Motor third-party liability — Lithuania

What is MTPL (Privalomasis civilinės atsakomybės draudimas) in Lithuania and who is required to have it?

Motor Third-Party Liability insurance, known in Lithuania as Transporto priemonių valdytojų civilinės atsakomybės privalomasis draudimas (TPVCAPD), is mandatory under Lietuvos Respublikos transporto priemonių valdytojų civilinės atsakomybės privalomojo draudimo įstatymas (Law No. IX-378 on Compulsory MTPL Insurance). Every owner or operator of a motor vehicle that participates in road traffic on Lithuanian territory must hold a valid policy; the vehicle cannot be registered with the Regitra (state vehicle register) without proof of cover. The policy covers damages you cause to third parties — not your own vehicle or your own injuries as the at-fault driver. Insurance status is checked electronically in the integrated database operated by the Lietuvos Respublikos transporto priemonių draudikų biuras (TPDB, Motor Insurers' Bureau of Lithuania). Driving uninsured is a fine of up to several hundred euros, plus personal liability for any damages caused.

What are the mandatory minimum coverage limits for MTPL in Lithuania?

Under the Lithuanian MTPL Act (Law No. IX-378), transposing EU Directive 2021/2118 with effect from 23 December 2023, the statutory minimum cover is €6,450,000 per accident for bodily injury or death (regardless of the number of injured parties) and €1,300,000 per accident for property damage (regardless of the number of damaged parties). These limits apply uniformly to all TPVCAPD policies issued in Lithuania. Lithuania adopted the Euro on 1 January 2015 and all premiums and claim settlements are made in EUR. The major Lithuanian insurers — Lietuvos draudimas (PZU), BTA Baltic Insurance, ERGO Insurance, Compensa (VIG), Gjensidige, If P&C, Swedbank P&C — sell the statutory minimum as the standard baseline; higher voluntary limits are available as a contractual extension.

What does Lithuanian TPVCAPD insurance actually cover?

Lithuanian TPVCAPD covers damages caused to third parties by the use of the insured vehicle. This includes: bodily injury, permanent disability or death of pedestrians, occupants of other vehicles, cyclists and other road users — including non-pecuniary damages (neturtinė žala) for pain and suffering, calculated under the Civil Code (Lietuvos Respublikos civilinis kodeksas) and Supreme Court of Lithuania case law; property damage to other vehicles, buildings or any third-party property; loss of earnings and treatment costs of the injured party; subrogated claims of the Valstybinio socialinio draudimo fondo valdyba (Sodra) and the Privalomojo sveikatos draudimo fondas (Compulsory Health Insurance Fund) for benefits paid to victims; and the insurer's investigation and defence of third-party claims. It does not cover damage to your own vehicle (requires Kasko / savanoriškasis transporto priemonės draudimas), your own injuries as the at-fault driver, or losses caused intentionally, while uninsured, unlicensed or under the influence — in those cases the insurer pays the injured party and exercises recourse (regresas) against the policyholder up to the statutory limits.

Are the at-fault driver's own damages covered?

No. Under the Lithuanian MTPL Act and standard policy conditions, damages suffered by the at-fault driver are excluded from TPVCAPD coverage. If you cause an accident, you have no claim under your own MTPL policy for your own injuries or for damage to your own vehicle. For own-vehicle damage you need a separate Kasko (savanoriškasis transporto priemonės draudimas) policy, and for personal injury you can buy a Vairuotojo nelaimingų atsitikimų draudimas (driver accident insurance) add-on — a low-cost rider that pays a fixed sum for permanent disability or accidental death regardless of fault. Most Lithuanian insurers offer driver accident cover and a wide range of Kasko packages directly alongside the TPVCAPD policy.

Are passengers in the at-fault vehicle covered?

Yes. Under the Lithuanian MTPL Act, passengers in the insured vehicle — including family members of the at-fault driver — are treated as third parties for TPVCAPD purposes and their bodily injury and property damage claims are covered up to the policy limits, even when transported free of charge. The only person excluded from TPVCAPD cover is the at-fault driver themself. Passenger compensation includes non-pecuniary (moral) damages calculated under the Lithuanian Civil Code and Supreme Court guidelines, plus loss of earnings and treatment costs. For broader no-fault protection many Lithuanian insurers offer a Keleivių draudimas nuo nelaimingų atsitikimų (passenger accident insurance) add-on which pays the agreed sums regardless of fault.

Is legal defence included in Lithuanian TPVCAPD policies?

Defence against third-party claims is a core part of every Lithuanian TPVCAPD policy at the insurer's expense — the insurer investigates the accident, settles or contests the claim on behalf of the policyholder, bears the legal costs of doing so, and pays statutory default interest on late payment of compensation, all within the overall liability limit. This is distinct from a standalone Teisinių išlaidų draudimas (legal expenses insurance), which actively pursues the policyholder's own claims (recovery against an uninsured at-fault driver, administrative offence or criminal proceedings, licence-withdrawal disputes). Several Lithuanian insurers offer legal expenses cover either as a TPVCAPD add-on or as a standalone product, typically with limits of €5,000–€15,000 per case.

Is the Green Card still required with Lithuanian TPVCAPD?

Not for travel within the European Economic Area and additional treaty states (Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican, Serbia, the United Kingdom): the Lithuanian registration plate alone is sufficient proof of cover and no paper Green Card needs to be carried. The Žalioji kortelė (Green Card) remains required for travel to other Green Card system members — Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Israel, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine. Lithuanian insurers issue the Green Card free of charge, in paper or PDF form, valid for the entire policy period. The Lietuvos Respublikos transporto priemonių draudikų biuras (TPDB) acts as Lithuania's national Green Card bureau and as the guarantee fund for accidents caused on Lithuanian territory by uninsured or unidentified vehicles.

Which countries does Lithuanian MTPL insurance cover?

Lithuanian TPVCAPD cover extends automatically to: the Republic of Lithuania; all EU Member States (liability assessed under the law of the country where the accident occurred); EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein); and additional states whose national insurers' bureau is party to the multilateral Green Card agreement — Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel and Iran. Within the EEA the contractually agreed Lithuanian cover sums apply; outside the EEA the insurer's liability may be reduced to the statutory minimum cover required in the visited country, unless the Lithuanian policy provides higher cover. Travel to Russia and Belarus is excluded by all major Lithuanian insurers due to international sanctions and the active conflict.

What must I do immediately after a road accident in Lithuania?

After an accident in Lithuania you must: stop immediately and secure the scene (warning triangle, hazard lights, high-visibility vest); render first aid and call the European emergency number 112 where there are injuries; call the police via 112 where required by the Lietuvos Respublikos saugaus eismo automobilių keliais įstatymas (Road Traffic Safety Act) — bodily injury or fatality, hit-and-run, suspected alcohol or drug driving, damage to public property, or where the parties cannot agree on circumstances; not leave the scene before identifying yourself and exchanging insurance and contact details with the other party; complete an Eismo įvykio deklaracija (European Accident Statement) signed by both parties when there are no injuries — this is the standard claim trigger; photograph the scene, damage and final vehicle positions; and notify the at-fault driver's insurer (or the TPDB) without undue delay, typically within 3 working days as required by the standard policy conditions. The insurer must decide on the claim within set statutory deadlines and provides interim payments for clearly substantiated portions of the claim.

Can I buy Lithuanian TPVCAPD online and pay in installments?

Yes. The Lithuanian MTPL market is highly digitalised: all major insurers — Lietuvos draudimas (PZU), BTA Baltic Insurance, ERGO Insurance, Compensa (VIG), Gjensidige, If P&C, Swedbank P&C — offer fully online conclusion through their own portals and mobile apps, plus through licensed brokers and comparison sites (insurance comparison platforms operate widely under Bank of Lithuania supervision). The insurer issues the policy and payment confirmation immediately on payment of the first instalment, and the cover is recorded in the TPDB integrated database in real time. Annual, half-yearly, quarterly and monthly instalments are widely available; sub-annual instalments may carry a small administrative surcharge. Lithuania operates a Bonus-Malus system: the premium adjusts each policy term based on the policyholder's claims history maintained in the TPDB-administered Vieninga TPVCAPD informacinė sistema, which is portable between Lithuanian insurers when you switch carriers.