Welcome to Lithuania!

The currency that is used in Lithuania is the € (euro) and in many places in Lithuania you will not be required to carry cash, but only use your credit card. In many restaurants/stores there is a sign where they will write if they only accept cash. Therefore carrying big amounts of cash is not necessary, and if you only carry your credit card, it will definitely be more safe than having large amounts of cash.

Crossing the roads, being aware of bicycle drivers sounds like a typical rule that you should follow, but we want to emphasise the importance of obeying traffic laws such as not crossing the road on a red light, but waiting for the green light, as much as possible! Use the time that you wait for the green light, to enjoy the beautiful architecture around you!

Moving to a different country is very exciting, but a lot of questions come along as well. Don’t feel shy to ask your host family about tips or advice about anything during your stay in Lithuania. There are many things that you will learn throughout the course of your program, but the safest option is always to ask your host family, who will gladly answer any doubts that you might have.

What is common in almost every family is the love for spending time outdoors hiking, gardening, biking, collecting mushrooms & berries. Lithuanians call themselves “children of the nature”.

Families in Lithuania decide to host students because of their wish to learn about another country and experience the intercultural learning effect in first hand! The #AFSeffect affects us all!

AFS Lithuania volunteers explain the aims and objectives of the program to the host families and get to know the families as well before the arrival of the students. Your host family is not paid to host you but have agreed to take you into their home as a part of the family!

Most Lithuanian students do not receive any credit for their year abroad. In spite of this, they generally have no difficulty readjusting and going on with their studies after coming back. This is usually also the case with those students who spend an AFS year in Lithuania and then go back to their home countries. Going to school is a mandatory part of AFS school-based programs. You will get a certificate with grades, but getting a diploma is not guaranteed.

• 10 “Excellent” (Puikiai)
• 9 “Very Good” (Labai Gerai)
• 8 “Good” (Gerai)
• 7 “Highly satisfactory” (Pakankamai)
• 6 “Satsifactory” (Patenkinamai)
• 5 “Sufficient” (Silpnai)
• 4 “Unsatisfactory” (Nepakankamai)
• 3 “Poor” (Blogai)
• 2 “Very poor” (Labai Blogai)
• 1 “Completely Poor” (Visai Blogai)

In Lithuanian schools there are four major school breaks throughout the year. The first one is the Autumn break which lasts for a week, Winter break which lasts for two weeks, Spring break which lasts for one week and Summer holidays that last for 3 months.

Classes typically start at 08:30 and one class lasts for 40 minutes. There is one big break during the day which is the lunch break which lasts typically for 30 minutes. In between classes, there is a 5-10 minutes break that serves for the students to change classrooms for different classes. The school year starts on the 1st of September and lasts until the end on June.

Drinking is strongly prohibited during the course of your exchange program. The legal drinking age in Lithuania is 18, but regardless of your age, as you are a participant of the program, it still strongly forbidden.

Any types of drugs are strongly prohibited not only by AFS rules but also the national Lithuanian law. A violation of this can lead to serious legal consequences along with an immediate early return back to your country.

Hitchhiking can be very dangerous therefore we strongly prohibit it during the course of your exchange program.

Getting pregnant or causing a pregnancy during your exchange program can result in an immediate early return as it is strongly prohibited by AFS.

AFS is a school based program, therefore you are obliged to regularly attend school, do your school assignments as required and actively participate in class.

Participants are not allowed to travel outside the country independently. They are allowed to travel only with AFS, hosting school or with their host families. Rule refers to all the students irrespective of their age. For all those cases the approval and Travel Waiver should be requested to AFS Latvia well in advance (minimum 2 weeks before).