How to Get Residence Permit in Latvia

What is a residence permit? How to get a residence permit in Latvia? What are the conditions and the main advantages of this? All are in our article.

What is a Residence Permit?

A residence permit is a type of visa in which the right of residence permit granted to foreign nationals for a period of time or indefinitely is granted, and you can work and live in that country through this type of visa. Each country has different residence permit and work permit requirements. These terms vary from country to country. This permit will be required if you want to reside in Latvia for more than 90 days in total within 6 months, starting from the first day of entry. The residence permit is granted by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Latvia (OCMA).

Getting a Residence Permit in Latvia

If you want to get a residence permit in Latvia, you have to meet certain conditions in order to qualify. These conditions, which are regulated according to the European Union curriculum, are granted to those who meet the pre-determined application conditions according to Latvia’s work regulations in cases requiring accommodation for more than 6 months, and the person holding Latvia permit has the right to free movement in all Schengen countries, including Iceland, Switzerland and Norway. You can travel to any country during your residence permit.

People with a residence permit in Latvia can also benefit from many equal opportunities. There are many different ways to obtain a Latvian residence permit. You can have it in Latvia;

• >>> By signing a business contract with a company operating in Latvia with a European Union blue card,
• >>> By investing in real estate,
• >>> By investing in an investment type called sub-capital or
• >>> By investing in stocks

You May Also Like: Tax Incentives for Investment in Latvia

Requirements:

In order to obtain a residence permit in Latvia prior to amendments to the European Immigration Law^[1], this right was not granted to foreign citizens, except for family reunification obtained through marriage or residence permit requested for work or education.

Thanks to the changes made on 1.07.2010, it also allowed foreign investors the right to a residence permit. These rights have been granted in order to contribute to the development of the Latvian economy and to encourage investors with a certain capital to do business in the country.

According to the new immigrant statute organized by the Republic of Latvia, the conditions for temporary residence in Latvia are as follows:

• >>> You can apply to a company as a partner of at least €36,000 or by establishing a company with that amount of capital. But the annual tax that this company will pay must be less than €40,000 minimum.
• >>> You can apply by setting up a company with €150.000 capitals.
• >>> You can apply by investing at least €300,000 in a Latvian bank.
• >>> You can apply for a temporary residence permit in Latvia by purchasing a real estate in Riga or other cities. If you are planning to apply for it by purchasing the property, the property you are going to purchase must be within the borders of Latvia and should be worth more than €250,000. After €250,000 real estate investments, you can get a 5-year residence permit.
• >>> If you learn the local language at the end of these 5 years, you can apply for citizenship.

Once you have met the above conditions, you can apply for a Latvian residence permit. However, foreigners applying for residence permits are required to purchase real estate from any legal real estate agent in Latvia, property owners who are citizens of the European Union or foreigners who have a Latvian legal residence permit.

You May Also Like: Start-up Visa Stages to Set Up a Business in Latvia

How to Apply for Residence Permit?

Step 1: Fill in the Application Form

First, carefully review the application form and fill it in with the correct information. Be careful not to have any wrong information and don’t forget to sign. If there is any missing information on the application form, your application may be rejected. This may also apply to false information. You can find the application form here.

Step 2: Make Sure You Have All Necessary Documents

You should gather all the requested documents along with the application. Carefully check these documents and make sure they are complete. Consular officers have the right to request additional documents if they deem necessary. You can access the full list of required documents from this link.

Step 3: Legalization of Documents

Your documents must be original or notarized. Copies of documents not certified by a notary will be deemed invalid. The legalization of the document is not limited to this. There are a few more steps to be taken. These are;

• >>> Translation of documents into Latvian or English
• >>> Certification at the local notary office
• >>> Legalization in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• >>> Legalization in Latvian Embassy^[2]

It is important to carefully follow such requirements before you can obtain a residence permit. The reason is these can vary. For updated information, visit the official page of OCMA External Service Center.

Step 4: Book an Appointment

Do not go to the meeting without an appointment. The meeting hours may vary according to each embassy. To find out, you can find the address and meeting details about the related embassy by typing your country name at the end of the official web address (https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en). For example; for Turkey: https://www2.mfa.gov.lv/en/turkey/

Step 5: Document Processing Fee

When submitting your documents to the consular officers for the day of the meeting, you must pay for the processing of the documents. That’s why it is important to have money with you to avoid any delays in your transactions.

Amounts may vary depending on your application purpose. Even if your application is rejected, no refund is made. You can get detailed information about the current fee information from the relevant embassy.

Step 6: Decision

OCMA examines your application result, positive or negative feedback is provided. It is better to get information about your process from the embassy, just in case.

Step 7: Visa D

If your application results positively, apply for a “Long Term D Visa”.

Step 8: Arrival in Latvia and Residence Permit

In this last stage, after you go to Latvia, go to the OCMA (Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Latvia) or a competent regional department to get your residence permit. For detailed information, view the official page of the OCMA Residence Permit Department here.

7 Reasons to Get a Residence Permit from Latvia

We have already said that obtaining a residence permit in Latvia has numerous advantages. You will love a lot of this country from education to economy, life to culture and enjoy these advantages. Among the most important advantages, we can count:

• >>> Latvia is among the developing countries.
• >>> Since it is a European Union country, there is unlimited travel opportunity to all European Union countries.
• >>> It is the tenth country with the fastest fiber internet infrastructure in the world.
• >>> Cheap and economical living opportunity
• >>> Tax benefits and incentive loans for starters
• >>> Having the highest universities with a high level of education and student exchange program
• >>> High rental income despite low real estate prices

You Can Review the Services We Provide To Obtain Residence Permit In The Fastest and Easiest Way.