Emigrating to Lithuania
Making the Move: Our Journey to Lithuania
The job offer brought mixed emotions — from relief that we could finally pay our bills, to: “My goodness, where is Lithuania, and what is it like?” We started researching, but struggled to find much useful information. Compared to other countries that had been on our radar for an international move — where travel tips, expat advice, and lifestyle blogs were plentiful — Lithuania and the Baltics felt like a bit of a blind spot.
Of course, one of our top concerns was: “How will the kids take to this?” So, our early searches focused on schooling. A simple Google search turned up a number of international schools. For us, the children are always the main priority. If they couldn’t find their place in this adventure, it simply wouldn’t last long — so we spent a lot of time making sure we could meet their needs.
Comparing schools wasn’t easy. In the UK, we had been lucky enough to attend a small, nurturing village school where the kids had close friends and we had a solid network of people ready to help in an emergency. Looking at private international schools was a very different experience. We knew, however, that it was a must — we don’t speak Lithuanian, and we wanted the children to have some sense of familiarity and continuity through the British curriculum.
We looked at three schools in total, weighing up numerous factors, and ultimately narrowed it down to two of the most popular British curriculum schools in Vilnius. We gave the children the final say, and they chose The British School of Vilnius. The shiny exterior and impressive sports facilities — especially the soon-to-be-finished swimming pool — won them over. With both of them loving sport, the outdoor space and facilities were a big draw.
Next came the search for a rental property. We noticed a huge variety in prices, locations, and decoration. The norm here is for homes to be rented fully furnished — including pictures, garage tools, crockery, plants, and more — which was both surprising and a bit overwhelming. Later, we’d realise that while this could be seen as convenient, it also made it harder to create a space that truly felt like our own.
The big question, though, was: Can we really choose schools and housing without ever setting foot in Lithuania? For me, the answer was no. We love an adventure, but it has to be well-measured and considered — so we booked a last-minute long weekend in Vilnius. We had a clear plan: where we needed to go, what we needed to see, and what information we needed to gather to feel confident about the move.
We viewed a few properties, though it was challenging even with the help of a Lithuanian speaker. We see ourselves as an organised, proactive family, but the process still felt more difficult and less streamlined than we’d hoped. We didn’t manage to view many homes during our stay, and those that were offered came with a catch — a 40-minute commute to school. After being used to a 15-minute drive or 30-minute walk, that just wasn’t going to work for us. So, the housing search would have to continue from back home, though at least now we had a better feel for the area — more than we could ever get from behind a laptop in the UK.
First Impressions of Vilnius
Vilnius is a beautiful, green, clean, and peaceful city. As you approach the airport from the air, you see vast forests and lakes — if you’ve been to Sweden or Finland, you’ll have a good idea of the landscape. Vilnius isn’t large by UK standards, and without traffic, you can cross the city in around 35 minutes.
One important thing to note: Vilnius is very centralised, and Lithuanians tend to want to live as close to the city centre as possible. Our preference for being out among the forests, trees, and lakes was seen as a bit unusual. There are many outlying districts and villages, some with small shops or larger grocery stores, but for most services and amenities, you’ll need to travel into the city.
