How to sell property in Lithuania while living abroad

If you live abroad and want to sell a home in Lithuania, establish who will sign and how before accepting a buyer's deposit. The possible routes are attending a Lithuanian notary's office, a remote notarial act approved by the notary through eNotaras, or acting through a properly authorised representative. The suitable route depends on the owners, paperwork, representation and transaction.

This guide is for owners of Lithuanian apartments and houses. It helps you prepare questions for the notary and organise work at the property. Land, inheritance, mortgages and family property may require additional steps. Confirm the documents before promising a completion date.

1. Choose how to sign before accepting a deposit

Travel, electronic signing and representation each need their own preparation. eNotaras requires technical readiness and the notary's approval. Representation requires an appropriate power of attorney accepted for use in Lithuania. Attending in person requires coordination with the other parties and any banks providing finance.

Where there are several owners, agree each person's participation or representation separately. A relative holding the keys does not thereby have authority to commit the other owners or sign their sale documents.

2. What does eNotaras actually allow?

The Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries explains that remote acts require identity verification, confirmation of the person's wishes by video and a qualified electronic signature. The notary decides the method and may require attendance at the office. Being abroad does not guarantee online completion.

The official eNotaras user instructions say to register beforehand, have your original valid identity document and use a suitable signature method, such as qualified Smart-ID. Before the appointment, check:

• access to the official eNotaras portal and signing with the method agreed with the notary;
• your original document, camera, microphone and reliable internet connection;
• the meeting language, any interpreter and the time in both time zones;
• receipt of the final draft with enough time to read it.

A scanned signature or online banking login does not establish suitability for notarial signing. Ask the notary to check support for your particular foreign signature or certificate. The name of an app alone does not establish compatibility.

3. Agree the power of attorney with the Lithuanian notary

Ask the notary handling the sale to agree the draft before you pay for certification. The Lithuanian embassy's UK guidance recommends sending a prepared text in advance and clearly identifying the representative's powers. The acceptance requirements depend on where the authority is certified.

Discuss which actions the representative may take: obtain documents, negotiate, sign a preliminary agreement or final sale contract, and arrange handover. Address price limits, duration, delegation and who receives the proceeds separately. The wording should reflect your decisions and the notary's assessment; a general internet template may be unsuitable.

The embassy explains that it does not certify transfers of Lithuanian real property. Certifying a power of attorney is a separate consular service: check the chosen mission's conditions. Its UK FAQ requires the Lithuanian citizen to attend in person and describes Apostille and translation requirements for UK-certified authorities. Do not extend those UK rules automatically to another country. Ask the Lithuanian notary whether your document needs an Apostille, legalisation, translation and the original.

4. Assemble the ownership and transaction documents

Agree one document list with the notary and send copies by the secure method the office specifies. Establish which records the office will check directly and which you must provide. Your starting questions should cover:

• the acquisition document and current register entries;
• cadastral plans, alterations and the house and land documentation;
• spousal, co-owner, inheritance or representation documents;
• mortgages, lender conditions and the payment sequence;
• the form, translation and delivery deadline for foreign documents.

Use our documents needed to sell property in Lithuania guide as a starting checklist. For mortgaged property, also prepare the lender and mortgage-discharge arrangements. A power of attorney does not replace checks on ownership, lender requirements, eligibility to acquire land or applicable sanctions.

5. Check tax according to your tax residence

Living abroad and tax residence involve more than a postal address. Before calculating the proceeds you can keep, give Lithuania's State Tax Inspectorate, VMI, your acquisition date and cost, sale year, residence history and buyer details. VMI's 2026 property-sale guidance explains exemptions, while its taxable sale-income guidance explains the principles for acquisition costs and permitted expenses.

Establish with VMI who must report, pay or withhold tax in your case. In your country of residence, check local reporting and double-taxation rules. Receiving the price in a foreign account does not settle these questions. Keep the documents and expense evidence needed in both countries. Our Lithuanian property-sale tax guide provides further context.

6. Plan viewings, payment and handover separately

Remote signing does not provide physical access or deliver the keys. Arrange a person who can look after an empty home, admit specialists and document its condition. Record who decides on price, who only arranges viewings and who reports to you.

1. Before listing: record the contents included, collect bills and photograph the condition.
2. Before the preliminary agreement: agree the signing route, document lead times and an achievable handover date.
3. Before completion: confirm recipients, accounts and payment conditions with the notary and banks. Verify account changes through a previously known contact.
4. At handover: record meter readings, keys, included items, condition, the date and the parties' confirmation.
5. After handover: complete the agreed steps with utility providers and retain contracts, payment records and handover evidence.

Before choosing local help, identify the tasks you need: document coordination, preparation, viewings or handover. To discuss your home, contact Elevare Homes with the city, property type and the work you can handle yourself. Agree the scope of help and any legal authority separately.

Official sources checked on 21 October 2026. The notary confirms the documents and signing route for the transaction; discuss individual tax circumstances with VMI or a tax adviser.

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