A Latvian residence permit is applied for by those who plan to reside in Latvia for more than 3 consecutive months within six months and have a legitimate reason to move. Since the country is a member of the European Union, you get temporary EU residency with all its benefits, including visa-free travel in the Schengen area. Among the rights of a Latvian residence permit holder are social guarantees, official work (for certain types of residency), medical care, and running a business.

The primary residence permit in Latvia is issued for a period of up to 1-5 years, depending on the reason for its issuance. The document can be obtained for family reasons, for labor or commercial activity, as a student, investor, representative of scientific or religious sphere. The main conditions for issuing a residence permit are law-abidingness, financial security, satisfactory state of health. In the future, you can obtain the status of permanent resident and citizenship by naturalization.

Citizens of other EU countries have the right to reside in the Republic of Latvia together with their families, and they do not need to look for a reason to move. You can apply for an EU passport for immigration and other purposes under a simplified procedure in just 4-14 months. To find out more, request a free consultation with a specialist.

What types of Latvian residence permit are existing?

Those who come to Latvia for the first time are issued a temporary residence permit for Latvia. Since April 2, 2012 it is a separate identity card with biometric data of the owner - digital image of the face and fingerprints. The primary residence permit is issued for a limited period of time, and in order to extend it, you need to repeatedly submit documents and confirm that you have a reason to live in the country.

After 5 years of continuous residence in the country with a Latvian residence permit you can apply for a local residence permit. The permanent residence card actually equalizes you in rights with the citizens of the republic, but does not allow you to participate in political life and hold certain public positions. Permanent residence status is granted indefinitely and does not require renewal - only the document itself needs to be changed periodically.

Latvia also provides a special type of residence permit - the Blue Card of the European Union - to those who are officially employed in the republic, has a university degree and high qualifications, and also receives from 150% of the average salary in the country. The Blue Card gives you special preferences, such as the right to move with close relatives without family reunification procedure and the possibility to change employers within the EU.

How to obtain temporary residence in Latvia    

According to Article 23 of the Law “Imigrācijas likums”, a Latvian residence permit may be issued to:

• foreign businessmen;
• relatives of local citizens and residents;
• self-employed persons;
• employees of Latvian companies;
• key investors;
• students of local universities;
• researchers;
• refugees and asylum seekers.

A residence permit in Latvia is also granted on other, less common grounds, e.g., for medical treatment, religious/volunteer/creative activities or long-term internship. The decision to issue a temporary residence permit is made by the competent authorities within 30 days (10 days for the EU Blue Card) from the date of submission of the request. The validity period of the residence permit depends on the reason for which the document is issued and usually ranges from 12 months to 5 years.

If you manage to keep a reason to stay in Latvia for 5 consecutive years, you can apply for a permanent resident card. It is granted if you have A2 level of knowledge of the national language and receive a monthly legal income of 740 EUR or more. After another 5 years you can count on citizenship in the framework of the general naturalization procedure.

To request a residence permit in Latvia, you will have to pay an administrative fee (the amount depends on the period of document processing):

• 160 EUR - 30 days;
• 280 EUR - 10 days;
• 560 EUR - 5 days.

Separately, you pay the state duty for the production and issuance of a Latvian resident's identity card. The cost is 45 EUR (10 working days) or 80 EUR (2 working days). Below you can find more detailed information about the ways of obtaining a residence permit of the Republic of Latvia.

Doing business

You can move to Latvia after registering in the commercial register as a foreign merchant. It is important to demonstrate a stable monthly income of 3074 EUR per month or more. A residence permit is also granted to the management staff of local partnerships that have been organized at least one year ago and have a share capital of 2800 EUR or more. Residency is granted for a maximum of 5 years.

In addition, Latvia grants residence permit to startup entrepreneurs after approval of their business plan for the next three years. The candidate should get the support of a venture fund that is ready to invest 30 000 EUR or more in his/her idea. In this case, the residence permit is valid for up to three years.

Official employment

The right to temporary residence in Latvia is granted to those who conclude a contract with a local employer. In this case, you need to earn at least the average salary for the chosen position (approximately 1500 EUR per month). The procedure for obtaining a residence permit is initiated by the employer. Temporary residence is granted for the period of employment, but not more than 5 years.

Highly qualified specialists can obtain an EU Blue Card in Latvia, which is valid for up to 2 years. Your salary must be at least 2306 EUR per month (1844 EUR if the profession is on the list of shortages in the country). You also need to prove your experience and/or education with documents. Besides, relocation by employment is possible in case of intra-corporate transfer - residence permit is issued for a maximum of 3 years. The residence permit for interns and self-employed persons is valid for up to 12 months.

Family circumstances

Temporary residents, permanent residents and citizens of Latvia have the right to be reunited with family members. One can invite a legal husband or wife, children (citizens of the country are also allowed an adult child), parents, legal guardians and custodians. The first residence permit is issued for a period of up to 12 months, the second one - for 4 years at once. The invited person may support himself/herself or be a dependent of the host country.

Also, those who prove that there were or are native Latvians or Livonians in their direct lineage can obtain a residence permit. In this case the residence is granted for 5 years at once. Earlier it was also possible to obtain residence permit by descent in an accelerated procedure, including if your relative was deprived of Latvian passport against his will (for example, during the Soviet occupation), but from 2024 this method is not relevant.

Investing in the economy

Latvia grants temporary residence in exchange for investments in the republic. It is possible to invest in:

• fixed or share capital of the Latvian community in the amount from 50,000-100,000 EUR (depends on the annual turnover of the company and the number of employees) with an additional contribution to the budget of the Republic of Latvia from 10,000 EUR;
• purchase of real estate (up to two objects) for the amount of 250,000 EUR or more, provided that it is paid by cashless payment, there are no tax debts and 5% of the property value is paid to the state budget;
• financial investments in a licensed Latvian credit institution for the amount of 280 000 EUR and the term of 5 years with the payment of 25 000 EUR to the state treasury; 
• state securities in the amount of 250,000 EUR and an additional 38,000 EUR paid to the state treasury.

Investor's residence permit in Latvia is issued for a period of up to 5 years. It does not give special preferences to the holder, including accelerated naturalization.

Obtaining education

The right of residence in Latvia is granted to those who enroll in local universities and colleges on a full-time basis. For students the self-sufficiency requirement is 700 EUR per month. The residence permit is valid for another 4 months after the expected date of graduation from the university. Then it is also possible to obtain residency to find a job or open a company. Such document is valid for 9 months.

Latvian residence permit is also issued for children who receive secondary or primary education, and in this case, it is valid until the end of education. Participants of student exchange and student mobility programs can obtain a residence permit for up to 12 months. In any of the above cases, it is necessary to confirm with documents the fact of enrollment in an educational institution and payment of tuition fees, and minors - also to obtain written consent from parents for immigration.

Humanitarian circumstances

Latvia grants residence permits to those who have been granted humanitarian status in accordance with the national law “On Asylum”. You must prove by all possible means that you are unable to reside in your home country because of a threat to your life, honor, dignity or health. Refugee status is usually approved for those who come from an active war zone (e.g., Middle Eastern countries) or who are persecuted at home because of their race, religion, nationality. Those who have received a death sentence in their home country may also receive additional protection.

Other reasons

In addition to those listed above, the following categories of applicants may obtain a Latvian residence permit in 2025:

• those who had citizenship of the Republic before 1940 and lost it due to insurmountable circumstances;
• foreigners who require long-term medical treatment and come to the country for this purpose;
• researchers who will carry out their professional activities under contract with the local host organization;
• members of religious denominations, such as priests or monks who wish to reside in a monastery within the country;
• wealthy pensioners from visa-free countries whose monthly payment from their home country is at least 1028 EUR;
• those who come to implement certain projects within the framework of international agreements;
• other persons, if it is justified by the interests of the Latvian state.

In each case, the temporary residence card is issued for the period necessary to fulfill your tasks in Latvia. You need to prove your right to move with appropriate documents, e.g., an invitation from a church or a contract with a hospital for medical treatment.

Citizens of the European Union can also legally reside in Latvia. Our specialized lawyers can help you apply for an EU passport without having to pass an integration test, demonstrate your income level, prior residence in the country, or renounce your current citizenship. Learn more by scheduling a consultation with an international law specialist.

How temporary and permanent resident status is formalized  

Initially you determine the reason for immigration to Latvia, compare advantages and disadvantages of different programs, check yourself for compliance with the requirements to the applicant and prepare such a dossier:

• an application form of the established sample according to the reason for issuing a residence permit;
• a personal photo of 30 x 40 mm;
• valid travel document with copies;
• proof of sufficient financial security;
• receipt of payment of the administrative fee;
• a health insurance policy;
• proof of your eligibility to immigrate.

The general list is supplemented with documents according to the reason, for example, an applicant for the EU Blue Card in Latvia will need an education diploma. The dossier also depends on your citizenship, for example, you may need a certificate of absence of criminal record, if the Republic does not exchange relevant information with your home country. Documents issued abroad must be translated into Latvian.

The further procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Latvia is as follows:

1. Make an appointment with an authorized body.
   You can request a primary Latvian residence permit in the territory of the Republic, if you are legally residing there, or outside of it. If you reside abroad, the request is submitted to a diplomatic mission - consulate or embassy. You will need to make an appointment in advance via the official website of the Latvian State Portal or by other means, depending on the country of your stay.
2. Submitting a request, obtaining a residence permit and moving.
   On the appointed day you visit the Latvian diplomatic mission and submit the documents. If you already reside in the country, you should apply to the Citizenship and Migration Board. You will also need to submit biometric data for the production of a foreigner's identity card. It takes from a week to 40 working days (in total) to consider your request and issue a residence permit, depending on which service you choose and pay for - regular or urgent. Upon arrival in the country, you must go through the procedure of declaring your place of residence (in person or online).
3. Extension of temporary resident status.
   You can extend your Latvian residence permit if you still have a reason to live in the country and you meet the accompanying conditions for granting residence. The procedure of renewal is similar to the opening of the primary residence permit. To the basic list of documents, you need to add proof of residence in the country, i.e., address registration. First, you send a request electronically through the website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs or by mail to the nearest representative office. Then on the appointed day you submit the documents and wait for the decision.
4. Obtaining permanent residence permit.
   After 5 years of residence in Latvia you can apply for a permanent residence card. You must be able to speak Latvian at the level of A2 or higher and have a legal income of at least 740 EUR per month for 12 months prior to the date of application. You submit your application online or by mail, wait for a personal appointment at the Citizenship and Migration Board, have your photo taken again, submit fingerprints and receive the finished document.

Why may the status be denied or the right to reside in Latvia be revoked?  

Temporary residence permit in Latvia is not granted to those who have submitted an incomplete set of documents, incorrectly completed the dossier or used forged certificates. A residence permit will not be granted if you have concealed important information about yourself or provided false information, have diseases dangerous for society, are included in the list of persons non grata of the Schengen migration system, have previously violated EU laws. Requests are also rejected due to non-compliance with the conditions for granting residence, mainly due to lack of money for self-support.

A residence permit in Latvia is revoked if you are found guilty of fraudulent actions when obtaining it, if you are found guilty in criminal proceedings, if you leave the country for more than six months without a valid reason. Residence permit is revoked if the reason to stay in the country disappears, for example, you dissolved your marriage with a local citizen or closed a business. Also, the document ceases to be valid if you are expelled from the Schengen zone. You can prevent undesirable consequences if you get a residence permit with the help of migration specialists.

Individual selection of immigration program

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Feedback from immigrants who have obtained a Latvian residence permit

Foreigners who have stayed to live in Latvia, cite in their reviews a number of positive and negative points associated with the move. Many like the wide list of immigration grounds, among which are the purchase of real estate for a fairly loyal amount, independent residence for pensioners and official work. Decisions on the issuance of residence permits in the republic are made quickly enough - a maximum of one month, and you do not need to spend time separately to obtain a national visa.

The disadvantages of immigration to Latvia include the requirement of mandatory self-sufficiency, and the amount of minimum income is regularly increased. Naturalization in the republic takes a long time - from 10 years from the moment of moving, and residence permit is immediately canceled if there is no reason to stay in the state.

Most foreigners like life in Latvia. Many note the stable growth of the economy, strong social guarantees, availability of vacancies in the labor market and the opportunity to represent commercial interests at the international level. Among the disadvantages of the republic are the high cost of real estate and public utilities, poor understanding of the English language by locals.

For a comfortable move to Latvia, immigrants recommend to enlist the support of specialized lawyers. Step-by-step support guarantees successful outcome of the procedure and obtaining residence or citizenship in the EU on simplified terms.

Alternative ways of moving to Latvia with obtaining all the rights of local citizens

Registration of a Latvian residence permit is not available to everyone, as the applicant needs to have a reason for legal relocation and meet a number of requirements. It is impossible to legally buy a residence permit card in Latvia, and for investors there is a rather high entry threshold and mandatory security check. If you want to simply and quickly immigrate to the Republic, you can get a passport of another EU country for this purpose.

A number of EU countries have simplified citizenship programs that do not require you to open a residence permit or permanent residence, provide proof of income and profound knowledge of a foreign language. Our specialized lawyers can help you choose the immigration procedure that is right for you. Specialists will analyze your wishes, intentions and peculiarities of the dossier, and then offer a personalized plan of action. To find out the details, make an appointment for a free consultation.

About the author

Diana Weber

Lawyer of international law

Diane Weber is an international law specialist with 10 years of legal practice experience. Her portfolio includes successful stories of citizenship in different European Union countries under simplified procedures. Diana provides detailed advice and helps many people to achieve their immigration goals in a short period of time, including resolving visa issues, assisting in obtaining residence permits and citizenship in the EU countries. In her blog, Diana Weber enjoys providing readers with detailed information about the features of most popular programs for obtaining a second passport.