Immigrate to Latvia

Updated on Monday 27th February 2023

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Latvia is one of the best gateways to explore the whole Europe as this country is in the Schengen zone. So, if a person enters Latvia, he/she can visit any state that comes under the Schengen zone till the validity of his/her visa expires. You are welcome in this country if you are planning to immigrate to Latvia for work, study or tourism, etc.

Our immigration lawyers in Latvia can assist you in the immigration process because Latvia, being in the Schengen zone, have different immigration processes for people with different nationalities. But our Latvian lawyers can help you throughout the whole process observing the immigration requirements as per your nationality.

Quick Facts
Entry visa requirement (from EU) (Yes/No)	No
Entry visa requirement (outside EU) (Yes/No)	Yes
Types of visas available	- Schengen Visa, - National Visa
Time frame for obtaining work visa (approx.)	Five business days. More details about how to immigrate to Latvia are offered by our lawyers.
Validity of temporary residence permit	5 years
Temporary residence permit renewal requirements	- a document confirming non-existence of current or pending debts for real estate taxes; - a document confirming the necessary means of subsistence; - a valid health insurance policy
Documents for obtaining a residence visa	- a completed residence permit application form, - a photo; - a confirmation of no criminal record; - proof of subsistence/sufficient funds; - proof of income or funds of at least 430 EUR per month; - a document confirming the planned place of residence; - the proof of payment for the state fees
Time frame for obtaining permanent residence (approx.)	5 – 30 days
Investor visa availability (Yes/No)	Yes
Start up visa scheme availability (Yes/No)	Yes
Sponsorship requirement (Yes/No)	Yes. More information about how to immigrate to Latvia are offered by our team.
Time frame for obtaining citizenship	10 years
Citizenship/ Residency by investment scheme availability (Yes/No)	Yes. More details about how to immigrate to Latvia are offered by our team.
Taxation of foreign citizens	20%
Tax benefits for foreign citizens	Foreign citizens only pay tax on their Latvian-sourced income.

In this article, you will find a brief overview of the most important considerations when emigrating to Latvia.

Why choose Latvia for relocation

Latvia has always been a discreet immigration destination in Europe, but over the last few years, it has been gaining popularity among foreign investors thinking about starting businesses in European jurisdictions and our Latvian law firm has experience helping them.

The idea of immigration to Latvia is already quite common, but those who are serious about doing so will need the help of a good team of Latvian lawyers.

Citizens of some nationalities can visit Latvia without a visa for up to 90 days. Still, to reside in this country for a longer period or indefinitely, you will have to undergo some procedures to obtain a residence permit. Due to the particularities of the migratory system of this country, we advise you to count on a law firm in Latvia that can help you.

To immigrate to Latvia, you will need to obtain a residence permit, the document that gives you the possibility to reside and perform various activities within the country, from working and studying to registering companies.

Obtaining this permit can make your life much easier if your plans in Latvia involve staying in the country for more than 90 days. Even better, the same permit gives you the possibility to move more easily throughout the Schengen area as long as it is for business and tourism purposes.

If you are thinking of relocating to Latvia, you will surely know that this is not one of the easiest jurisdictions in the world to relocate to, but our lawyers in Latvia can help you with everything you need. Due to this, it is tough to get a visa for this country. But if you are seriously considering immigration to Latvia, you can reach out to our lawyers. They can practically assist you with your visa application and document submission. These services can reduce the chances of the rejection of your visa application.

Types of Schengen Latvian visas

AsLatvia is a part of the Schengen visa scheme, you can obtain these Latvian types of visas:

Transit visa: this visa is only issued for a maximum of five days. If you are travelling outside the Schengen zone, the transit visa enables you to pass through the territory of one or more Schengen member states;
Airport transit visa: this visa allows you to pass through an airport in the Schengen space, but it does not allow you to exit this area before you fly to your next destination;
Short stay or travel visa: this visa allows you to visit a country for up to three months in a six months period. Most students need this visa to travel within the Schengen Area as tourists or can also attend conferences on this short-stay visa.

If you want to move to Latvia as a student, employed, self-employed or a retired person, you can trust the services of our Latvian immigration lawyers because documentation varies depending on the purpose and status of your immigration application.

Necessary documents for Schengen Latvian visa

Immigration to Lativa is available online; you can fill an online application form. The necessary documents along application are as follows:

Two passports sized recently captured photos with light background;
A valid passport;
Confirmation of Europe travel insurance;
A cover letter describing the purpose why you want to move to Latvia;
Proof of adequate financial means thatshould be enough for your stay in Latvia.

According to the new immigration law, the foreigners who want to relocate to Latvia, need to attest they have some amount every day (approx. 14€/day) during their stay in the country.

Who needs a visa to enter Latvia?

If you are a citizen of the European Union or European Economic Zone, then here is the good news for you. Latvia does not impose visa requirements on you and you can simply cross the border of this country with a valid passport or an identity card. Being an EU/EEA and non-Latvian citizen, you can stay up to 90 days in Latvia. However, there are also some non-EU and non-EEA countries, whose citizens can enter Latvia visa-free. For instance Australia, Canada, Israel, Hong Kong (special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China), Japan, New Zealand and many others.

If you are not a EU/EEA citizen oryou fall into the list of nationalities that are exempted from Latvian visa requirements, then you need to visit a Latvian embassy in your country for the visa process, so you become eligible to immigrate to Latvia.

To get more detailed information about requirements for immigration in Latvia according to the nationality you bear, you can rely upon our Latvian lawyers.

Who is exempted from the Schengen visa fee?

Here are some categories of individuals who are exempted from paying the Schengen visa fee. This visa fee is waived to the family members of EU/EEA citizens who fall under directive 2004/38:

school pupils and postgraduate students;
teachers who undertake stay for educational training or teaching;
third world country researchers who want to carry out scientific researches;
representatives of non-profit organizations of age 25 or less than 25 years participating in educational, sports, seminars, conferences or cultural events organized by non-profit organizations.

Besides these individuals, Schengen visa cost varies as per the nationality or age of the person accordingly. If you are planning to immigrate to Latvia, you can get help from our law firm in Latvia.

What types of residences are available in Latvia?

Today there are two alternatives for obtaining a residence in Latvia. In very general terms, these two paths are temporary and permanent residency. The vast majority of people who have no pre-existing ties to the country take the temporary residency route, which can be obtained in different ways.

In any case, the type of residency that is right for you when migrating to Latvia is a matter that you should discuss at length with a group of Latvian lawyers who know Latvia's immigration laws inside out. Only then can you be sure that you are making the proper decision.

Who can apply for a permanent residence permit in Latvia?

In general, this type of residence permit is the most suitable for those who want to relocate to Latvia and meet one of these conditions before applying:

You are a citizen of the European Union.
It is a case of family reunification or integration.
You are of Latvian ancestry.
You are married to a citizen of Latvia etc.

In case you do not meet any of these criteria, do not worry. There are still other ways in which you can manage to migrate to Latvia legally with the help of a law firm in Latvia that can advise you on investment residency in this country.

How to immigrate to Latvia with investment residency?

Those who cannot apply for permanent residency by meeting any of the criteria we developed above still have a chance. Migrating to Latvia successfully is also possible through the economic investment route.

There are two ways to obtain temporary residence in Latvia; let’s see what they are:

• Residence permit for real estate purchase

If you purchase a property in Latvia for more than 250,000 euros, it automatically makes you eligible to apply for a temporary residence permit. This is initially valid for five years, but is renewable if you meet certain requirements at the time of applying for renewal.

• Residence permit based on investment

Commercial investment - This type of investment is the most suitable for those who are thinking of emigrating to Latvia to start their own business. The minimum investment is 35,000 euros, so this option is much cheaper than investing in real estate.
Financial investment - This option also allows you to take up temporary residence in Lithuania for a period of five years. The main requirement is a bank deposit in the form of subordinated capital in the amount of at least 28,0000 euros.

These options give you the possibility to initially reside in the country for five years and renew if certain requirements are met. But as you have seen, it is not an easy decision to make. Each of these options for migrating to Latvia has advantages and disadvantages that it is advisable to review with an experienced team of immigration lawyers in Latvia.

Living in Latvia

More and more international investors are discovering the advantages of relocating to Latvia by way of investment, so this jurisdiction may become one of the favorites in Europe. Here are some of Latvia's main attractions:

The cost of living is not as high as in other European countries, and salaries have been increasing.
The inflation rate does not exceed 2%.
Latvia has positioned itself economically as a service economy; this sector represents 73.7% of the Latvian GDP.
Latvia is in the 30th position of the Index of Economic Freedom.
Latvia's trade openness rate has been rising very fast in recent years, reaching an increase of 94% in 2019. Besides assisting you with immigration to Latvia, our lawyers can also assist you in other matters. For instance, if you are interested in acquiring citizenship in Latvia, our lawyers can assist you. You should know that you are served by two governments if you have dual citizenship. Suppose, if you have a problem while traveling, you can contact the embassies of one or both countries. Furthermore, you will be able to travel visa-free to almost all European, North, and South American countries, as a Latvian citizen.

Why should you immigrate to Latvia?

People choose to immigrate to Latvia due to the reasons that this country is in the Schengen zone, enjoys sizeable EU funds, increased investments, has a growing GDP, for instance:

As the covid-19 hit the economies on the global level, Latvia still maintained its GDP in 2020 almost the same as in 2019.
It is anticipated for the year 2021 that output in the Latvian economy will enhance by 3.2%;
The Latvian economy is estimated to increase by 5.6% in 2022;
The Gross Domestic Product of Latvia represents 0.03% of the world’s economy.

You can contact our lawyers at our law firm in Latvia if you are planning to immigrate to Latvia.