How to Get a Category CE Driving Licence in Lithuania

In Lithuania, one organisation sits at both ends of the process: Regitra, the state-owned company that registers vehicles, also runs the driving examinations and prints the licence. The part that needs planning is everything Regitra expects to find in its system before it will book a heavy-vehicle test. Your health certificate has to be on record electronically. Regitra lists a first aid certificate for anyone sitting tests, an easy item to overlook. Your residence must appear in the Population Register, or you must prove ties to the country another way. And anyone on the 18-year route needs the professional qualification certificate before the driving school’s own final test, not afterwards. The category itself is familiar European CE; the paperwork around it is where Lithuanian applications slow down.

The licence is the vairuotojo pažymėjimas, and CE (CE kategorija) appears as a separate category above C. Driving that combination for a living requires a second qualification, code 95, and most drivers arriving with a CE licence from outside the EU and EEA will sit Regitra’s tests again.

The LTSA writes the training rules; Regitra examines and issues.

Two public bodies share the work. The Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (Lietuvos transporto saugos administracija, LTSA) approves the Driver Training Procedure (Vairuotojų mokymo tvarkos aprašas. This act sets the minimum course content and hours for each category. Driving schools and vocational training centres deliver the courses under that procedure and run their own final tests. Regitra then conducts the state examinations and issues the licence.

So questions about course hours or a training certificate go to the school; questions about booking, exam format, fees and the finished card go to Regitra.

CE covers the combinations under Lithuanian rules.

Lithuanian categories follow the harmonised European scheme. CE covers a combination made up of a category C vehicle and a trailer or semi-trailer whose maximum authorised mass exceeds 750 kg. The same wording appears in Lithuanian training and exam preparation material, including the theory practice platform VairavimoTestai.lt, which is a private site rather than an official body.

That definition includes the classic articulated lorry, a tractor unit with a semi-trailer, and a rigid lorry pulling a heavy drawbar or centre-axle trailer. Tankers, refrigerated trailers, curtainsiders, timber trucks with trailers, car transporters and low-loaders all fall under it, provided the towing vehicle is a category C lorry. It does not cover passenger transport: buses and coaches need category D.

The categories below CE fill in the picture. C1 covers medium lorries between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg maximum authorised mass with a light trailer, and C1E adds a heavier trailer within that category’s combined limit. C covers large goods vehicles over 3,500 kg with a trailer of no more than 750 kg. CE is C with the trailer limit removed. Lithuanian sources also describe the usual EU knock-on entitlements: a CE holder may drive BE combinations, and one who also holds category D may drive DE combinations.

No ceiling on the category is not a licence to overload

The CE category sets no upper maximum authorised mass for the combination. That is a statement about who may drive, nothing more. Separate road traffic and vehicle rules, each vehicle’s registration data, and, for abnormal loads, special permits and route conditions determine how much a particular tractor and trailer may weigh, what each axle may carry, and how long and high the combination may be.

Getting on the register: residence and ties with Lithuania

Regitra’s driving licences page sets four conditions for any Lithuanian licence. The applicant must have a declared place of residence in Lithuania for at least 185 days each calendar year, or be able to justify personal or occupational ties to the country. Their health must be suitable for the category. They must be at least the age set by Lithuanian law. They must also know the road traffic rules and have passed the qualification examinations for the knowledge, skills, and behaviour the category demands.

The residence condition is checked against the Population Register, so a declared address is what counts. Someone without enough declared residence can fall back on ties instead. Regitra accepts documents such as an employment contract, proof of study for at least six months, a business assignment, or proof that a spouse or children live in Lithuania. The six-month study rule matches the EU approach to students described on the European Commission’s Your Europe page on getting a driving licence.

Residence for licensing decides which country issues your licence and nothing else. A Lithuanian CE licence does not come with a residence permit, a visa or the right to take a job, and holding one does not change anyone’s immigration position. Nationals of countries outside the EU and EEA have to settle their right to live and work in Lithuania with the migration authorities, ideally before paying for a heavy-vehicle course.

CE follows C, which follows B.

The Driver Training Procedure allows a learner to train for CE once they hold the right to drive category C. C in turn requires B. The published text is on the Seimas legal register as the Driver Training Procedure (Vairuotojų mokymo tvarkos aprašas). So the order is fixed: B, then C, then CE, each with its own training and its own registration and examinations.

Age: 21 as standard, 18 only with the qualification certificate in hand

Your Europe gives 21 as the standard minimum age for categories C and CE, and Lithuanian sources say the same. They also describe the familiar exception: CE is available from 18 to drivers who hold the initial professional qualification for carrying goods. Turning 18 does not, by itself, open the category.

The Driver Training Procedure shows how the exception works in practice, and the timing is the part people get wrong. Where a category’s minimum age drops to 18 because of professional qualification, the learner must hand the driving school a certificate confirming that initial qualification before sitting the school’s final practical driving test. A young driver who plans to finish CE first and do the qualification afterwards will find the school cannot sign them off.

The Training Procedure also allows practical training to start up to one year before the learner reaches the minimum age for the category, as long as they reach it by the end of the course. This affects when lessons can begin. It does not allow Regitra to issue the licence before the relevant birthday.

The Law on Road Traffic Safety, which sets these ages, could not be opened during research, so the rules above are based on the Training Procedure, Your Europe, and Lithuanian preparation material. A driver under 21 should ask the school and Regitra exactly which qualification document they need, and when, before paying for a course.

Health and first aid certificates come before the exam.

Every applicant needs a health certificate for the category. In Lithuania, a medical facility issues it as an electronic certificate, which is sent automatically to Regitra’s database. Regitra describes this on its page on exchanging EU and EEA licences. You normally won’t need to bring a paper form to the customer service centre. Still, Regitra cannot move your application forward until a valid certificate is on its system, so booking the medical early is the simplest way to avoid a stalled application.

Heavy categories have stricter medical requirements than a car licence. Under the EU framework summarised on Your Europe, lorry and bus drivers must have a medical check every five years. When a doctor shortens a certificate’s validity or adds conditions, those limits carry over to the licence itself.

The first aid certificate is easy to put off until it’s too late. Regitra lists it among the documents for applicants who take tests, including foreign licence holders who have to sit examinations. Arrange it alongside the medical rather than after the course.

Taken together with the licensing conditions, the documents Regitra’s pages point to for a CE applicant are:

• a personal identity card or passport;
• a valid electronic health certificate recorded in Regitra’s system;
• your current driving licence showing category C;
• proof of residence or ties with Lithuania where the Population Register does not already show 185 days;
• a first aid certificate for applicants sitting tests;
• the driving school’s confirmation of completed training and passed internal tests;
• on the 18-year route, the certificate of initial professional qualification.

Documents issued abroad may need an official Lithuanian translation. For a licence issued outside the EU, Regitra requires one.

Inside a CE course: what the Training Procedure sets

The consolidated edition of the Driver Training Procedure on the Seimas register sets a minimum theory course for CE of 25 hours, including the final theory test, and a minimum practical course for C, D and CE of 15 hours. Those are floors: a learner who is not ready will need extra lessons. The edition that could be opened is labelled as valid from an earlier date, and a later amendment cannot be ruled out, so the school should confirm the hours it is currently required to deliver.

Because CE builds on C, the theory is narrower than it first appears. It centres on the Lithuanian Road Traffic Rules (Kelių eismo taisyklės, usually shortened to KET) as they apply to combinations, along with handling, braking and stability, coupling and uncoupling, load security, vehicle checks, weights and dimensions, and winter driving. On the practical side, most of the time goes on the skills that separate CE from C: pre-drive checks, coupling a trailer or semi-trailer, reversing and manoeuvring a long vehicle, and driving the combination in real traffic.

The course ends with the school’s own final theory test and final practical driving test, together known as the galutinė įskaita. Passing both is what allows the school to confirm you for Regitra’s examinations. On request, the school must also issue a document confirming the theory and practical training you have completed, within five working days under the Training Procedure. The completed hours therefore travel with a learner who changes school.

When choosing a school, check that it is authorised to train CE, not only C, and which vehicle you will train in: manual or automatic, tractor with semi-trailer or rigid with drawbar. A school that also runs professional qualification courses can make the sequencing easier for younger drivers.

Regitra’s two examinations

Regitra runs the theory and practical driving tests for CE at its customer service centres.

The theory test and the language question

The theory test is taken on a computer and covers the Road Traffic Rules and the knowledge specific to heavy vehicles. According to VairavimoTestai.lt, the truck categories (C, C1, CE and C1E) use 40 questions with a 50-minute time limit. That detail comes from a private preparation site, not Regitra, so confirm the exact format and pass mark when booking.

Language is the bigger gap. The practice site offers its question banks in Lithuanian, English, and Russian, but none of the Regitra pages I could open listed the languages in which the official test is available, or any rules on interpreters. Non-Lithuanian speakers should ask Regitra before choosing a course, because the answer may determine which language they need to study in.

The practical test, including the navigation task

The practical test is driven in a suitable CE combination and assessed by a Regitra examiner. Expect safety checks on the vehicle, coupling and uncoupling, manoeuvres such as reversing the combination, and a drive on public roads. One Lithuanian feature is a navigation-based driving task: Regitra introduced it into its practical tests, as local news coverage of an exam fee revision reported, so candidates may be asked to follow directions from a navigation device as well as from the examiner.

Failing a test

You can retake a failed test, and each attempt carries its own fee. The examiner’s feedback is the best guide to where extra lessons should go. Regitra’s accessible pages did not set out waiting periods or limits on further attempts, so ask when rebooking.

What you will pay, and which figures are official

Costs split into charges set by Regitra and prices set by driving schools. Only the first group has an official source, and even that was only partly accessible.

Regitra publishes licence production fees that depend on speed. On its EU and EEA exchange page, it lists €14.19 for production within 15 working days, €22.88 within three working days and €37.36 within one working day. Delivery is optional: €6.99 to your home or €4.90 to a parcel terminal, while collection from a Regitra branch is free.

Exam fees are less certain. Regitra’s price list is linked from its driving licences page, but it could not be opened during research. The best available figures come from a regional news report by Anykšta.lt on an earlier Regitra price revision, which gave €84.54 for the CE practical test and €10.00 for the theory test (the same report gave €79.54 for the category C practical test). That report is not the official price list and fees may have changed since, so use these figures to get a sense of scale and confirm them with Regitra before budgeting. The medical certificate and first aid course are additional costs.

Training takes up most of the budget, and prices are commercial. As one example, the EKET.LT listing for Klaipėdos Ernesto Galvanausko profesinio mokymo centras in Klaipėda showed CE theory and practice at €1,900 with a manual gearbox and €1,950 with an automatic, alongside a separate CE entry at €700 with no explanation of what that cheaper option includes. That is one provider’s advertised price when it was checked, not a national figure, and the unexplained €700 line shows why you need to read quotes closely.

A cheaper package with fewer practical hours can cost more once you add extra lessons. Ask what each additional hour costs, whether Regitra’s fees and the exam vehicle are included, what a repeat package costs after a failed test, and whether any professional qualification training is bundled.

Code 95: the qualification that lets you drive for pay

The CE licence lets you drive the combination. Carrying goods for hire or reward, or driving a lorry as part of a business, also requires the professional driver qualification set by the EU Driver CPC rules. In Lithuania, that qualification is shown by the harmonised code 95 entered against the relevant categories on the licence, or by a driver qualification card. Lithuanian legislative documents require commercial drivers in categories C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, and DE to carry code 95 on the licence or other accepted evidence.

The course lengths come from the EU framework as set out in Lithuanian government papers, including the Government resolution on amendments to the Road Traffic Safety Law. Initial qualification on the full route takes 280 hours; the accelerated route takes 140 hours. Keeping the qualification valid then requires 35 hours of periodic training every five years. The link to the age rules is direct: the full 280-hour route is what makes CE possible at 18, while the accelerated course is the usual choice for drivers who are already 21 or over.

The terminology is shifting. Lithuanian legislation has moved towards calling initial qualification “driver competence acquisition courses” (vairuotojų kompetencijos įgijimo kursai) and periodic training “driver competence improvement courses” (vairuotojų kompetencijos tobulinimo kursai). Older material may still use the previous terms, and both describe the same qualification.

The same legislative work gave Regitra the task of issuing driver qualification cards (vairuotojo kvalifikacijos kortelė), according to the Ministry of the Interior’s explanatory memorandum on amendments to the Law on Road Traffic Safety, which also records that the start of card issuing was moved back because of delays in producing the blank cards. No current official page confirming who runs the code 95 examination, or where courses are registered, could be opened. The training provider is the practical point of contact: ask whether your qualification will appear as code 95 on the licence, on a qualification card, or both.

At EU level, the Driver CPC Directive has been amended, as Trans.info reported, with updated training content such as hazard perception, protection of vulnerable road users and fuel-efficient driving. Ask which syllabus a course follows.

Four documents that are easy to confuse

Professional drivers in Lithuania hold several documents. The CE entitlement on the licence is the right to drive the combination. Code 95 is the professional qualification and lapses without periodic training. A tachograph driver card, which records driving and rest times on vehicles with digital or smart tachographs, is a separate application; the issuing body was not confirmed during research. ADR is a separate training certificate needed only for carrying dangerous goods, common in tanker and chemical work. EU rules on driving time, breaks, and rest apply to every professional driver; they are not part of the licence test, but employers will expect you to know them.

A form or a full exam, depending on who issued your licence

For a CE driver, the country that issued the licence decides whether moving to Lithuania involves a form or a full set of examinations.

An EU or EEA licence already counts as a Lithuanian licence.

Regitra states that a licence issued in an EU or EEA country has the same value as a Lithuanian one. A CE holder from another member state can drive in Lithuania on that licence, subject to its validity, medical conditions and any restrictions printed on it. Exchange is optional and involves no extra tests. The requirements, set out on Regitra’s EU and EEA exchange page, are residence or ties with Lithuania, an identity document, a valid health certificate, and the current licence, with the production and delivery fees described above.

Most non-EU CE holders will sit both tests.

For licences from outside the EU and EEA, Regitra’s page on exchanging licences issued in other countries makes theory and practical tests the default. The exceptions are narrow. Swiss licences are listed as exempt. Korean licences are exempt only for categories B and BE. Licences from the United Arab Emirates are exempt for categories A1, A2, A, B and D1, and only for Lithuanian or UAE citizens. Moldovan licences are exempt for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B1 and B. Any category originally obtained in an EU or EEA country is also exempt.

Compared to CE, that list is short. Apart from Switzerland, none of the country exceptions includes a heavy goods category, so a CE holder from most non-EU countries should plan on taking Regitra’s CE theory and practical tests. Regitra lists the required documents: a valid foreign licence with an official Lithuanian translation, an identity document, a medical certificate, and, where tests are required, a first aid certificate. The foreign licence must follow the model in the Geneva or Vienna road traffic conventions; if it does not, you also need an international driving permit. You can exchange an expired foreign licence only within one year of arriving in Lithuania.

International driving permits are translations that accompany a national licence, not licences in their own right. They add no categories, and they do not replace an exchange once the holder is resident.

UK licences: the Brexit dividing line

Regitra has a dedicated page on exchanging UK licences after Brexit. The deciding factor is when you gained the entitlement. UK entitlements obtained before Brexit can be exchanged without theory or practical tests. You can exchange entitlements obtained after Brexit only by passing both tests.

What an exchange does not carry over

A new Lithuanian card does not automatically reproduce every category, restriction and qualification from the old one. Check each category on the card that Regitra issues, and ask how an existing code 95 entry or foreign qualification card will be treated. You may need to obtain a foreign code 95 that Lithuania does not recognise again under Lithuanian rules.

Two expiry dates to watch

Heavy categories in Lithuania are tied to regular medical checks, and Your Europe notes that lorry and bus drivers must have one every five years. The validity of the CE entitlement follows the medical certificate and the rules for heavy categories, so the dates printed against C and CE on the card may be different from the date for B. I could not find an official Lithuanian page confirming the exact validity period for CE, so the dates on your card are the reliable reference.

The licence and code 95 run on separate clocks. A valid licence with overdue periodic training does not allow professional driving until you complete the 35 hours. A valid code 95 is no help if the CE entitlement itself has lapsed. Regitra lists a separate service for renewing an expired licence on its driving licences page, and renewal starts with a new health certificate from a medical facility.

The new EU directive has not yet reached Lithuanian law.

The new Driving Licence Directive is in force at EU level. Still, member states have a multi-year period to transpose it, and there is no evidence that Lithuania has changed its CE rules to implement it. Everything above reflects the Lithuanian rules currently published. Changes to ages, validity or digital licences will apply only once Lithuanian law adopts them.

An order that avoids wasted fees

Most delays come from doing steps in the wrong sequence. This order follows the dependencies above:

1. Confirm that you hold category C and that your residence or ties with Lithuania will satisfy Regitra.
2. Decide between CE at 21 and CE at 18; on the younger route, complete the 280-hour initial qualification before the school’s final practical test.
3. Obtain the electronic health certificate from a medical facility and a first aid certificate.
4. Ask Regitra which languages the theory test is offered in, then choose a school authorised for CE.
5. Complete the course and pass the school's galutinė įskaita.
6. Pass Regitra’s theory and practical tests, choose a production speed and collect the card.
7. Before driving for pay, make sure you have code 95 and apply for a tachograph driver card.

Drivers who have passed the Regitra tests and completed code 95 can register on FastDriver.eu, a job portal for truck drivers, and browse its vacancies. The portal lists jobs; it issues no licences, approves no qualifications and guarantees no job, visa or work permit.

What Regitra has not published

Regitra’s current price list, the languages offered for the theory test, the retest rules, and the body that runs the code 95 examination could not be verified on official pages, and the training hours come from a consolidated edition that may have since been amended. Regitra has the final word on exams, fees and licences, and the school or professional qualification provider on course content. Check those points with them before paying for anything.

Official sources

• Regitra: driving licences
• Regitra: exchanging EU and EEA licences
• Regitra: exchanging licences from other countries
• Regitra: exchanging UK licences
• Driver Training Procedure on the Seimas legal register
• Government resolution on the Road Traffic Safety Law amendments
• Your Europe: getting a driving licence
• EUR-Lex: the new EU Driving Licence Directive