Passwords, browsers and phones

How to move from LastPass to Bitwarden: direct import or CSV, done safely

SwitchTo HQ · Updated 18 October 2026 · Passwords, browsers and phones · How we write

Bitwarden can import a LastPass vault in two ways. You can connect directly to your LastPass account from a Bitwarden app, or you can export a CSV file from LastPass and import it. The direct method avoids creating an unencrypted file on your computer, so it is usually the safer choice where it is available. This guide follows Bitwarden's Import from LastPass article.

Before you start

Create your Bitwarden account and choose a strong master password. Bitwarden can't recover your vault if you forget it.
Install the Bitwarden browser extension or desktop app. You need one of these for the direct import.
Set up two-step login on Bitwarden before moving your passwords in. Bitwarden's help centre explains the two-step login options.
Don't close your LastPass account yet. Keep it until you have checked that everything has arrived.

Option 1: Direct import (recommended where available)

Bitwarden's browser extensions and desktop apps can import directly from your LastPass account, without a file. Bitwarden says the data is encrypted locally before being sent to its servers.

Log in to the Bitwarden browser extension or desktop app.
In the browser extension, open the Settings tab, choose Vault, then Import items. In the desktop app, choose Import from the menu.
Choose the import destination (your individual vault, or an organisation vault you can access) and, optionally, a folder or collection.
Set File format to LastPass, then choose Import directly from LastPass.
Enter your LastPass email and select Import data.
When prompted, enter your LastPass master password, or sign in through your identity provider if your LastPass account uses SSO.

If your LastPass account uses multi-factor authentication, you will be asked for a one-time code from your authenticator app. Bitwarden notes that if you use Duo, only in-app approval is supported.

For business accounts, Bitwarden recommends using a LastPass admin's credentials and warns that super admin credentials may cause the import to fail. If your team uses SSO with LastPass, a LastPass administrator needs to complete a short setup before members can use the direct import.

Option 2: Export a CSV from LastPass, then import

If you can't use the direct method, export a file from LastPass.

From the LastPass web vault:

Select Advanced Options in the left sidebar.
In Manage your Vault, select Export.
LastPass emails you to confirm. Confirm in the email, return to the web vault and select Export again.
Depending on your browser, the data is either saved as a .csv file or shown on screen in CSV format. If it is shown on screen, copy it into a new file called export.csv.

From the LastPass browser extension: go to Account, then Fix a problem yourself, then Export vault items, then Export data for use anywhere, and enter your master password.

Check for the encoding bug. Bitwarden warns that some users have found special characters in passwords, such as &, < and >, changed to HTML-encoded values like & in the on-screen export. If you see this, use a text editor to find and replace the altered values before importing. Otherwise some passwords will be wrong.

Import the file into Bitwarden:

Log in to the Bitwarden web vault (vault.bitwarden.com, vault.bitwarden.eu, or your own domain if self-hosting).
Select Tools, then Import.
Choose the destination and, optionally, a folder or collection.
Set the file format to LastPass, choose the file or paste its contents, and select Import.

Bitwarden also offers a command-line import (bw import <format> <path>) for people who use its CLI.

Handle the export file carefully

A LastPass CSV export contains every password in your vault in plain text. Bitwarden advises deleting the import file from your computer as soon as the import has succeeded. In practice:

Don't save the file to a synced folder such as Dropbox, OneDrive or iCloud Drive.
Don't email it to yourself.
Delete it as soon as you have finished, and empty your recycle bin or bin.

What doesn't come across

Bitwarden notes that some items aren't imported and need to be handled separately:

File attachments need to be uploaded to your Bitwarden vault one by one.
Items in the LastPass trash aren't imported.

Before you leave LastPass, check for attachments on secure notes and logins and download any you want to keep.

Avoid duplicates

Bitwarden's import doesn't check for duplicates. If you import the same file twice, or import items that are already in your vault, you will end up with duplicate entries. If an import goes wrong, deal with the result before trying again. If Bitwarden shows an "Import error" message, it says no data was added, so you can fix the file and retry.

Bitwarden also notes that free Bitwarden organisations can have up to two collections. This is relevant if you are importing shared folders into an organisation.

After the import

Spot-check the vault. Open a sample of logins, including some with special characters in the password, and check that they work.
Check folders and shared items. Make sure shared folders have ended up in the right organisation and collections.
Set Bitwarden as your autofill tool. Turn off LastPass autofill, and the browser's own password saving if you don't want it, to avoid conflicts.
Move any one-time passcodes. If you stored authenticator codes or secrets in LastPass, check that they have come across before you rely on them.
Close or downgrade LastPass once you are confident. Consider changing the passwords of your most important accounts after the move.

Checklist

Create a Bitwarden account and turn on two-step login.
Use the direct import from the extension or desktop app if you can.
If you use a CSV, check for HTML-encoded characters, and delete the file afterwards.
Upload attachments manually, and don't import the same data twice.
Spot-check logins before closing LastPass.