Immigration and residency in Baltics 2015: Latvia

European Union citizens

EU citizens have the right to stay in Latvia on the basis of a valid travel document for the period of up to 3 months within half a year counting from the first day of entrance. If the person wishes to stay in Latvia longer, the temporary residence permit shall be applied. An EU citizen who has resided in Latvia permanently for 5 years on the basis of temporary residence can obtain the right of permanent residence.

Temporary residence permit

In order to obtain the right of temporary residence permit the following documents will be required:

• the copy of the person passport;
• person marriage dates, info on spouse, parents, children, brother, sister, languages knowledge’s, education, serving in military services, residence in foreigner countries indicated in official Application form;
• information on the person possible place of residence in Latvia;
• document confirming person staying in Latvia (for example, labor agreement - for employee)

The person must have income 360 EUR per month. State fees: Per registration of the address 4,27 EUR. Documents must be submitted personally in Latvia, in Immigration department.

Non European Union citizens

The most common are following temporary residence permit forms:

• If investors purchase and own a real estate (functionally bounded with buildings) worth over 250 000 EUR. The immovable property cannot consist of agricultural land or forest land. The minimal cadastral value has been increased to 80,000 EUR. Besides 5 percent of the value of real estate will have to be paid into the state budget by third-country citizens who apply for Latvia's residence permit for the first time.The real estate shall be inquired only form the legal persons registered in Latvia, Latvian citizens, noncitizens, EU citizen, or person with the residence permit of Latvia. The transactions have to be done with clearing and no debt is allowed with regard to real estate tax. The property might be bought by you as individual. In this case you must have income 1080 EUR per month and place of residence in Latvia. The residence permit will be issued per 5 years and once per year you might register in Immigration department.

• If a person (individual) invests at least 150 000 EUR or 35 000 EUR in the share capital and a company. If 35’000 EUR are invested, the company shall  pay in taxes at least 40 000 EUR within a financial year, has  maximum 50  employees and annual turnover cannot  exceed 10 000’000 EUR, for maximum 3 persons. If 150 000  EUR are invested, the company shall  has  more  than 50  employees and annual turnover shall exceed 10 000’000 EUR. In this case you must have income 1080 EUR per month and place of residence in Latvia. The residence permit will be issued per 5 years and once per year you might register in Immigration department.

• If a person (individual) invests at least 280 000 EUR in a credit institution for (at least) 5 years term (without rights to discontinue this investment earlier). 25 000 EUR will have to be paid into the state budget by third-country citizens who apply for Latvia's residence permit for the first time. In this case you must have income 360 EUR per month and place of residence in Latvia. The residence permit will be issued per 5 years and once per year you might register in Immigration department

• A person registered in the Latvian Commercial Register as the Board or the Council, managing or a person authorized to represent a corporate entity (a foreign corporate entity) in activities related to the branch office in Latvia; The company must be registered per 1 year, has to pay in taxes min. 21 350 EUR per year. In this case you must have income 1432 EUR per month and place of residence in Latvia. The residence permit will be issued per 5 years and once per year you might register in Immigration department

• A representative of a foreign corporate entity. The representative office must prove their business activity by presenting of concluded agreements. In this case you must have income 360 EUR per month and place of residence in Latvia. The residence permit will be issued per 4 years and once per year you might register in Immigration department.

• The person is an employee in the Latvian or foreign company. In this case you must have salary 716 EUR per month and place of residence. The residence permit will be issued per the term of the Employment agreement. Receiving of the work permit and announcement of the vacancy (1 month before receiving of the work permit) is required before receiving of the residence permit. The residence permit will be issued within 30 days  (or within 80 days if you will buy immovable property, invest in share capital of company or in banc account) if the state fee 99,60 EUR is paid, 10 days –241.89EUR  , 5 days – 384.18  EUR is paid).

Person spouse and minor children, as well as dependants can receive the residence permit on the ground of your received residence permit. Person spouse income per months must be 360 EUR, a child–216 EUR.

In order to obtain the right of temporary residence permit the following documents will be required:

• the copy of the person passport and information on person address abroad;
• person marriage dates, info on spouse, parents, children, brother, sister, languages knowledge’s, education, serving in military services, residence in foreigner countries indicated in official Application form;
• information on the person possible place of residence in Latvia;
• document confirming person staying in Latvia (for example, labor agreement - for employee);
• a statement on punish ability issued by a competent institution of the citizenship or the host country (for a foreigner more than 14 years old), if a foreigner has resided in that country longer than 12 months; 
• health insurance policy.

First time to apply for a residence permit, a foreigner must submit documents personally to a diplomatic or consular representative office of Latvia abroad, outside Schengen and EU countries.

Investors in the real estate, share capital of the company or credit institutions who legally visit Latvia may all documents submit in the Latvia Immigration department. This rule is not applicable to the citizens of Afghanistan; Algeria; the United Arab Emirates; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Egypt; Indonesia; Iraq; Iran; Yemen; Jordan; Qatar; Kenya; Korea, Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia; Kuwait; Lebanese; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Morocco; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Palestine; Saudi Arabia; Syria; Somalia; Sudan; Sri Lanka and Tunisia.

Schengen visas

The Schengen visa allows the holder to a total stay of up to 3 months days within a period of 6 months for tourist or business purposes. Receiving the multiple entry Schengen visa, is possible to leave and return in any number of times within the 6 months period, but the combined stay within the region must not total more than 3 months (90 days). The Latvian Embassy or a Consulate of the Republic of Latvia takes a decision of the issue of a visa within 7 days of the receipt of necessary documents. If additional information is required, the process may take up to 30 days.

Documents required for applying for Schengen visa for travel to Latvia:

• A valid passport or other travel document (containing at least two blank pages and with a term of validity exceeding the expiry date of the visa requested by a minimum of three months);
• A completed and signed official application form;
• 1 passport-size recent color photo (35x45mm);
• Travel medical insurance policy valid in all Schengen countries and covering the entire period of the visit in the Schengen area (the minimum amount of the insurance is 30 000 EUR);
• Payment or confirmation of the payment of visa application fee. Short-term visa costs 60 EUR.

Supporting documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the visit (the necessity to submit any of the below is defined by the consular officers):

• purpose of entry or visitation (such as an invitation number approved by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs);
• means of transport for arriving and leaving Latvia (such as round-trip tickets or a reservation for tickets);
• means of subsistence to stay in Latvia and other Schengen countries, and means to return to state of residence (such as records of bank account transactions in the past months or tax returns);  (The following amounts are required: if the party extending the invitation provides the foreign national being invited with accommodation, the estimate for the required financial means is aprox.14 EUR a day; if the foreign national intends to stay at a tourist accommodation, the estimate for the required financial means takes into account the cost of lodging based on the applicable rates, and is at least 42  EUR a day.
• place of residence in Latvia (such as a hotel reservation or an invitation approved by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, if staying with the inviting party);
• proof that you will return to your state of residence (such as a letter from the employer or an educational institution). 

If there is the Schengen visa issued to the employee of the Latvian or foreign company, receiving of the work permit and announcement of the vacancy (1 month before receiving of the Schengen visa) is required before receiving of the visa. In this case you must have salary 684 EUR per month.

A multiple-entry visa may be issued to a foreign national if the applicant proves the need to travel frequently and/or regularly and justifies such need, in particular due to his occupational or family status, and if the foreign national has used any previous visas lawfully, as well as proves his integrity and reliability, his economic situation in the country of origin and his genuine intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for.

For full Immigration and Residency in Baltics: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia guide click below: