The
representative or liaison office is one of the 3 available business forms for foreign companies interested in having a
presence in Lithuania. The other 2
types of legal forms foreign companies can use are the branch office and the subsidiary.
Steps to open a liaison office in Lithuania
The first step to
set up a liaison office in Lithuania is for the management board or executives to adopt a decision on the
establishment of the office. Following that, the resolution must be approved by the company’s shareholding and the registration process can begin.
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filing the resolution for opening the representative office in Lithuania;
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finding a business address which will be used as the liaison office’s official address in Lithuania;
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appointing a local representative who will keep in touch with the Lithuanian authorities;
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obtaining the approval of the Trade Register to start its operations.
It should be noted that a
Lithuanian representative office is subject to certain restrictions, which is why it is usually employed by
foreign companies for short periods of time.
The uses of a representative office in Lithuania
As mentioned above, a Lithuanian liaison office is subject to certain restrictions which are shown in the table below:
Activity |
Restrictions |
Commercial activities |
No |
Signing contracts on behalf of the parent company |
No |
Completing marketing activities |
Yes |
Representing the foreign company in relation to business partners |
Yes |
Acting as a contact point for clients |
Yes |
What are the costs of setting up a liaison office in Lithuania?
Although the
costs of running a representative office can be lower than when an investor opts to
open a company in Lithuania, there are specific costs that have to be taken into consideration.
Such costs refer to the registration fees that must be paid during the process of
company formation in Lithuania, as well as the running costs (office space, utilities,
employment, etc.).
Therefore, we invite foreigners to find out some of the main costs in the list below, which was prepared by our team of consultants in company registration in Lithuania:
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• during the incorporation process, investors will have to pay a registration fee of EUR 41,75 with the Centre of Registers;
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• the standard process for company formation in Lithuania for a representative office can be completed in approximately 3 days (however, other additional steps are required);
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• the liaison office will need an official registered address – this can be achieved through a virtual office, which can cost EUR 200 per year, or through a renting a regular office space, which can cost minimum EUR 200 per month;
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• the entity will also need to have 1 accountant to maintain the company’s documents and the cost for accounting services can be of EUR 100 per month;
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• the initial costs of setting up the liaison office can be of minimum EUR 1,000.
What documents are necessary for the registration of the liaison office?
Here, we mention the documentation that must be prepared for the registration of a Lithuanian business form, which is necessary regardless of its type.
As mentioned above, the company will need to appoint a representative, who will be in charged for the
activities of the liaison office. During the registration, the said person will need to provide information on his identity and
residence.
The incorporation documents of the parent company must be added to the file, along with documents which attest the physical place where the liaison office has set up its registered address.
For this, the lease documents can be used or other types of agreements. You can find out more concerning this subject from our team of consultants in company formation in Lithuania.
Why open a liaison office in Lithuania?
Even if it cannot undertake
commercial activities in Lithuania, the
liaison office is a good choice for companies interested in surveying the market before setting up a permanent establishment.
Also, the establishment of a liaison office is cheaper and does not imply any share capital deposit from the parent company.