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Yad Vashem Law authorizes Yad Vashem "to confer honorary citizenship upon the Righteous among the Nations, and if they have passed away, the commemorative citizenship of the State of Israel, in recognition of their actions".

The Life Saving Cross is conferred on persons who, despite danger to them, performed acts of bravery in saving the life of other people.

The Life Saving Cross may be awarded to both Lithuanian citizens and foreign nationals for saving human life on the territory of the Republic Lithuania and saving the life of Lithuanian citizens in foreign countries.

In pre-war Lithuania this Cross was conferred on 44 persons and 345 persons have been honoured with it since the restoration of the independence.

The majority of the recipients awarded the Life Saving Cross in recent years are citizens of Lithuania who saved the Jews during Nazi occupation. In case of a posthumous award, the insignia as well as the certificate of the Cross are presented to the family. Around 250 persons were awarded the Life Saving Cross for this act of bravery during the Second World War.