{"id":2403,"date":"2026-10-04T10:09:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T07:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/tinklarastis\/writ-of-execution-how-to-obtain-and-send-to-bailiff-lithuania\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T18:27:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T15:27:49","slug":"writ-of-execution-how-to-obtain-and-send-to-bailiff-lithuania","status":"publish","type":"irasas","link":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/blog\/writ-of-execution-how-to-obtain-and-send-to-bailiff-lithuania\/","title":{"rendered":"Writ of execution in Lithuania: how to obtain it and send it to a bailiff"},"template":"","kategorija":[],"class_list":["post-2403","irasas","type-irasas","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"visi_puslapiai_cta_statusas":false,"visi_puslapiai_cta_antraste":"","visi_puslapiai_cta_formos_id":"","visi_puslapiai_cta_papildomas_tekstas":"","visi_puslapiai_cta_nuotrauka":null,"tinklarastis_1_autorius":null,"tinklarastis_1_iraso_tipas":false,"dinamiski_blokai":[{"acf_fc_layout":"tekstas","tekstas":"<p>A writ of execution (<em>vykdomasis ra\u0161tas<\/em>) is issued by the court of first instance on your written application once the judgment has become final (Article 646(1) of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPK)). If the debt was awarded by a court order for payment, do not apply for a writ: a final court order is itself an enforcement document (Article 587, point 2 CPK). A writ of execution may be submitted for enforcement within five years of the judgment becoming final (Article 606(2) CPK). An electronic enforcement document is submitted through the Bailiffs' Information System (<em>Antstoli\u0173 informacin\u0117 sistema<\/em>) (point 4.1 of the Instructions on the Enforcement of Judgments (<em>Sprendim\u0173 vykdymo instrukcija<\/em>)), and that system, not you, assigns the bailiff (Article 650(3) CPK). When you submit the document, you pay the administration costs, and the enforcement costs are recovered from the debtor (Article 610(1) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<h2>What an enforcement document is<\/h2>\r\n<p>Enforcement steps may not be taken without an enforcement document (Article 586(2) CPK). Enforcement documents include (Article 587 CPK):<\/p>\r\n<ul><li>writs of execution issued on the basis of court judgments, rulings and other decisions;<\/li><li>court orders for payment;<\/li><li>court rulings on interim measures;<\/li><li>a notary's writ of enforcement on protested or non-protestable bills of exchange or cheques.<\/li><\/ul>\r\n<p>A final court order for payment is sent to the creditor within three working days (Article 438 CPK). Court judgments are enforced only once final, unless the court orders immediate enforcement (Article 588(1) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p>A court-approved settlement is also enforceable (Article 584(1)(4) CPK). If it is not performed, you apply to the court that heard the case, which issues a writ for the unperformed part of the settlement (Article 646(3) CPK). See our article <a href=\"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/blog\/court-approved-settlement-lithuania-when-final-and-enforcement\/\">Court-approved settlement in Lithuania: when it becomes final, if unpaid<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<h2>How to obtain a writ of execution<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Application.<\/strong> Once the judgment is final, the court of first instance issues the writ on the creditor's written application (Article 646(1) CPK). The court issues it without an application only in the cases listed in Article 646(1) CPK, for example where maintenance is recovered; a contractual debt is not among them. Where immediate enforcement is ordered, the court that gave the immediately enforceable judgment issues the writ on your written application no later than the next working day after the judgment (Article 646(2) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Electronic or paper.<\/strong> Where the conditions for serving procedural documents electronically are met, the court issues an electronic writ of execution signed with a qualified electronic signature (Article 624\u00b9(6) CPK). Those conditions are met, for example, where an advocate represents you, or where you asked to receive documents electronically and gave your contact details (Article 175\u00b9(9) CPK). Otherwise the writ is handed over against signature or sent by registered post (Article 646(4) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Attachments.<\/strong> Copies of the asset freezing documents and other documents needed to enforce the judgment are attached to the writ (Article 646(5) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Several debtors.<\/strong> One writ is issued per judgment. Where the award is against jointly and severally liable defendants, the court issues as many writs as there are such defendants (Article 647(2) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Check the content.<\/strong> The writ must state, among other things, the court, the case, the operative part of the judgment relating to recovery word for word, when the judgment became final, and the details of the creditor and the debtor (Article 648(1) CPK). A clerical or other error in the writ is corrected on your request by the court that issued it (Article 648(6) CPK). Check this at once, because the bailiff, when accepting the document, checks whether its content meets Article 648 CPK (Article 651(2)(3) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lost writ.<\/strong> A duplicate of a lost writ is issued on application to the court of first instance that heard the case. On return of a paper writ, you can obtain an electronic duplicate (Article 649(1) CPK). Once the Article 606 CPK period has expired, no duplicate is issued unless the period has been renewed (Article 649(3) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<h2>The deadline for enforcement<\/h2>\r\n<p>Writs of execution under court judgments may be submitted for enforcement within five years of the judgment becoming final; for an immediately enforceable judgment the period runs from the first day after the judgment (Article 606(2) CPK). Once this period has expired, the court does not issue a writ unless the period has been renewed (Article 646(6) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p>Article 606(2) CPK refers to writs of execution under court judgments and does not separately state a period for a court order for payment. When accepting any enforcement document, the bailiff checks whether the limitation period for submitting it has been missed (Article 651(2)(4) CPK). So submit a final court order for enforcement no later than five years after it became final.<\/p>\r\n<p>Unless the law provides otherwise, the period is interrupted by submitting the enforcement document; part performance also interrupts it. After interruption, the period starts again (Article 607(1) and (2) CPK). If the document is returned unenforced or partly enforced, a new period runs from the day it is returned to the creditor (Article 607(3) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p>A missed period may be renewed by the bailiff if the bailiff accepts the reasons as important. Submit the renewal request, with evidence, together with the enforcement document (Article 608(1) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p>This period is separate from the limitation period for bringing the claim: it runs from the date the judgment becomes final (Article 606(2) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<h2>How to submit to a bailiff<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Who may submit.<\/strong> The enforcement document is submitted to the bailiff (<em>antstolis<\/em>, court enforcement officer) by the creditor or the creditor's representative, or by the authority that issued it (Article 650(1) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Where to submit.<\/strong> An electronic enforcement document is submitted through the Bailiffs' Information System (point 4.1 of the Instructions). A paper enforcement document is submitted to the Lithuanian Chamber of Bailiffs (<em>Lietuvos antstoli\u0173 r\u016bmai<\/em>), where it is digitised and uploaded to the Bailiffs' Information System (point 4.2 of the Instructions).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Request to accept for enforcement.<\/strong> The document is submitted with a request to accept it for enforcement. In it you state the debtor's known place of residence or registered office, the amount to be recovered, the account for the recovered funds, and whether you wish to receive all procedural documents only electronically (point 5 of the Instructions). When submitting an electronic enforcement document, you give your email address and phone number (Article 624\u00b9(7) CPK). In the request you also confirm that the electronic enforcement document has not been submitted before. If you submit it again, you attach the bailiff's order by which it was returned to you (point 6 of the Instructions). If the claim was assigned, or another succession occurred, before submission, a request to substitute the creditor or debtor is filed with evidence (point 5.4 of the Instructions).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Who chooses the bailiff.<\/strong> Not you. The Bailiffs' Information System allocates enforcement documents proportionally among all bailiffs operating in the relevant territory (Article 650(3) CPK). The territory depends on the debtor. For an individual: the place of residence; if unknown, the location of assets; if that is also unknown, the place of work (Article 590(1) CPK). For a company: the registered office, or if unknown, the location of assets (Article 590(2) CPK). If the details in the enforcement document and in your request differ, the place of enforcement is set by your request (point 4.3.1 of the Instructions). If a bailiff is already enforcing against the same debtor, the new document goes to that bailiff (point 4.3.2.2 of the Instructions). Otherwise it goes to the bailiff in that territory who has been allocated the fewest documents of that category (point 4.3.2.4 of the Instructions). At the creditor's request, the president of the regional court may assign enforcement to another bailiff, and the president of the Court of Appeal (<em>Lietuvos apeliacinis teismas<\/em>) to a bailiff in another region (Article 590(6) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<h2>What you pay at the start and what is recovered<\/h2>\r\n<p>Enforcement costs consist of administration costs of the enforcement file, costs paid to third parties, and the bailiff's fee (Article 609(1) CPK). Their amounts are set by the Government (Article 609(3) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<ul><li><strong>At the start.<\/strong> When you submit the enforcement document, you pay the bailiff the administration costs. If the bailiff refuses to accept the document, the costs paid are refunded (point 141 of the Instructions). Exception: if you ask for a missed submission period to be renewed or for a party to be substituted and the bailiff refuses, the administration costs paid for that request are not refunded (point 141\u00b9 of the Instructions). If you do not pay the administration costs, the bailiff refuses to accept the document, except in the cases listed in the Instructions (point 142 of the Instructions). The bailiff may also accept the document and issue an invoice, which you must pay within 20 days of issue (point 144 of the Instructions).<\/li><li><strong>Later.<\/strong> Steps paid to third parties are taken after the creditor pays for them, unless payment has been deferred or the creditor exempted (point 149 of the Instructions).<\/li><li><strong>On the bailiff's demand.<\/strong> The creditor must pay all enforcement costs in the manner set by the Instructions (point 150 of the Instructions). In cases set by the Government, the creditor also pays costs paid to third parties and the bailiff's fee (Article 610(1) CPK).<\/li><li><strong>Who pays in the end.<\/strong> Enforcement costs are recovered from the debtor (Article 610(1) CPK). Costs you paid that are recovered from the debtor are returned to you, except in the cases set by the Instructions (point 155 of the Instructions).<\/li><li><strong>Post.<\/strong> If you state in the request that you do not wish to receive documents electronically, you pay the postal costs, and they are not recovered from the debtor (point 156 of the Instructions).<\/li><\/ul>\r\n<h2>What the bailiff does first<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Checks the document.<\/strong> Within three working days, or immediately in cases of urgent enforcement, the bailiff checks for obvious obstacles to accepting the document, including: whether it was submitted by a person entitled to do so, whether that bailiff is the right one, whether the content and attachments are in order, and whether the submission period has been missed. If there are obstacles, the bailiff refuses by an order and returns the document, giving reasons (Article 651(1) and (2) CPK). If there are none, the bailiff accepts the document by an order and starts enforcement (Article 651(3) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Starts enforcement.<\/strong> The bailiff must start enforcement steps no later than three working days after accepting the document, and in immediate-enforcement cases no later than the next working day (Article 653 CPK). In the order accepting the document, the bailiff tells the debtor that the debt and enforcement costs will be recovered by compulsory means (Article 654(1) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Demands payment.<\/strong> By a demand to comply (<em>raginimas \u012fvykdyti sprendim\u0105<\/em>), the bailiff informs the debtor that an enforcement document has been submitted and that compulsory enforcement will start if it is not complied with within the set period (Article 655(1) CPK). If the enforcement document sets no deadline, the debtor is given ten days from service of the demand (Article 659(1) CPK). No demand is sent in immediate-enforcement cases and in cases for small sums specified in Article 661(2) CPK; nor is one sent where the deadline for compliance is set by law or in the enforcement document (Article 661(1) and (2) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>May freeze assets at once.<\/strong> Once the demand has been served, the bailiff may require the debtor to disclose assets. If there is a risk that the debtor will hide assets, the bailiff may freeze them on serving or sending the demand (Article 658(1) and (2) CPK).<\/p>\r\n<p>How the bailiff traces the debtor's assets and income, and what you can do meanwhile, is covered in our article <a href=\"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/blog\/finding-debtor-assets-and-income-lithuania-creditor-and-bailiff\/\">Finding a debtor's assets and income in Lithuania: you vs the bailiff<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<h2>More on debt recovery<\/h2>\r\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/linden.lt\/skolos\/en\/\">Debt recovery in court: service page<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/blog\/finding-debtor-assets-and-income-lithuania-creditor-and-bailiff\/\">Finding a debtor's assets and income in Lithuania: you vs the bailiff<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/blog\/costs-in-a-debt-case-what-the-debtor-must-pay-lithuania\/\">Costs in a debt case in Lithuania: what the debtor must pay<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/blog\/court-order-court-fee-interest-and-bailiff-in-lithuania\/\">Court order, court fee and bailiff in Lithuania: what happens next<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\r\n<h2>How to start<\/h2>\r\n<p>Send us the final judgment or court order for payment, any writ of execution you already have, and what you know about the debtor. We will prepare the application for the writ of execution and the request to accept the enforcement document for enforcement.<\/p>\r\n<p>Phone +370 5 212 1506, email info@linden.lt<\/p>\r\n<p>More about this service: <a href=\"https:\/\/linden.lt\/skolos\/en\/\">debt recovery in court<\/a>.<\/p>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/irasas\/2403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/irasas"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/irasas"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/irasas\/2403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2445,"href":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/irasas\/2403\/revisions\/2445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kategorija","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linden.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kategorija?post=2403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}