Lithuania bans Russian-language driving theory exams

Starting this year, Lithuania requires the theoretical part of the driving licence exam to be taken exclusively in Lithuanian or in one of the official languages of the EU, and exams in Russian are no longer accepted, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič emphasised that he supports the value-based approach of taking the exam in the state language and other official EU languages, Caliber.Az reports per TASS.

The rule was originally planned for 2025 but was postponed for a year to allow driving schools, Lithuania’s vehicle and driver licensing authority Regitra, residents, and foreign nationals to prepare.

The theoretical exam can now be taken in Lithuanian or any of the 24 official EU languages. For the practical exam, a translator for the chosen EU language is permitted. 

According to the Regitra, in 2024, 13,378 candidates took the exam in Russian, representing 9.7% of all examinees. Data for 2025 are not yet available.

By Jeyhun Aghazada