Lithuanian for work
in customer service

Short answer. Since 1 January 2026, people in Lithuania who deal directly with customers must serve them in Lithuanian at basic level (A1) or higher; after two years, work in services or trade will require A2. For work you take the Bazinė–I category exam: register at eksternams.nsa.smm.lt, fee €52.

If you work with customers in Lithuania, delivering orders, driving passengers, working a till or a café counter, you now need Lithuanian for more than permanent residence. Since 2026 a language level requirement applies to this kind of work. Here is what exactly is required, which exam to take and which phrases to start with.

What is required from 2026

NŠA, the National Education Agency that runs the language exams, says this in its questions and answers for foreigners (updated 27 February 2026): from 1 January 2026, people who communicate directly with customers must provide service in Lithuanian at no less than the basic level of proficiency, which is A1. After a two-year period, to keep working in services or trade, you will need Lithuanian at A2.

A1 is the very first level: say hello, understand and answer a simple question, give a price, a time, an address. A2 is the next one: a short conversation on an everyday topic, a request, an explanation of a simple problem.

Which exam you take for work

For work you take the exam for a category of state language proficiency: Bazinės–I kategorijų valstybinės kalbos mokėjimo egzaminas. Under Government Resolution No. 1688, Category I corresponds to A2, and NŠA treats the basic level as equal to A1. The exam tests both levels at once, and your result depends on your score.

• Registration: on eksternams.nsa.smm.lt.
• Fee: €52 in 2026.
• Dates: the current NŠA schedule for 2026 lists 17 dates for this exam.
• Format: reading and writing and listening on a computer, then an oral part with two examiners.

This is a different exam from the one for permanent residence. For permanent residence and citizenship you register through MIGRIS; that exam costs €57 and counts at A2. More in the guide Lithuanian A2 exam for permanent residence.

How many points you need for A1

Under the NŠA scoring rules of 27 February 2026, the oral part has three situations. Each one is scored from 0 to 3 points, and the examiner who leads the conversation adds 0 or 1. The total is up to 10. For A1 you need at least 5 points, with at least 2 points in at least two of the situations. For A2 you need at least 6 points. In reading and writing, for A1 you need at least 13 of the 22 points for the A1 tasks.

Phrases for working with customers

At A1, what matters to your employer and your customer is one thing: that you can handle a typical situation in Lithuanian. Start with the phrases of your own job and practise them until they come automatically.

For anyone who works with customers

• Laba diena! (Good afternoon!)
• Prašom. (Here you are, when you hand something over.)
• Ačiū, gražios dienos! (Thank you, have a nice day!)
• Atsiprašau, nesupratau. Gal galite pakartoti? (Sorry, I didn't understand. Could you repeat that?)
• Palaukite minutę. (Wait a minute, please.)
• Kiek tai kainuoja? (How much does it cost?)

For couriers

• Jūsų užsakymas. (Your order.)
• Aš jau prie durų. (I'm at the door.)
• Koks jūsų buto numeris? (What is your flat number?)
• Atsiprašau, kur yra įėjimas? (Excuse me, where is the entrance?)
• Ar galite nusileisti žemyn? (Could you come downstairs?)
• Aš vėluoju dešimt minučių. (I'm ten minutes late.)

In a shop or café

• Ką norėtumėte užsisakyti? (What would you like to order?)
• Kortele ar grynaisiais? (Card or cash?)
• Ar reikia maišelio? (Do you need a bag?)
• Viskas gerai. (Everything's fine.)

For taxi drivers

• Kur važiuojame? (Where are we going?)
• Prisisekite diržą, prašom. (Please fasten your seat belt.)
• Atvažiavome. (We're here.)

How to reach A1 in a few months

Your job first, everything else later. Twenty phrases from your own work will help you more on a shift than a textbook that starts with the alphabet. Write down the situations that happen every day: the customer doesn't open the door, asks for a different sauce, doesn't understand the address. For each one, two or three phrases.

Speak out loud, don't just read. At the exam and at work you need to answer at once, without stopping to translate in your head. Say the phrases in the car, on the bike, on the way to a customer. Ten minutes every day beats an hour at the weekend.

Add numbers, times and addresses. Prices, flat numbers, delivery times and street names come up in any job with customers. Know the numbers from 1 to 100 without hesitating.

Test yourself in conversation. Knowing a phrase is one thing; saying it when someone answers off script is another. For that you need a partner: a colleague, a club, a course or AI.

Free Lithuanian courses for foreigners exist, but places are scarce. Where to find them is in the guide learn Lithuanian for free. More guides are in Lithuanian guides.

How Talkfirst helps

Talkfirst has a track for couriers and drivers: scenes from a working day where you talk out loud with an AI customer, plus a deck of delivery words. After each conversation you see where you paused and made mistakes, explained in English, Russian or Ukrainian. The scene "At the customer's door" is free; calling a customer, a passenger in a taxi and an order delayed at the restaurant are on Pro. If you need permanent residence later, there is also a mock oral A2 exam.

Questions and answers

Sources: NŠA questions and answers for foreigners (updated 27 February 2026), NŠA scoring rules for the Bazinė–I exam of 27 February 2026, Government Resolution No. 1688 (point 6.2), NŠA schedule for 2026. Checked on 3 October 2026.