Attestation of construction specialists

The procedure for issuing, amending, supplementing, suspending, cancelling the suspension of validity, and cancelling the validity of qualification certificates for citizens of the Republic of Lithuania and third countries, and for other natural persons holding a professional qualification of a construction engineer and seeking to hold the position of the head of the main areas of the technical activities in the construction of special and non-special constructions in the Republic of Lithuania shall be determined by the Technical Regulation for Construction STR 1.02.01:2017.

How do I get a Certificate of Competence?

An applicant for a certificate of competence as a manager in the main areas of construction technical activities shall:

1. to familiarise themselves with the minimum qualification requirements set out in Article 12(5) of the Construction Law;
2. pass the assessment of professional knowledge by the chosen Authorised Organisation;
3. submit to the SSVA () the application and the documents required for the attestation referred to in clauses 11 and 12 of STR 1.02.01:2017;
4. pass the SSVA Legal Knowledge Examination in accordance with the Legal Knowledge Programme approved by the Minister for the Environment. The results of this examination shall be valid for a maximum period of 6 months from the date of passing the examination. The Legal Knowledge Examinations are organised according to a schedule: remotely, at SSVA premises and in some cities in Lithuania. You can find exam timetable here.
5. to pay for certification services in accordance with the fees approved by the Minister for the Environment;
   

   Note: Applicants who have applied for a Certificate of Competence shall pay the SSVA for the attestation services within 5 working days of receipt of the pre-paid invoice. If the attestation is postponed or the Applicant is not attested, the amount paid is non-refundable. When paying for the services, be sure to indicate the service code and the name(s) of the professional(s) to be attested in the purpose of payment.

6. receive information on the decision taken by the SSVA;
7. collect your certificate of competence on the SSVA self-service website.

If the Applicant's diploma of higher education as a civil engineer is issued after graduation from a higher education institution outside the Republic of Lithuania, the Applicant must submit a certificate from the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education regarding the academic recognition of the qualification and the translations of the documents into Lithuanian language.

An applicant wishing to supplement the SSVA qualification certificate shall:

1. choose and pass the assessment of professional knowledge by an Authorised Organisation;
2. submit an application to SSVA (). In the request, indicate the number of the Certificate of Qualification to be supplemented and attach to the request the documents referred to in clause 12 of STR 1.02.01:2017, except for those referred to in clauses 12.3 to 12.5 of STR 1.02.01:2017.
3. pass the SSVA Legal Knowledge Examination in accordance with the Legal Knowledge Programme approved by the Minister for the Environment. The results of this examination shall be valid for a maximum period of 6 months from the date of passing the examination. The Legal Knowledge Examinations are organised according to a schedule: remotely, at SSVA premises and in some cities in Lithuania. Exam timetable.
4. pay for certification services in accordance with the fees approved by the Minister for the Environment;
   

   Note: Applicants shall pay the SSVA for the attestation services within 5 working days of receipt of the pre-paid invoice. If the attestation is postponed or the Applicant is not attested, the amount paid is non-refundable. When paying for the services, be sure to indicate the service code and the name(s) of the professional(s) to be attested in the purpose of payment.

5. receive information on the decision taken by the SSVA;
6. collect your certificate on the SSVA self-service website.

A manager who has obtained a certificate of qualification must, at least every 5 years, undertake refresher training by attending at least 20 hours of lectures in accordance with the curricula approved by institutions of higher education, associations, unions, or training institutions (authorised organisations), as agreed with the Ministry of the Environment (Art.12, para.12, of the Construction Law).

If the Manager has not submitted the required qualification development documents or the certification examiners have concluded that the Manager's qualification development is inadequate, the SSVA shall apply the penalties set out in Article 12(14)(2) of the Construction Act.

Please note that no legal knowledge examination is required for the assessment of qualification development. Certificates of competence will not be reprinted and will not be published on the SSVA website.

An applicant wishing to obtain a Recognition of Rights Document (TPD) in the Republic of Lithuania must:

1. to familiarise themselves with the minimum qualification requirements (STR 1.02.01:2017 "Description of the procedure for certification and recognition of the right of construction participants");
2. submit an Application Form and the documents required for recognition to the SSVA (). If the Applicant does not have a document issued in the country of origin, he/she must apply to the Ministry of the Environment for recognition of the professional qualification of civil engineer.
   

   Note: If the Applicant's application and the necessary documents for the issuance of a TPD are submitted by the Applicant's authorised person, he/she must submit to the SSVA the Applicant's written authorisation.

3. pass the SSVA Legal Knowledge Examination in accordance with the Legal Knowledge Programme approved by the Minister for the Environment. The Legal Knowledge Tests are in the national language. The translation of the tests into a foreign language shall be arranged by the Applicant and the translation costs shall be payed by the Applicant.
   

   Note: procedure for organising the legal knowledge test for foreign nationals, see here.

4. to pay for the recognition services in accordance with the fees approved by the Minister for the Environment;
   

   Note: Applicants shall pay the SSVA for the recognition of right services within 5 working days of receipt of the prepaid invoice. If the recognition is delayed or the Applicant is not tested, the amount paid is non-refundable. When paying for the services, be sure to indicate the service code and the name(s) of the practitioner(s) to be certified in the purpose of payment.

5. receive information on the decision taken by the SSVA;
6. to collect your recognition document on the SSVA self-service website.

NOTE: A manager holding a TPD issued in accordance with Chapter VI of STR 1.02.01:2017 must inform SSVA within 10 working days at the latest if the validity of a document issued in his/her country of origin and recognised in Lithuania, which is specified in the TPD in accordance with clause 55 of STR 1.02.01:2017, has been suspended or revoked in the manager's country of origin.

At the latest every 5 years from the date of issuance of the TPD, the Applicant must provide SSVA with a confirmation that the validity of the recognised document referred to in the TPD in the country of origin has not been suspended or revoked.

An applicant wishing to supplement a TPD issued by the SSVA must:

1. submit a request fto the SSVA (). The application shall be accompanied by the documents referred to in point 44 of STR 1.02.01:2017;
2. pay for certification services in accordance with the fees approved by the Minister for the Environment;
   

   Note: Applicants shall pay the SSVA for the attestation services within 5 working days of receipt of the pre-paid invoice. If the attestation is postponed or the Applicant is not attested, the amount paid is non-refundable. When paying for the services, be sure to indicate the service code and the name(s) of the professional(s) to be attested in the purpose of payment.

3. receive information on the decision taken by the SSVA;
4. pass the SSVA Legal Knowledge Examination in accordance with the Legal Knowledge Programme approved by the Minister for the Environment. The results of this examination shall be valid for a maximum period of 6 months from the date of passing the examination. The Legal Knowledge Examinations are organised according to a schedule: remotely, at SSVA premises and in some cities in Lithuania. Exam timetable.
5. collect your certificate on the SSVA self-service website.

As of 1 January 2017, the term "replacement of a qualification certificate or TPD" is used to refer to the reprinting of a qualification certificate or TPD as a result of a change of name or the physical deterioration of the form of the qualification certificate or TPD.

How do I change my document due to a change of name?

An applicant wishing to change his/her Certificate of Qualification or TPD due to a change of name must:

1. apply to the SSVA () for a change to your certificate of competency or TPD. The application shall be accompanied by the documents referred to in points 12.3, 12.4 or 43.4, 43.5 of STR 1.02.01:2017;
2. pay for the services in accordance with the fees approved by the Minister of the Environment;
   

   Note: Applicants shall pay the SSVA for services within 5 working days of receipt of the pre-paid invoice. When paying for the services, be sure to include the service code and the name(s) of the certified professional(s) in the purpose of payment.

3. receive information on the decision taken by the SSVA;
4. find the amended document on the SSVA self-service website.

How do I replace a document if I lose it?

An applicant wishing to replace a certificate of qualification or a TPD in the event of loss, destruction or other loss shall:

1. apply to the SSVA () for a change to your certificate of competency or TPD. The application shall be accompanied by the documents referred to in point 26 or 61 of STR 1.02.01:2017;
2. pay for the services in accordance with the fees approved by the Minister of the Environment;
   

   Note: Applicants shall pay the SSVA for services within 5 working days of receipt of the pre-paid invoice. When paying for the services, be sure to include the service code and the name(s) of the certified professional(s) in the purpose of payment.

3. receive information on the decision taken by the SSVA;
4. find the amended document on the SSVA self-service website.

An applicant wishing to acquire the right to perform the duties referred to in sub-clause 2.1 of STR 1.02.01:2017 "Description of the procedure for certification and recognition of construction participants" shall submit to SSVA an application for a certificate of qualification in the form specified in Annex 1 to STR 1.02.01:2017 (in writing or electronically).

The application shall be accompanied by the following (in accordance with STR 1.02.01:2017, Section IV):

1. a curriculum vitae (preferably using the Europass model);
2. a list of the works related to the professional activity referred to in the application, carried out during the period referred to in Article 12(5)(2) of the Construction Law, in which the Applicant participated;
3. a copy of the identity document (passport, identity card or other personal document); a copy of the change of name and/or surname document (if there has been a change of name and/or surname);
4. a copy of the diploma of higher education as a civil engineer and its supplement (The applicant must have the original diploma to be compared with the copy when submitting the attestation documents). The applicant's education must correspond to the positions, groups of structures (or structures) and field(s) of work specified in his/her application in accordance with sub-paragraphs 11.3, 11.4 and 11.5 of STR 1.02.01:2017; Citizens of other countries shall additionally submit a certificate from the Study Quality Evaluation Center concerning the assessment of the qualification acquired in the country of origin;
5. the record of the assessment of professional knowledge;
6. the applicant may, at his/her discretion, submit additional documents proving his/her qualifications (evidence of his/her degree, further training, participation in international programmes, etc.);
7. information or documentation about accidents involving the construction of structures in which the Applicant has been involved, resulting in harm to people or damage to property.

Document forms for Application, CV, list of work carried out (in Lithuanian) for certification of a specialist (citizen of the Republic of Lithuania):

• Forms to be filled in by computer

NOTE: When submitting documents electronically, the procedures for submitting electronic documents must be followed.

NOTE: When completing the application, please clearly and accurately identify the payer. Otherwise, an additional fee of EUR 15 will be charged for overwriting the account when changing the payer.

Document forms for application, list of works carried out in the last 5 years for the assessment of the qualification improvement of a specialist (citizen of the Republic of Lithuania):

• Forms to be filled in by computer

NOTE: When submitting documents electronically, the procedures for submitting electronic documents must be followed.

NOTE: When completing the application, please clearly and accurately identify the payer. Otherwise, an additional fee of EUR 15 will be charged for overwriting the account when changing the payer.

An applicant seeking to obtain a TPD shall submit an application to SSVA (in writing or electronically) in the form specified in Annex 2 STR 1.02.01:2017 "Description of the procedure for certification and recognition of the right of construction contractors".

The application shall be accompanied by the following (in accordance with STR 1.02.01:2017, Section IV):

1. a power of attorney, if the applicant's application for a TDP and the accompanying documents are submitted by the applicant's authorised person;
2. legal documents or certified copies thereof in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts, together with a translation into the official language - for Applicants from countries which have signed international or state treaties on legal assistance with the Republic of Lithuania, if such treaties contain provisions on mutual recognition of such documents;
3. legal documents or copies certified in accordance with the procedure laid down by law, together with a translation into the official language, accompanied by Apostille certificates for the authentication of these documents (copies) - for applicants from countries which are not signatories to the treaties referred to in 43.2 of the Regulation, but which are signatories to, and which have signed and ratified, the Convention done at The Hague on the Abolition of Legalisation of Documents Legally Duplicated in a Foreign State, of 5 October 1961;
4. a copy of an identity document (passport or other document);
5. a copy of the document certifying the change of name and/or surname (if the name and/or surname has been changed), in accordance with the procedure laid down by law;
6. a copy of the diploma and diploma supplement, certified in accordance with the procedure laid down by law, together with a translation into the national language;
7. curriculum vitae (preferably using the Europass model);
8. a list of the works related to the professional activity referred to in the application, carried out during the period referred to in Article 12(5)(2) of the Construction Law, in which the applicant participated;
9. The applicant has the right to submit additional documents proving his/her qualifications.

Document forms for application, curriculum vitae, list of completed works (in Lithuanian) for recognition of the right of a foreign civil engineer in the Republic of Lithuania:

• Forms to be filled in by computer;
• Form concerning the validity of the document certifying the applicant's right to work as a civil engineer in the country of origin.

NOTE: When submitting documents electronically, the procedures for submitting electronic documents must be followed.

NOTE: When completing the application, please clearly and accurately identify the payer. Otherwise, an additional fee of EUR 15 will be charged for overwriting the account when changing the payer.

Qualification requirements

Only certified civil engineers who meet the minimum requirements listed in Article 12(5) of the Construction Law  shall be entitled to act as managers of the main areas of technical activities in the construction of special and non-special buildings.

An applicant wishing to obtain a certificate of competence as a manager of the main areas of technical activities in the construction of special and non-special buildings shall meet the following qualification requirements:

•  educational;
• professional experience;
• pass an examination of professional knowledge;
• pass a legal knowledge examination.

Education

The applicant must have a level of education appropriate to the position, the building groups and the field of work specified in the application.

Professional experience

The applicant's professional experience shall be calculated from the date of obtaining the diploma of civil engineer.

Professional knowledge

The applicant's professional knowledge is tested and assessed by the Authorised Organisations, following the approval by the Minister for the Environment of the programmes of professional knowledge examinations they have developed.
If there is no Authorised Body authorised to assess the professional knowledge in the field of activity specified in the applicant's application, the professional knowledge shall be assessed by the Certification Experts appointed by the SSVA in a meeting in the presence of the applicant.

Legal knowledge

The applicant takes the Legal Knowledge Examination in accordance with the syllabus for the Legal Knowledge Examination prepared by the SSVA and approved by the Minister of the Environment. The legal knowledge examination shall be organised by the SSVA within 5 working days of the registration of the application. During the legal knowledge examination, the applicant's legal knowledge shall be tested by means of tests, the results of which shall be valid for a maximum period of 6 months from the date of passing the examination. The tests for the assessment of legal knowledge shall be prepared by the SSVA. The questions of the legal knowledge tests shall not be published. An applicant who has received a negative mark in the legal knowledge test may retake the legal knowledge test at the earliest 5 days after the date of the marking.

Qualification requirements

An applicant who has the rights of movement in the Member States granted by the legislation of the European Union and has the right to work as a civil engineer in his/her country of origin, and who seeks to perform in the Republic of Lithuania the duties referred to in sub-paragraphs 2.1.1.1 to 2.1.1.20 of the provisions of the STR 1.02.01:2017, shall be entitled to obtain a document for recognition of the right ("TPD").

In this case, the Applicant must meet the following qualification requirements:

Education and professional experience

The applicant must be qualified as a civil engineer and hold a document (certificate, attestation, etc.) issued in the country of origin certifying the applicant's right to work as a civil engineer in the country of origin.

Legal knowledge

The applicant must pass a legal knowledge examination in accordance with the syllabus for the Legal Knowledge Examination drawn up by the SSVA and approved by the Minister of the Environment. The legal knowledge of the applicant shall be assessed by means of tests, the results of which shall be valid for a maximum period of 6 months from the date of the examination. The legal knowledge tests shall be in the official language. The translation of the tests into a foreign language shall be arranged by the Applicant and the translation costs shall be payed by the Applicant.

Applicants applying for a TPD entitling them to perform the managerial duties referred to in subsections 2.1.1.1 to 2.1.1.12 of STR 1.02.01:2017 in structures of nuclear power facilities must additionally pass a legal knowledge examination organised by the SSVA in accordance with the programme of the Legal Knowledge Examinations for Structures of Nuclear Power Facilities. In the Legal Knowledge Examination, the applicant's legal knowledge shall be assessed by tests.

Applicants applying for the managerial positions referred to in sub-paragraphs 2.1.1.1 to 2.1.20 of STR 1.02.01:2017 in structures located in the territory of a cultural heritage object, its protection zone or in a site of cultural heritage, with the exception of objects of cultural heritage and cultural heritage structures, must additionally pass a legal knowledge examination organised by the SSVA in accordance with the programme of the Legal Knowledge Examination of Structures in the Territories of Cultural Heritage. The legal knowledge of the applicant shall be tested by means of tests during the Legal Knowledge Examination

A manager holding a TPD must inform SSVA within 10 working days at the latest if the validity of the document issued in his/her country of origin and recognised in Lithuania has been suspended or revoked in the manager's country of origin.
In addition, no later than every 5 years from the date of issue of the TPD, the manager must provide confirmation to the SSVA that the validity of the recognised document referred to in the TPD has not been suspended or revoked in the country of origin.

The certification and recognition of construction managers is governed by:

Laws

• Law on Construction of the Republic of Lithuania.

Technical construction regulations

• STR 1.02.01:2017 „Description of the procedure for the certification and recognition of the right to participate in construction“;
• STR 1.01.03:2017 „Classification of buildings“;
• STR 1.06.01:2016 „Construction work. Building construction supervision“;
• STR 1.04.04:2017 „Building design, project expertise“.

A list of all building regulations in force in Lithuania can be found on the VTPSI website or in the Register of Legal Acts.

Other

• The programme of legal knowledge examinations for construction engineers for the position of managers of the main areas of construction technical activities in special and non-special buildings has been approved by the Order of the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania No.D1-63.
• The programme of legal knowledge examinations for construction engineers applying for the position of managers of the main areas of technical activities in the construction of structures of a nuclear power facility has been approved by the Order of the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania No. D1-293 dated 10 April 2017.
• The Legal Knowledge Programme of the VĮ Construction Production Certification Centre for Lithuanian and foreign construction engineers seeking to hold the position of managers of the main areas of construction technical activities in the Republic of Lithuania in cultural heritage structures and in the territory of a cultural heritage object has been approved by the Order of the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania No. D1-212 of 08.03.2017.
• Programme of the Professional and Legal Knowledge Examination for Natural Persons seeking to Supervise the Preparation of Special Spatial Planning Documents, approved by Order of the Minister of the Environment No D1-426 of 18 May 2017.
• Regulations on Certification and Recognition of Construction Participants, approved by Order No B-20-048 of 28 December 2020 of the Director of the State Enterprise Construction Production Certification Centre.

Article 12(4) of the new version of the Law on Construction of the Republic of Lithuania adopted on 30 June 2016 stipulates that as of 1 January 2018, only certified civil engineers - citizens of the Republic of Lithuania and other natural persons - may hold the position of the head of the main areas of the technical activities of the construction of non-special structures.

The certification of these managers is carried out by the SSVA (except for architects). Persons wishing to take up the position of managers of the main areas of technical activities in the construction of a non-extraordinary structure shall meet the following minimum requirements:

• have a relevant background as a civil engineer;
• professional experience in the relevant field, with the duration of employment calculated from the date of graduation as a civil engineer (2 years after the award of the diploma).

In addition, they must pass professional and legal examinations in the same way as managers of special structures. The professional knowledge test will be available from authorised organisations.

The legal knowledge examination will be carried out by the SSVA, in accordance with the legal knowledge examination programme approved by the Minister of the Environment.

• Qualification certificates and recognition of rights documents for construction professionals (issued since 2012);
• Qualification certificates for construction professionals (issued before 2012);
• Documents of recognition and conferral of the right of construction professionals (issued before 2012);
• Penalties for construction professionals (certified before 2012).

Asmenys, sėkmingai praėję atestavimo ar teisės pripažinimo procedūrą, į jų nurodytą elektroninį paštą gauna SSVA pranešimą apie jiems parengtą elektroninį kvalifikacijos atestatą (KA) ar teisės pripažinimo dokumentą (TPD) kartu su nuoroda, per kurią KA ar TPD galima atsiimti (parsisiųsti).

Elektroniniai atestatai

Nuo 2022-05-01 visi KA ir TPD yra rengiami elektronine forma. Todėl visus nuo šios datos parengtus elektroninius KA ir TPD galima parsisiųsti internetu, prisijungus prie SSVA savitarnos (https://savitarna.ssva.lt/login.php).

Popieriniai atestatai

Tradiciniu būdu (spausdinant popieriuje) kvalifikacijos atestatai ir teisės pripažinimo dokumentai buvo rengiami iki 2022-04-30. Tokius KA ir TPD galima atsiimti SSVA sekretoriate (žr. meniu "Kontaktai").

Popierinių KA ir TPD išdavimo valandos:
I - IV   8.00-11.30 val. ir 14.00-16.30 val.; 
V   8.00-11.30 val. ir 14.00-15.00 val.

Atsiimant popierinius KA ir TPD, būtina pateikti asmens dokumentą arba įgaliojimą, jei tai daroma kito asmens vardu.

The fees for the certification of managers of the main fields of construction technical activities, spatial planners and for the issuance of documents for the recognition of rights have been approved by Order of the Minister of the Environment No. D1-112 (2022-04-27).