Health
Emergency Medical Care
The emergency number
In any life-threatening emergency, call 112.
112 is the single EU-wide emergency number. It works from any phone — mobile or landline — and is free of charge. Operators can connect you to ambulance (greitoji pagalba), fire, or police services. In many cases, basic assistance in English is available.
Your right to emergency care
Emergency medical care in Lithuania is provided to everyone regardless of their health insurance status, residence permit status, or nationality. You will not be turned away from emergency treatment because you lack insurance documents.
This includes:
- Life-threatening situations
- Serious injuries
- Sudden severe illness
If you arrive at a hospital emergency department (priimamasis or skubios pagalbos skyrius) in an urgent condition, staff are legally required to treat you.
Emergency vs. routine care
It is important to understand the difference between emergency and routine healthcare:
| Situation | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Life-threatening or serious (chest pain, difficulty breathing, major injury, stroke) | Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department |
| Urgent but not life-threatening (high fever, suspected fracture, urgent illness outside clinic hours) | Emergency department or an after-hours urgent care clinic |
| Routine or non-urgent (general check-ups, prescriptions, chronic conditions, mild illness) | Your registered family doctor (šeimos gydytojas) |
Using emergency services for non-urgent matters places pressure on the system and may result in long waiting times. Where possible, contact your family doctor for routine needs.
What to bring if you can
If you are going to an emergency department and you are able to, it is helpful to bring:
- Your identity document (passport or ID card)
- Any existing medical documents or prescription lists
- Your health insurance information if you have it
You should never delay seeking emergency treatment to look for documents. Your safety comes first.
After an emergency
Following emergency treatment, you may receive a bill for part of the costs if you are not covered by Lithuanian health insurance. The amount and process depend on your situation. Ask the hospital's administration office, or contact SODRA or a migrant support organisation for guidance on costs and coverage after the fact.
Where to get help
For non-emergency health questions, contact SODRA, the National Health Insurance Fund (VLK), or a local migrant support organisation such as IOM Lithuania or Caritas Lietuva.