How do I get a criminal record certificate and is it free?
Yes, the certificate is easy to get and usually free — and the myth "the police issue it and you always have to pay" is false. Data on a person's criminal record or lack of one is kept in the Register of Suspects, Accused and Convicted Persons (IKNR), run by the Information Technology and Communications Department (IRD) under the Ministry of the Interior, not by a police station. A resident can order a register extract about themselves through the Electronic Government Gateway (epaslaugos.lt), by post or by email, if identity can be established. Most importantly, and often overlooked: one extract per calendar year is free for a resident; you pay only for postal delivery (within Lithuania – €2.94) or for extra extracts. You cannot get another person's record – an employer or institution may see such data only in cases set by law or with the person's consent.
📋 The rules
- Criminal-record data is kept in the IKNR, run by the IRD under the Interior Ministry – not the police
- An extract about yourself can be ordered via epaslaugos.lt, by post or email once identity is confirmed
- One extract per calendar year is issued to a resident free of charge
- A fee applies for postal delivery (within Lithuania – €2.94, to the EU – €8.38, elsewhere – €7.04)
- Another person's data can be obtained only in cases set by law or with their consent
🔓 Exceptions
- Institutions and employers may obtain record data directly under the law for certain posts (for example, work with children)
- A certificate to be recognised abroad often needs extra legalisation or an Apostille and a translation – ordered separately
- A more urgent or repeat extract in the same year is no longer free – a set fee applies
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Here the "penalty" matters less to the applicant than to whoever uses or obtains record data unlawfully. A criminal-record certificate is often needed for a job, a weapons permit or a licence, so a forged or altered certificate is document forgery, carrying criminal liability. Often overlooked: an employer who demands disclosure of a record without a legal basis, or collects such data about an employee, may breach data-protection rules, which the State Data Protection Inspectorate investigates and can fine. The practical risk to the applicant is timing: an extract is not prepared instantly, so ordering it late can mean missing a job or competition deadline. It is wrongly assumed that a certificate "is valid indefinitely" – the institutions that ask for it usually require a recently issued one, so an old one has to be ordered again.
📎 Official sources
- IRD · ordering a register certificate or extract for residents →
- Electronic Government Gateway · epaslaugos.lt →
- lietuva.gov.lt · issuing IKNR certificates and extracts →
❓ Frequently asked
Who issues the criminal record certificate?
Data on a person's criminal record or lack of one is kept and extracts are issued by the Information Technology and Communications Department under the Ministry of the Interior, which runs the Register of Suspects, Accused and Convicted Persons. This is done not at a police station but electronically or by post.
Is the certificate free?
One extract per calendar year about yourself is free for a resident. You pay only for postal delivery – 2.94 euros within Lithuania, 8.38 euros to other EU countries and 7.04 euros elsewhere; additional extracts in the same year may also be charged.
How do I order an extract?
The easiest way is to log in to the Electronic Government Gateway at epaslaugos.lt, where you can track preparation and receive the document electronically. A request can also be submitted by post or by email if the applicant's identity can be reliably established.
Can I get another person's record data?
No, another person's record data cannot be freely obtained, as it is protected information. An employer or institution may see it only in cases clearly set by law or with the person's own consent; otherwise data protection would be breached.
Is the certificate valid abroad?
To use a certificate issued in Lithuania in another country you often need extra legalisation or an Apostille and an official translation. These steps are ordered separately, so when preparing documents for a foreign body it is worth checking in advance what form of certificate it requires.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “criminal record certificate where”
- “record certificate epaslaugos”
- “is criminal record certificate free”
- “ird register extract”
- “criminal record certificate for job”
- “how to order criminal record certificate”