Outdoor café permit in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda: how to apply
An outdoor café that will stand on municipal or state land, such as a pavement or a square, needs a municipal permit to trade (provide services) in a public place. Each municipality sets its own rules for trading in public places and its own local fees (Article 6, points 2 and 37, of the Law on Local Self-Government of the Republic of Lithuania (VSĮ)). In Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda the permit is issued by the municipal administration, the outdoor café is set up under an approved layout plan or design, and the local fee is paid before the permit is issued. When to apply, the decision time limits, the season and the opening hours differ between these cities. If your café is in another municipality, follow its rules: every municipality has its own.
This article relies on the municipal legal acts whose versions we read in the Register of Legal Acts (Teisės aktų registras) on 3 October 2026. Which other permits a café needs is covered on our page Café and restaurant licences.
When no permit is needed
In Vilnius no permit is needed for trading on a land plot held in private ownership, in trust or under a lease or loan for use (point 7 of the Vilnius Rules for Trading in Public Places). Kaunas has the same rule (point 4 of the Rules for Trading in Public Places in Kaunas).
Klaipėda is different. There, a land plot open to the public and held in ownership or under a lease or loan for use also counts as a public place (point 4.11 of the Klaipėda Rules for Trading and Providing Services in Public Places). A permit is needed, but no local fee is payable for such a plot (point 24 of the Klaipėda Rules). The application must include a copy of a document proving lawful possession or use of the plot (point 13.3 of the procedure description approved by Order No. AD1-2014 of the Director of the Klaipėda City Municipality Administration of 3 July 2014, the Klaipėda Procedure). This Procedure was adopted under the earlier rules. The new rules (Decision No. T2-526 of 18 December 2025) provide that the procedure description is approved by the municipal executive body (point 42 of the Klaipėda Rules). According to the Register of Legal Acts (*Teisės aktų registras*), on 3 October 2026 the Klaipėda Procedure is in force (consolidated version from 9 April 2024), and the municipality’s e-service page for permits to trade and provide services in public places lists it among the applicable acts. The new rules provide for a new procedure for issuing, suspending and revoking permits (point 5 of the Klaipėda Rules); on 3 October 2026 we did not find it in the Register of Legal Acts.
Vilnius
Who issues. Permits are issued by the Licensing and Permits Division (Licencijavimo ir leidimų skyrius) of the Vilnius City Municipality Administration and by the wards (seniūnijos); the Director of the Administration may also assign this to another unit (point 4 of the Vilnius Procedure for Issuing Permits). Outdoor café permits are signed by the head of the Licensing and Permits Division (point 5.3 of the Procedure). When an outdoor café is set up for the first time and there is no outdoor café layout plan yet, the application goes to the City Aesthetics Subdivision (Miesto estetikos poskyris), which prepares the layout plan and coordinates it with, among others, the Cultural Heritage Protection Division (points 25 and 26 of the Procedure).
How and when to apply. The application is filed electronically via paslaugos.vilnius.lt, no earlier than 3 months before the permit is to start (point 7 of the Procedure). It states the address of the indoor catering premises, the requested outdoor café location, area and period of operation. Once a calendar year, the period of operation must be at least 5 months (point 22 of the Procedure). Where there is no layout plan, the cadastral plan of the indoor catering premises is attached and, if the café is set up next to neighbouring premises, the consent of the owners or users of those premises (point 22.10 of the Procedure).
Time limits. The permit or a reasoned refusal is sent no later than 10 working days after all documents are received. Where no outdoor café layout plan has been prepared, the permit is issued no later than 30 calendar days (point 7 of the Procedure). The permit is issued for a period from one day to one year (point 8 of the Procedure). The fee is paid before the permit is issued (point 9 of the Vilnius Local Fee Regulations).
Location and equipment. The outdoor café is set up under an approved design or a layout plan prepared by the administration (point 11 of the Vilnius Rules), following the Requirements for Outdoor Cafés in Vilnius (point 2 of Order No. 30-554/25 of the Director of the Vilnius City Municipality Administration of 5 March 2025). An outdoor café may also be located away from your premises: such places are allocated by selection, and the distance to the indoor café is set at no more than 50 m (points 21 and 24 of the Procedure).
Opening hours and the end of the permit. Trading in public places is allowed from 6:00 to 24:00. The hours of summer outdoor cafés set up by competition are set by the Director of the Administration (point 24 of the Vilnius Rules). When the permit ends, the outdoor café must be removed within 7 calendar days (point 30 of the Vilnius Rules).
Kaunas
Who issues. Permits to trade in outdoor cafés are issued by the unit of the Kaunas City Municipality Administration responsible for issuing permits and licences (point 5 of the Kaunas Rules).
Where it may be set up. The outdoor café is set up next to an indoor catering place under a design prepared by its owner (point 22 of the Kaunas Rules). It may not be more than 40 m from the indoor place, or more than 6 m on Laisvės alėja; separate rules apply to Vilniaus gatvė and Rotušės aikštė (point 23 of the Kaunas Rules). On a pavement, a passage of at least 1.5 m must be left for pedestrians (point 6 of Order No. A-180 of the Director of the Kaunas City Municipality Administration of 23 February 2026). Furniture is placed without fixing it to the paving (point 9.3 of the same Order). On private or leased plots these requirements are recommendations only (point 2 of Order No. A-180).
Documents. You may apply through the municipal e-services system, by post or in person. The application must include the outdoor café design: an explanatory note, a layout plan on a topographic plan or an extract from the city digital map, a floor plan, a facade fragment and a visualisation. If the café is wider than the frontage of the indoor premises, the consent of the owners of the neighbouring premises is needed. For cultural heritage sites and protected areas, approval of the competent authorities is needed (point 19 of the Kaunas Procedure for Issuing Permits). Proof of payment of the local fee is filed together with the application (point 19.2 of the Procedure).
Time limits. If documents are missing, the administration asks for them within 3 working days, and they must be provided within 5 working days (point 23 of the Procedure). The permit is issued no later than 5 working days after all documents are received (point 32 of the Procedure). The permit is valid at most until the end of the calendar year. Applications for the next year are accepted from 1 December at 8:00, or from the first working day after it (point 8 of the Procedure). The fee is paid before the permit is issued (point 44 of the Kaunas Local Fee Regulations).
Opening hours and the end of the permit. Trading in public places is allowed from 6:00 to 24:00, and music in outdoor cafés from 10:00 to 22:00 (points 9 and 10 of the Kaunas Rules). When the permit ends, the outdoor café must be removed within 15 calendar days (point 25 of the Kaunas Rules).
Klaipėda
Terms. The Klaipėda Rules distinguish extended service areas next to indoor catering places and non-stationary outdoor cafés set up for the season or for events (points 4.1 and 4.4 of the Klaipėda Rules). A terrace next to an operating café fits the definition of an extended service area (point 4.1 of the Klaipėda Rules).
Who issues and how to apply. The permit is issued by the municipal administration (point 24 of the Klaipėda Rules). The application is filed through the information system “Prekybos vietų žemėlapis” (Map of Trading Places) or, if the system is not working, in the other ways listed in point 13 of the Procedure (point 13 of the Klaipėda Procedure), no earlier than 30 calendar days before the activity starts (point 15 of the Procedure). The design consists of an explanatory note, a plan of the area on a topographic survey base, the layout of the object with dimensions, elevations, materials and a visualisation. It must be signed by the project manager and the client and agreed with the owners, landlords or users of the land plot (point 15 of the Klaipėda Rules). An approved design is valid for 3 years (point 18 of the Procedure).
Season and distance. A permit for an extended service area is issued for the period from 1 April to 31 October. From 1 November to 31 March it can be obtained if additional requirements are met (heating, protection from wind and precipitation, and others), but not on the carriageway or in car parks. The service area must be no more than 40 metres from the indoor catering place (point 13¹ of the Procedure).
Carriageway and car parks. If you set up a terrace on the street carriageway or in a car park before and its approved design has expired, the application with the design must be filed by 1 April of the current year; a later application is not examined. Those setting up such a place for the first time may apply by 30 September (point 15 of the Procedure).
Time limits. The permit is issued within 5 working days after all documents are filed and the design is coordinated with the municipal administration’s divisions (point 21 of the Procedure). The fee is paid before the permit is issued (point 12 of the Klaipėda Local Fee Regulations).
Opening hours and the end of the permit. Trading is allowed from 6:00 to 24:00, and playing and broadcasting sound from 9:00 to 22:00, except during holidays and mass events or where the municipal executive body decides otherwise (point 32 of the Klaipėda Rules). When the permit ends, the equipment must be dismantled and removed within 7 working days (point 35 of the Klaipėda Rules).
Change from 1 November 2026. The Rules gain an annex, “Requirements for Outdoor Cafés and Trading Places in Klaipėda Old Town”, which must be followed (point 19.4 of the Klaipėda Rules, version in force from 1 November 2026). If your café is in the Old Town, read this annex before preparing the design.
Alcohol on the terrace
No separate licence is needed for the terrace. A permanent licence for retail sale of alcoholic beverages at an indoor catering place gives the right to serve customers outdoors within no more than 40 metres of that place. However, municipal councils have the right to ban the sale of alcoholic beverages outdoors or to limit its hours and duration (Article 16(3) of the Law on Alcohol Control of the Republic of Lithuania (AKĮ)). So, besides the outdoor café permit, check whether your municipal council has adopted such a decision. The licence itself is covered on our page Café and restaurant licences.
What differs between the cities
In short: in Vilnius the application is filed electronically and no earlier than 3 months ahead, Kaunas starts accepting applications for the next year on 1 December, and Klaipėda accepts them no earlier than 30 days ahead, with a season from April to October. The general trading hours in all three cities are 6:00 to 24:00, unless the municipality has set otherwise in a given case, and the music hours in Kaunas and Klaipėda differ. Equipment must be removed within 7 calendar days in Vilnius, 15 calendar days in Kaunas and 7 working days in Klaipėda. Municipalities change their rules, so read the version in force before you apply.
How to start
Send us the café address, the Real Property Register extract or cadastral plan of the indoor premises, and the requested terrace location, area and period of operation. If the café is in an old town or a cultural heritage area, tell us that too.
Phone +370 5 212 1506, email info@linden.lt
More about this service: Café and restaurant licences.
