How much does a notary cost when buying a home in Lithuania?

After signing a preliminary agreement, a practical question remains: how much will the notary cost, and who pays? In Lithuania, property sale agreements require notarial certification. Notaries calculate their remuneration under a government fee schedule. The final bill can include several separate items: sale certification, VAT, mortgage certification, a notary's deposit account and register costs.

Notary fees in Lithuania: the rate, minimum and maximum

The fees are set by Government Resolution No 498 of 28 June 2023. The schedule has applied since 1 October 2023; the consolidated version checked for this guide took effect on 1 May 2026. Lithuania's Ministry of Justice identifies this resolution as the source of notarial fees.

For certification of a transfer of immovable property, including the sale of an apartment, house or plot, the standard fee is 0.37% of the stated price, at least €76 and at most €5,000. The minimum matters below approximately €20,500; the maximum is reached at around €1.35 million.

The schedule excludes VAT. If the notary is VAT-registered, add the standard 21% VAT. Away from the minimum and maximum, that is approximately 0.45% of the price including VAT.

If the contract gives separate prices for a house, plot or separately registered parking space, the fee is calculated for each property and added together. A low-value property can therefore attract its own €76 minimum. Where separate prices are not stated, paragraph 6 provides for calculation on the overall transaction price. The maximum remuneration for the notarial act is €12,000 before VAT. Information citing the former Justice Minister's Order No 1R-96 may refer to the rules before October 2023.

Notary fee calculator: select the acts you need

The calculator applies the 0.37% sale fee (€76–€5,000), optional 0.25% mortgage certification with its applicable limits, and optional 0.06% deposit-account fee (€30–€5,000). Your VAT selection applies only to those fees. It does not assess eligibility for relief or calculate every transaction cost. For several separately registered properties, obtain an itemised quotation from the notary.

Is the basis the contract price or the register value?

The sale-certification fee is calculated on the price stated by the parties. It is sometimes assumed that the higher of the price and the register's average market value always applies. Paragraph 8 of Resolution No 498 applies that rule to other transactions, such as exchanges, certain property divisions and gifts to close relatives; it does not apply it to an ordinary sale agreement.

The average market value does matter for a mortgage. The basis is the agreed value of the mortgaged property if it is at least the average market value supplied by the Real Property Register; otherwise the register value is used. Registrų centras is Lithuania's Centre of Registers. This value is distinct from both the loan amount and an individual bank valuation.

An additional fee may apply when the property is family property or belongs to a minor. For percentage-based acts, paragraph 7 provides for an additional 0.03% of the relevant value, at least €20 and at most €250. Ask the notary early about the required checks and documents where children or family property are involved.

What does mortgage certification cost?

When the buyer borrows, the property may be mortgaged to the lender as security for repayment. The notary certifies the mortgage, sometimes on the same day as the sale, depending on the lender's requirements. The standard rate is 0.25% of the relevant mortgaged-property value:

• Up to €220,000: at least €54 and at most €190 before VAT.
• From €220,001: at most €360 before VAT.

At €76,000, 0.25% already reaches €190, so the €190 cap applies to many apartments within the lower band. Under the version effective from 1 May 2026, a qualifying young family is exempt from this mortgage-certification remuneration when mortgaging its first home, worth up to €120,000, to a credit institution; the previous threshold was €87,000. “Young family” has a statutory definition: ask the notary and bank to confirm eligibility. For qualifying refinancing of family property or a person's only home, the fee is reduced by 50%, subject to a €54 minimum. The calculator does not apply either relief.

Bank costs, valuation fees, loan arrangement or administration charges and insurance are separate. The lender and valuer supply those prices. If the bank valuation is lower than the agreed price, see what a mortgage valuation shortfall means.

Other costs to allow for at completion

The notarial fees below exclude VAT and follow the consolidated fee schedule effective from 1 May 2026.

Register charges depend on the number of properties and the registration acts requested. Ask the notary for the applicable amount; the calculator excludes them.

Worked example: an apartment costing €150,000

This is an illustrative example, not a client's transaction. Assume one apartment sells for €150,000, the buyer borrows part of the price, the mortgage fee basis is €150,000, the full price passes through the notary's deposit account and the notary is VAT-registered. No relief or supplementary fee applies.

• Sale certification: €150,000 × 0.37% = €555 before VAT, or €671.55 including VAT.
• Mortgage certification: 0.25% would be €375, but the €190 cap applies: €229.90 including VAT.
• Deposit account: €150,000 × 0.06% = €90 before VAT, or €108.90 including VAT.

The selected fees total €1,010.35 including VAT. Register checks, registration, application services and bank costs remain additional. If the parties split the sale-certification fee equally, each share is approximately €335.78 including VAT, with a one-cent adjustment needed to divide the bill exactly. A second illustration: for one property priced and mortgaged at €300,000, sale certification is €1,110 and mortgage certification €360 before VAT. For a house and a separately registered plot, the separate prices and values and paragraph 6 must be considered.

Plan these costs alongside your mortgage deposit and cash reserve. See the guide to a 10% deposit for a first home in Lithuania for the wider purchase budget.

Who pays: the agreement and the default rule

Paragraph 4 of Resolution No 498 says the contract parties identified by their agreement pay the notarial remuneration. If no arrangement is made, Article 6.310 of Lithuania's Civil Code generally places the costs of concluding a sale contract on the buyer.

The parties may agree to share the sale-certification fee equally, while the buyer pays the mortgage, loan and ownership-registration costs. That is a possible arrangement; the agreement can allocate the costs differently. Record who pays for the sale agreement, deposit account, powers of attorney and additional acts before completion. Our preliminary agreement checklist and planning example show where to record this.

Seller's costs and Lithuanian income tax

A seller pays the agreed share of certification and usually their own document costs, such as a power of attorney or a notarised spouse's consent where required. If the property is mortgaged, part of the price is typically paid to the creditor, with the mortgage discharged through the agreed lender/notary process. See selling a property with a mortgage and the wider cost of selling without an estate agent.

If the sale is taxable, VMI, Lithuania's State Tax Inspectorate, explains that legally required acquisition and disposal payments can be deducted when calculating taxable income. These can include mandatory notarial and registration fees. Keep invoices and proof of payment with the contract. Whether tax applies at all depends on the relevant ownership and residence exemptions; see property sale taxes in Lithuania.

How to obtain an accurate quotation

1. Choose a notary. Use the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries' directory.
2. Give complete transaction details. Supply the price, every property included, mortgage and deposit-account arrangements, and any powers of attorney. Check the sale documents checklist.
3. Request a written breakdown. It should distinguish notarial remuneration, VAT and register costs.
4. Check relief. Chapter XIII provides reductions and exemptions for specified categories, including some disabled people and qualifying young families.
5. Agree the allocation. Record who pays each item before completion.

The legal schedule sets the standard rates. The acts required and circumstances, such as a visit outside the office, can change the bill.

Frequently asked questions