Register of Legal Entities self-service: filling in the founding documents

The Centre of Registers self-service portal lets you set up a Lithuanian company — an MB (small partnership) or a UAB (private limited company) — fully online, usually without a visit to the notary, provided you use the standard (template) founding documents and every founder has a valid e-signature. The flow is simple: you log in, enter the company details, the system generates the standard articles of association and founding act, all founders sign electronically, you pay the registration fee of around EUR 30, and you submit the application for review. The single most important thing is entering the data correctly the first time, because it is precisely mistakes in the name, the registered address or the capital shares that delay registration.

This article walks through the whole Centre of Registers self-service flow step by step — from login to submission — and covers the most common mistakes. All amounts and deadlines here are indicative (2026), so always confirm the exact registration price, the list of documents and the current procedures with the Centre of Registers, and any tax questions with VMI (the State Tax Inspectorate) and „Sodra". For the wider picture of how this fits into launching a business, see the guide on how to start a business in Lithuania in 2026.

The portal will not catch your mistakes — it only collects the data you type in. Spend ten minutes double-checking the company name and registered address, and the whole registration gets cheaper and faster.

What the Centre of Registers self-service is, and when to use it

The self-service portal is an electronic environment on the Centre of Registers website where a legal entity can be founded remotely. It works when:

• You use the standard (template) founding documents — the Centre of Registers offers ready-made templates for MB articles or UAB articles and the founding act, which do not need notarisation.
• Every founder has a valid e-signature — an ID card with a chip, „Smart-ID", a mobile signature or another qualified means.
• The founding terms fit the standard — no unusual share classes, special governance rules or other bespoke provisions.

If your case is non-standard, a notary will certify the documents (around EUR 85–338 depending on the capital), but for much of small business the standard templates are entirely enough. If you have not yet decided whether sole activity, a business certificate, an MB or a UAB suits you best, read the comparison of the forms with real numbers before you start.

Step 1: logging in and verifying identity

You log in to the Centre of Registers self-service via e-banking, an e-signature, „Smart-ID" or a mobile signature — most conveniently with the same tool you will later use to sign. Once in, you choose the "found a legal entity" service and the legal form (usually MB or UAB).

The identity tool must be valid for each founder: if you are not founding alone, every partner or shareholder will have to log in and sign separately — registration will not move forward until all have signed.

Step 2: the company details

At this stage you enter the core information, so it pays to prepare it in advance:

• Name. It is convenient to reserve it beforehand (JAR-5 application): the reservation costs around EUR 16 and is valid for up to 6 months. The name must be unique and non-misleading.
• Legal form and founders. An MB may be founded only by natural persons, up to 10 of them. A UAB may have both natural and legal persons as shareholders, up to 249.
• Registered address. You will need the premises owner's consent; the address must be accurate and real.
• Share capital (UAB). UAB share capital is EUR 1,000, of which at least 25% (EUR 250) must be in place before registration, with the remainder paid within 12 months. An MB needs no share capital.
• Manager, contacts and activity (NACE) codes.

We describe the detailed UAB sequence separately — how to set up a UAB in 2026 step by step.

Step 3: the standard founding documents

Once the data is entered, the portal automatically generates the standard founding documents — MB articles or UAB articles and a founding act (single founder) or a founding agreement (several founders). The templates are filled with the data you entered, so review the name, registered address, capital and the partner or shareholder shares once more.

If you want non-standard provisions — special voting rules, different share classes and so on — the standard templates will not fit: you will then draft the documents individually and have them certified by a notary.

Step 4: signing with an e-signature

Once the documents are generated, all founders sign them electronically right inside the portal. This is the main benefit of remote founding — no trip to the notary or to the Centre of Registers. With several founders, each logs in with their own tool and signs their part; registration only proceeds once everyone has signed.

How the whole remote founding process with an e-signature works — from the tools to the fine print — we describe in detail in how to set up a company remotely with an e-signature.

Step 5: the fee (~EUR 30) and submission

The final step is to pay the registration fee and submit the documents for review. Electronic registration at the Centre of Registers costs around EUR 30 (when standard documents and an e-signature are used). After paying, you submit the application, and the Centre of Registers reviews the documents in about 3 working days (in practice often 5–10). Once the company is registered you receive the Register of Legal Entities extract and a code; you then register with VMI, for VAT (value added tax) if needed, and with „Sodra".

Do not forget the later obligations either — for example, the annual financial statements to the Centre of Registers for the calendar year, which must be filed by 30 June.

The most common mistakes when filling in the documents

Most rejections come down to a few recurring details:

• A non-unique or prohibited name — not reserved, or clashing with an existing one; it pays to file the JAR-5 in advance.
• An inaccurate registered address or a missing consent from the premises owner.
• Incorrectly stated capital shares or shareholder percentages (UAB) — not matching the actual contribution or each other.
• An unsuitable e-signature — an expired tool, or not all founders signing.
• Inaccurate activity (NACE) codes, or too narrow a list of them.
• Choosing standard documents when bespoke ones are really needed (or the other way round).

Each such mistake usually means a rejected application and a fresh submission, so it is worth reviewing the data carefully before you sign.

Example: setting up an MB via self-service, step by step

An indicative path and cost (2026), when a single natural person founds an MB with standard documents:

1. Reserve the name (JAR-5) — around EUR 16.
2. Log in to the self-service and enter the MB details (no share capital required).
3. The system generates the standard articles and founding act.
4. Sign with an e-signature.
5. Pay the around EUR 30 registration fee and submit the application.
6. The Centre of Registers registers the entity in about 3 working days (in practice 5–10).

In total — around EUR 46 (EUR 16 + EUR 30), with no notary and no share capital. If you did the same as a UAB, you would add EUR 1,000 of share capital (at least EUR 250 before registration, the rest within 12 months), plus around EUR 85–338 for a notary if the documents are non-standard.

Check the numbers with calculators and official sources

Before founding, work out not just the registration cost but also your future taxes and the "take-home" amount. Start with the free set of calculators, and confirm the current procedures and amounts with the Centre of Registers, VMI and „Sodra", since they are updated every year.

Disclaimer: all fees, amounts and deadlines in this article are indicative (2026) and intended for general understanding only — this is not tax or legal advice. Always verify the current procedures and prices in the official Centre of Registers, VMI and „Sodra" sources, or consult an accountant.

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