Social worker

The document on the recognition of the professional qualifications of a social worker for the purposes of engaging in the  professional activity of social work or providing social worker services on a temporary or occasional basis in the Republic of Lithuania is issued to citizens of the EU Member States, states of the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation, and third countries, when said citizens want to engage in the business of social work in the Republic of Lithuania on the basis of proof of formal qualifications of social workers as indicated in the Law on the Recognition of Regulated Professional Qualifications of the Republic of Lithuania. The applicant or a person authorised by them fills out and submits to the Social Services Supervision Department under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (the ‘Department’) a signed application for the recognition of the professional qualifications of a social worker for the purposes of engaging in the  professional activity of social work in the Republic of Lithuania (the ‘Application’) and duly notarised or otherwise legalised copies of the documents.

The application and other documents may be presented to the Department in person or submitted by e-mail.

Upon receipt of an application and documents from a citizen of the EU Member State, a state of the European Economic Area, or the Swiss Confederation, the Department will acknowledge the receipt thereof in 5 days and will notify the person about any documents that may be missing. Upon receipt of a person’s application and all of the necessary documents, the Department will forward them to the Commission in 7 calendar days.

Upon receipt of an application and documents from a citizen of a third country, the Department will forward them to the Commission in 3 business days.

The Department will adopt its final well-reasoned decision on the recognition of the professional qualifications of a social worker as soon as possible, but no later than within 3 months of the date of receipt of all of the required documents, and will notify the applicant or a person authorized by them of its decision.

The decision will be sent to the applicant by mail or may be picked up by the applicant (or a person authorized by them) at the Department.

More information and documents shall be submitted

Services are free of charge.

Competent authority: Department of Supervision of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, A.Vivulskio st. 13, LT-03115 Vilnius.

Contact person: Inga Sapkaitė, Tel. +370 658 82189, Inga.Sapkaite@sppd.lt.

Legal acts governing the recognition of professional qualifications:

• Lietuvos Respublikos reglamentuojamų profesinių kvalifikacijų pripažinimo įstatymas 2008 m. balandžio 3 d. Nr. X-1478 https://e-seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAD/TAIS.318398
• Socialinio darbuotojo profesinės kvalifikacijos pripažinimo norint dirbti pagal socialinio darbuotojo profesiją ar laikinai arba kartais teikti socialinio darbuotojo paslaugas Lietuvos Respublikoje tvarką reglamentuoja Socialinių paslaugų priežiūros departamento prie Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerijos direktoriaus 2016 m. gegužės 5 d. įsakymas Nr. V-178 „Dėl socialinio darbuotojo profesinės kvalifikacijos pripažinimo norint dirbti pagal socialinio darbuotojo profesiją ar laikinai ir kartais teikti socialinio darbuotojo paslaugas Lietuvos Respublikoje tvarkos aprašo patvirtinimo“.
• Trečiųjų šalių piliečių profesinės kvalifikacijos pripažinimo, norint dirbti pagal socialinio darbuotojo profesiją Lietuvos Respublikoje reglamentuoja Socialinių paslaugų priežiūros departamento prie Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerijos direktoriaus 2012 m. gruodžio 12 d. įsakymas Nr. V1-77 „Dėl trečiųjų šalių piliečių profesinės kvalifikacijos pripažinimo, norint dirbti pagal socialinio darbuotojo profesiją Lietuvos Respublikoje, tvarkos aprašo patvirtinimo“.