How long does company registration take?

The formal registration of a company at the Register of Legal Entities takes about 3 working days, but in practice the whole journey — from your decision to incorporate to the entry in the Register of Legal Entities — usually takes 5–10 working days. What decides the difference is not the institution but your preparation: choosing the name, the incorporation documents, the share capital contribution (if you set up a UAB) and how the documents are signed. When everything is prepared properly and signed with a qualified electronic signature, the process is faster; when you have to refine the name, fix errors or visit a notary, it is longer.

This article explains how long each stage of the company registration timeline really takes, what slows it down and how to shorten it. All timeframes, fees and amounts here are indicative (2026) — always verify the exact procedure, prices and forms with the Register of Legal Entities. For the broader incorporation picture, see the guide on how to start a business in Lithuania in 2026.

The Register does its part quickly — it is your preparation that takes longest. Tidy documents and an e-signature save more days than any "express" service.

How long does the registration itself take at the Register?

When the incorporation documents are filed electronically and are in order, the Register of Legal Entities registers the company in about 3 working days. That is the official review period, and it matches the price list: electronic registration costs around EUR 30. If you reserve the name in advance, budget a separate EUR 16 for the reservation, which is valid for up to 6 months.

It is important to understand what those "3 working days" cover: it is only the time the registrar needs to check documents that are already submitted, signed and paid for. Everything that happens before submission is not included in that period — which is why the total is almost always longer.

Why does it realistically take 5–10 working days?

Before those 3 registrar days, you have to complete several steps: choose and check the name, prepare the incorporation agreement or act and the articles of association, (for a UAB) open an accumulation account at a bank and contribute the capital, and sign the documents. Each of these adds a day or two, so a realistic total is 5–10 working days, and more in trickier cases.

In other words, "3 days" is not the whole journey — only its final leg. When planning your launch, assume the realistic 5–10 working days and leave a buffer — especially if you are tying registration to a specific date, such as the start of a contract with your first client or the start of a lease.

What to prepare before registration so you do not have to wait

Most of the "lost" days pile up before the documents are even submitted, so it pays to line everything up in advance. Before you start registration, get ready:

• Several name options — if the first one matches an existing name or is rejected, you will have a backup ready and will not waste time on a new check.
• A registered (office) address and, if the premises are not yours, the owner's consent to use the address — this is an often-forgotten document without which registration stalls.
• Your fields of activity and their codes, which you will list in the incorporation documents.
• Qualified e-signatures for all founders — if even one of them lacks one, you will most likely have to visit a notary.
• The incorporation documents (the incorporation act or agreement and the articles of association) — the more standard they are, the fewer errors.

Once all of this is ready, the registration itself becomes a formality rather than a weeks-long saga.

The legal form also affects the speed

How long you take also depends on the form you choose:

• A MB (small partnership) is often the fastest legal entity to register — it requires no share capital, so the bank account and contribution stage disappears. A MB is founded by up to 10 natural persons.
• A UAB has an extra step: EUR 1,000 of share capital, of which at least 25% (EUR 250) must be contributed before registration, with the remainder within 12 months. Opening the accumulation account and making the contribution adds time. UAB shareholders can be both natural and legal persons (up to 249).
• Individual activity and a business certificate are not company incorporation at all — you register them not at the Register but at the VMI (State Tax Inspectorate), electronically, and they take effect considerably faster. If you are still choosing a form, compare them in individual activity, business certificate or MB.

E-signature or notary: when a notary is required

The fastest route is to sign the incorporation documents with a qualified electronic signature and file everything through the Register's self-service without leaving home. This route works when you are setting up a standard MB or UAB of one or more natural persons with typical articles and all founders have a valid e-signature.

In some cases, however — for example, a more complex ownership structure, non-standard articles, a legal person among the founders, or when not all founders have an e-signature — you have to involve a notary. A notary's service costs around EUR 85–338 depending on the capital, and the timing depends on available slots — often the single biggest slowing factor, as the queue can add several days or even a week. So if you are in a hurry, it is worth checking in advance whether a notary is needed in your case at all. We describe the step-by-step UAB setup in how to set up a UAB in 2026.

What most often slows registration down

In practice, a few recurring things eat up the most time:

• Refining the name. If your chosen name matches an existing one or does not meet the requirements, it has to be changed and re-checked. Reserving it in advance (around EUR 16) reduces this risk.
• The notary. The appointment date and queue can add several days or even a week.
• Document errors. Inaccurate articles, missing signatures or mismatched data are the most common reason documents are returned for correction — and the clock starts again.
• The capital contribution (UAB). Opening the accumulation account at a bank and paying in the EUR 250 takes time, especially if the bank asks for extra documents.

How to speed up registration: a practical plan

To keep the company registration timeline closer to the lower bound than the upper one:

• Use a qualified e-signature for all founders — this avoids the notary and lets you sign remotely.
• Reserve the name in advance and check its compliance so you do not have to fix it later.
• Prepare tidy, standard documents — the fewer non-standard clauses in the articles, the lower the chance of errors.
• For a UAB, arrange the accumulation account early and have at least EUR 250 ready to contribute.
• File everything electronically through the Register's self-service rather than on paper.

These steps cost almost nothing, yet they are exactly what determines whether registration fits into a few days or stretches into weeks. You rarely need to look for an "express" service — it is far more effective to simply leave no gaps in your documents and to have a backup name ready.

Example: a fast and a slow scenario

Indicative (2026) scenarios when you set up a MB or UAB:

• Fast route. You have an e-signature, a name reserved in advance and tidy standard documents; for a MB no capital is needed. You can realistically fit into about 3–5 working days.
• Slow route. The name has to be refined, not all founders have an e-signature so a notary is required, and errors are found in the documents. The process then easily stretches well beyond 10 working days — sometimes to a couple of weeks or more.

The difference between these two scenarios is almost always down to preparation, not the Register's processing speed.

What happens after registration (and how much more time it needs)

The entry in the Register of Legal Entities is not the finish line. Right after it come the practical steps: registering with the VMI and "Sodra", opening a settlement account, arranging bookkeeping and, if needed, registering as a VAT (value added tax) payer. Some of these happen almost automatically (data flows between registers), but opening a bank account and choosing an accountant can take a few more days, especially if the bank runs additional customer checks. So it is worth counting into your overall launch schedule not only registration itself but also these follow-up tasks. What to do in the first week after incorporation, step by step, is laid out in the first-week checklist.

Check the timeframes and numbers

Before planning your launch, work out not only the timeline but also the costs and taxes that will follow immediately after registration. Start with the free set of calculators, and verify the current timeframes and prices with the Register of Legal Entities, VMI and "Sodra", as they are updated each year.

Disclaimer: all timeframes, fees and amounts in this article are indicative (2026) and for general understanding only — this is not legal or tax advice. Always check the current figures at the official Register of Legal Entities, VMI and "Sodra" sources, or consult an accountant or lawyer.

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