaper than the alternative by a wide margin.
Three things to know
1. Non-EU students are excluded from Lithuania's compulsory state health insurance (PSD) unless they hold permanent residence or are legally employed.
2. Private student health insurance in Lithuania typically costs around โฌ50โ150 per year. Self-paying into the state system instead would cost โฌ80.48 per month โ roughly โฌ966 a year.
3. If you take a job, your employer's contributions put you into the state system, and you may be able to drop the private policy.
Why Students Aren't Covered by PSD
Lithuania's public healthcare is funded through PSD โ privalomasis sveikatos draudimas, compulsory health insurance. Everyone who works in Lithuania pays into it, including foreign workers. It's administered alongside Sodra, and the employee contribution is 6.98% of gross salary.
The catch for students is the word "works." PSD coverage follows employment or a small number of state-covered categories. Being an international student isn't one of them.
You become covered by PSD only if:
- You hold a permanent residence permit in Lithuania, or
- You are legally employed and your employer pays PSD contributions on your behalf
A student on a temporary study permit who isn't working meets neither condition. Hence the private insurance requirement.
| Your situation | Covered by state PSD? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU student, not working | No | Private insurance |
| Non-EU student, legally employed | Yes โ via employer | State cover may replace private |
| Non-EU student, permanent residence | Yes | State cover |
| EU/EEA student | Via home country | EHIC + optional top-up |
What It Costs
This is where the numbers work in your favour, and it's worth seeing them side by side.
| Option | Cost | Per year | Available to students? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private student health insurance | โ โฌ50โ150 / year | โ โฌ50โ150 | โ Yes |
| Self-paid PSD contributions | โฌ80.48 / month | โ โฌ966 | Generally not the route for students |
| Employer-paid PSD | 6.98% of gross salary | Varies | Only if employed |
The self-paid PSD figure is calculated as 6.98% of the minimum monthly wage (MMA), which is โฌ1,153 in 2026 โ giving โฌ80.48 per month.
Private isn't just required โ it's the cheaper option
A student policy at โฌ50โ150 a year costs somewhere between a sixth and a nineteenth of self-paying into the state system. This is one of the rare cases where the mandatory route is also the economical one, so there's no real trade-off to agonise over. Buy the policy, keep the certificate, move on.
โ Verify before publishing. The โฌ50โ150 range is indicative and must be confirmed against current quotes from licensed Lithuanian providers. The Lithuanian Insurers Association register at draudikai.lt is the authoritative list of licensed insurers to build the comparison from. Do not publish specific provider prices without checking them.
What Your Residence Permit Requires
Health insurance is a documented condition of the student residence permit application. Your policy needs to satisfy the Migration Department's requirements, which is a different question from whether it's a good policy.
There are two different minimums, and confusing them is the most common mistake:
| What you're applying for | Minimum cover | Must include |
|---|---|---|
| National visa | โฌ30,000 | Emergency medical care and repatriation |
| Temporary residence permit | โฌ10,000 | Medical expenses |
If you're entering on a national visa, the higher figure comes first. Many students buy a โฌ10,000 policy for the residence permit, then discover the visa application required โฌ30,000 including repatriation. If your route is visa-then-permit, buy cover that satisfies the โฌ30,000 standard from the start โ it's cheaper than buying twice.
Beyond the coverage amount, your policy must also be:
- Valid in Lithuania โ covering treatment here, not just in your home country
- Long enough โ generally covering your period of stay, often at least the first year
- Properly documented โ a certificate the Migration Department will accept, usually in Lithuanian or English
EU and EFTA citizens and their family members are exempt from this requirement entirely.
Buy the policy before you submit your application. The insurance certificate is one of the documents you upload. Students who leave it until after submission end up delaying their own application โ and appointment slots are scarce enough already. See our student residence permit guide.
Choosing a Policy
Two questions, in this order: will the Migration Department accept it, and will it actually help if you're ill. Students often only think about the first.
What must be true
- Meets the Migration Department's minimum coverage and duration requirements
- Valid for treatment in Lithuania
- Issued by a licensed insurer, with documentation the authorities accept
- Covers your full period of stay, or is renewable before it lapses
What's worth paying slightly more for
- Direct billing with local clinics โ so you aren't paying up front and reclaiming later on a student budget
- English-language support โ the moment you need it is the worst moment to be navigating Lithuanian
- Outpatient and prescription cover, not just emergencies โ most of what students actually use
- Mental health cover โ genuinely relevant given long dark winters and a heavy academic load
- Repatriation cover โ unpleasant to think about, standard in good policies
Buy at home or in Lithuania?
Policy bought in Lithuania
- โ Certain to meet local requirements
- โ Direct relationships with local clinics
- โ Easier claims and support here
- โ You may need to arrange it on arrival
Policy bought in your home country
- โ Can be arranged before you travel
- โ Sometimes cheaper
- โ Must explicitly cover Lithuania
- โ Documentation must be acceptable here
- โ Claims from abroad can be slow
Either can work. If you buy at home, confirm in writing that the policy covers treatment in Lithuania for your full stay and that the certificate will be accepted โ ask your university's international office, which sees this every year.
Sort insurance before you submit your permit
The certificate is a required document. Leaving it late delays your whole application.
If You Get a Job, You May Be Able to Drop It
This is the piece most students never find out, and it's worth real money.
Once you're legally employed in Lithuania, your employer pays PSD contributions on your gross salary โ 6.98%. That brings you into the state compulsory health insurance system, with access to public healthcare on the same basis as anyone else.
At that point the private policy you bought for your permit may become redundant. Before you cancel anything:
- Confirm your PSD coverage is actually active โ there can be a lag between starting work and coverage beginning
- Check what your permit renewal requires โ state coverage generally satisfies it, but confirm for your case
- Don't leave a gap. Overlap the two rather than cancelling early and hoping
- Check your policy's cancellation terms โ you may or may not get a refund on the unused portion
See working as a student for work rights and permitted hours, and what is Sodra for how contributions work.
EU Students and the EHIC
If you're an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, your position is different and much simpler.
Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), issued in your home country, entitles you to necessary state healthcare in Lithuania on the same terms as a Lithuanian resident. Get it before you leave โ it's free and it's the single most useful document you'll carry.
What the EHIC does not do:
- Cover private treatment or private clinics
- Cover repatriation to your home country
- Replace travel insurance for lost belongings or cancellations
- Cover treatment you specifically travelled to Lithuania to receive
Many EU students carry the EHIC plus a modest top-up policy. That combination costs little and closes the gaps.
Common Mistakes
Assuming you're covered because you're a student
In many countries students get state coverage automatically. In Lithuania, non-EU students don't. This is the assumption that causes problems.
Buying insurance after submitting the permit application
The certificate is a required document at submission. Buying late delays everything.
Buying a policy that doesn't explicitly cover Lithuania
A general travel policy from home may not satisfy the requirement. Check the wording, not the marketing.
Buying the cheapest policy that meets the minimum
The minimum satisfies the Migration Department. It may not cover the outpatient visits and prescriptions you'll actually use.
Letting it lapse mid-degree
Your permit condition continues for as long as you hold the permit. Diarise the renewal date.
Cancelling private cover the day you start a job
PSD coverage may not begin immediately. Overlap them.
Losing the certificate
You'll need it again at renewal. Keep a digital copy somewhere you'll find it in a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do international students need health insurance in Lithuania?
Non-EU students do โ it's a condition of the student residence permit, and they aren't covered by the state PSD system unless employed or holding permanent residence. EU students should carry an EHIC from their home country.
Am I covered by PSD as a student?
Generally no. PSD coverage requires legal employment with an employer paying contributions, permanent residence, or membership of a state-covered category. Being an international student on a study permit is not one of them.
How much does student health insurance cost?
Roughly โฌ50โ150 per year, depending on the policy and provider. Confirm current pricing with licensed insurers โ the Lithuanian Insurers Association register lists them.
Can I just pay PSD myself instead?
Self-paid PSD is โฌ80.48 per month in 2026 โ around โฌ966 a year, far more than a private student policy. For a student, private insurance is both the required route and the substantially cheaper one.
Can I use insurance from my home country?
Sometimes, if it explicitly covers treatment in Lithuania for your full period of stay and the documentation is acceptable to the Migration Department. Confirm in writing before relying on it.
What happens if I get a job?
Your employer pays PSD contributions and you enter the state system. Your private policy may become redundant โ but confirm your coverage is active and your permit renewal requirements are met before cancelling anything.
What coverage amount do I need?
A minimum medical expenses figure applies, reported as โฌ10,000. Confirm the current requirement directly with the Migration Department before buying, since your permit depends on it.
Does it cover dental or mental health?
Depends entirely on the policy. Basic policies meeting the permit minimum often exclude both. If either matters to you, check the wording โ mental health cover is worth having given the academic load and the winters.
Related Guides
Disclosure and disclaimer. Some links on this page are affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no cost to you and do not affect our recommendations. This is general guidance, not insurance advice. Requirements and prices change โ always confirm cover requirements with the Migration Department and policy terms with the insurer before buying.