Please find below procedure for recovery of stolen vehicle from Lithuanian Republic:
Our local police authority, investigating the matter, return seized vehicle to it’s rightful owner in accordance to Court’s, investigator’s or Public procurator’s decision, if following documents are presented:
application to recover stolen vehicle, addressed to investigating authority;
a copy of theft complaint, confirmed by stamp of investigating authority;
original vehicle’s registration document or it’s copy, confirmed by vehicle registration office or notary;
insurance agreement or it’s copy, confirmed by competent authority ( if it had been insured );
insurance compensation documents;
if insurance was compensated and owner of the vehicle is insurance company, then the authorization to recover the vehicle and confirmed by insurance company is requested;
original ignition keys ( if keys are not available, the reason should be mentioned in report of appropriate authority ).
All presented documents have to be valid in Lithuania and translated into state (Lithuanian) language.
All documents, issued by competent authorities of countries, those signed an agreement for legal assistance with Lithuanian Republic, are valid in Lithuania without legalization. The demand for such documents is to possess original seal with state emblem.
If documents are issued in the country, which signed the Hague Convention from 5-th of October 1961, then it has to be confirmed by appropriate local authorities by means of “Apostille”.
Documents, issued in the rest of countries, have to be legalized in two stages:
Legalized by competent official of the issuing country;
Legalized by representative of Lithuanian Embassy, located or responsible for that country or by Representative of Consulate Department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Lithuanian Republic.
Copies of those documents have to be passed to our local police investigating authority (directly or via Interpol Vilnius).
If vehicle, identified as stolen, was registered in Lithuania, then the rightful owner from foreign country has to apply to local district Court with a civil claim in order to arise a civil case against the present Lithuanian vehicle’s keeper and prove his rights f ownership.
If vehicles’ registered owner or its plenipotentiary doesn’t recover the vehicle nor presents proper documents for vehicles’ recovery in the course of three years, the further questions: as vehicles’ storage, realization to be solved in Court by civil claim.
Contact point in case of difficulties – IP Vilnius, tel.: +370 5 2719900.
Last update: January 2008