Our company frequently receives clients with various questions related to permanent residence permits. In most cases, these questions are highly individual and depend on clients' personal circumstances. However, there are key conditions that must be met to apply for a permanent residence permit.
Below we will review these conditions and answer the main questions related to obtaining a residence permit:
1) Criteria for obtaining a permanent residence permit in Latvia
- First condition - to obtain a permanent residence permit, you must first have a temporary residence permit (residence permit). A residence permit provides the right to reside in Latvia 365 days per year, and also grants the right to work in Latvia.
- Second condition - You must hold a residence permit for at least five years. Only after five full years have passed can you apply for a permanent residence permit.
- Third condition - during these five years, you must have lived in Latvia for at least four years. Thus, permissible absence from Latvia is one year. At the same time, permissible absence during one continuous period is 6 months.
- Fourth condition - to obtain a permanent residence permit, you will need to pass an exam on knowledge of the Latvian language. The required category is "A2". There are 6 categories of Latvian language proficiency in total - from basic skills to fluency. Category "A2" is the second lowest category (i.e., there are 4 more categories that confirm better command of the language than "A2").
Persons who are medically unable to learn a foreign language are exempt from taking the Latvian language exam. For example, this includes mental disorders, age-related conditions, vision problems, hearing problems, or cerebrovascular issues. To be exempted from the exam, a medical certificate is required.
Please note that the main advantage of a permanent residence permit is that it does not need to be renewed every year, like a residence permit. The card is issued for 5 years at once! Obtaining a permanent residence permit is equivalent to permanent residency.
After 5 years of holding a permanent residence permit, you can obtain Latvian citizenship.
2) You have held a temporary residence permit for 5 years. But the residence requirements in Latvia are not met. When can you apply for a permanent residence permit?
- First, after 5 years you need to apply for a temporary residence permit again for a 5-year period.
- Second, you need to monitor your stay periods in Latvia. As soon as 5 years pass (taking into account permissible absences), you can immediately apply for a permanent residence permit.
For example, you received a temporary residence permit on April 1, 2012. By April 1, 2017, you had not met the requirements for a permanent residence permit. By March 1, 2017 at the latest, you must submit documents to extend your temporary residence permit for another 5 years.
Let's say you did this and your temporary residence permit was extended until April 1, 2022.
Furthermore, on February 1, 2019, you confirmed that all requirements for a permanent residence permit are met (residence in Latvia, Latvian language exam). As soon as you confirm this, you can submit documents to obtain a permanent residence permit.
2) How does the purchase of another property affect a permanent residence permit?
- If another property is acquired and the residence permit is re-registered to this new property without interruption of the period, then the 5-year period will be counted from the date of obtaining the "first residence permit" (i.e., from the date when the residence permit was first issued).
That is, if you want to sell the "first" apartment or house for which the residence permit was originally issued, and buy new property, then to avoid interruption of the period, you need to first purchase a new property, obtain a new residence permit according to , and then sell the "old" apartment.
3) What fees will apply when registering a permanent residence permit.
After reaching the five-year residence period in Latvia, you can apply for a permanent residence permit.
The decision consideration period depends on the amount of the fee paid:
- Decision within 30 days: 100 euros
- Decision within 10 working days: 200 euros.
4) Is the temporary residence permit cancelled if the permanent residence permit is refused?
If the requirements for obtaining a permanent residence permit are not met and a decision is made to refuse to issue a permanent residence permit, the temporary residence permit is not cancelled. Thus, the temporary residence permit is retained, and if the requirements necessary to obtain a permanent residence permit are met in the future, you can apply for a permanent residence permit again.
5) Can a spouse obtain a permanent residence permit separately from their spouse?
For example, the property belongs to the spouse, and her spouse obtained a temporary residence permit based on marriage. If only one spouse met the requirements for a permanent residence permit, that spouse has the right to apply for a permanent residence permit, while the other spouse can remain with a temporary residence permit.
Such a situation is permitted.
For additional detailed information on obtaining a residence permit in Latvia, see here.
KOM-INVEST company draws attention to the fact that this article describes a standard situation. Each specific situation must be reviewed and analyzed separately. To obtain individual consultation and assistance in obtaining a temporary or permanent residence permit in Latvia, please contact us by phone, Skype, or email!
Have questions? We are waiting for your email or call!
Phone number: +371 29774775
Email: info@kominvest.com
Skype: KOM-INVEST