Must shops in Lithuania close on Sundays?
No — Lithuania has no law forcing shops to close on Sundays or public holidays; retailers set their own opening hours. The popular myth that "Sunday trading is banned" confuses Lithuania with Germany, Poland or Austria — here there is no general Sunday trading ban and never has been. The only significant time restriction applies not to the shop but to alcohol: retail sale of alcoholic drinks is allowed Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00, and on Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00. This is where a second error hides: the old hours of 8:00–22:00 often stuck in memory, but they no longer apply — since 2018 the alcohol trading window was shortened. The key point people miss: municipalities may further restrict alcohol trading hours in their territory, and on 1 September and some occasions alcohol is not sold in retail at all.
📋 The rules
- There is no general Sunday trading ban in Lithuania — shops open freely
- Shops set their own hours; there is no statutory closing time
- Alcohol is sold Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sunday 10:00–15:00
- The old 8:00–22:00 alcohol hours no longer apply — changed in 2018
- Municipalities may further restrict alcohol trading hours in their territory
🔓 Exceptions
- On 1 September retail sale of alcohol is further restricted
- In catering venues alcohol may be consumed on the premises at other hours
- Separate goods (medicines, tobacco) have their own sales rules
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Because there is no general shop-hours law, there is also no fine for opening on a Sunday. Liability arises elsewhere — from breaching the alcohol trading hours. Selling alcohol earlier or later than the set hours exposes the company to a fine under the Law on Alcohol Control, and for gross or repeated breaches the licence can be suspended or revoked — far more painful to a trader than the fine itself. What people miss: liability falls not only on the company but can also reach the individual seller who sold alcohol out of hours or to a minor. If a municipality tightens the hours in its territory, the stricter local rule applies, so the same hours may differ between municipalities. Retailers must also respect employees' rights — the rules on pay for work on Sundays and at night under the Labour Code.
📎 Official sources
- e-seimas · Law on Alcohol Control, Art. 18 →
- NTAKD · alcohol trading hours and sales method →
- e-seimas · Code of Administrative Offences (alcohol trade breaches) →
❓ Frequently asked
Must shops close on Sundays?
No, Lithuania has no law banning trade on Sundays or public holidays, so shops set their own opening hours. A Sunday trading ban applies in some other countries, such as Poland or Germany, but not in Lithuania.
What are the alcohol sales hours in shops?
Retail sale of alcoholic drinks in shops is allowed Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00, and on Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00. These hours have applied since 2018, and municipalities may shorten them further in their territory.
Is it true that alcohol is sold until 22:00?
No, the 8:00–22:00 window is an outdated rule that applied until 2018, when the alcohol trading time was shortened. Shops now sell alcohol only until 20:00 on weekdays and Saturdays, and until 15:00 on Sundays.
Can I buy alcohol at night at a petrol station?
No, the alcohol trading hours apply to every retail outlet, including petrol stations and shops, so you cannot buy alcohol at night. In catering venues it may be consumed on the premises at other hours, but selling it to take away out of hours is prohibited.
What does a shop face for selling alcohol out of hours?
For selling alcohol outside the set hours, the company is fined under the Law on Alcohol Control, and for gross breaches the licence can be suspended or revoked. The individual seller can also be held liable, which is why outlets stick strictly to the set hours.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “do shops open on sundays in lithuania”
- “alcohol sales hours lithuania”
- “until what time is alcohol sold”
- “alcohol trading hours sunday”
- “can you buy alcohol at night lithuania”
- “shop opening hours holidays lithuania”