Residence Permit Process

In this section you will learn about the process of obtaining a residence permit in Latvia.We will consider the case when a residence permit is requested on the basis of real estate purchase.

1) Where can I submit documents?

Documents can be submitted in Latvia, at the Department of Citizenship and Migration, or at the Latvian embassy (i.e., in the country where you reside).

• If documents are submitted in Latvia, a lawyer from our company will accompany you to the Department of Citizenship and Migration, will help submit and obtain all necessary documents.

• If documents are submitted at the embassy, we will send you a package of necessary documents. Once you receive the necessary documents, you will be able to go to the embassy and submit the documents. After that, the embassy will forward the documents to Latvia, and your residence permit application will be reviewed here. A lawyer from our company will monitor the process.

2) Do I need to bring children when submitting documents?

• If documents are submitted in Latvia, you need to bring children to the Department.

This is because when submitting documents, identification cards are ordered (photographs are taken, fingerprints are provided), which cannot be issued without the physical presence of children.

Also, immediately after submitting the documents, a lawyer from our company will accompany you and your family members to a medical facility to undergo a medical examination. Accordingly, a medical examination cannot be performed without the physical presence of children.

Medical examination for adults includes a chest X-ray (fluorography), for children under 14 years old - a certificate from a doctor confirming general good health.

• If documents are submitted at the embassy, the presence of children is not required.

In this case, you will need to bring the children with you when you arrive in Riga to issue identification cards (see question "6").

3) Do I need to bring my spouse when submitting documents?

If a spouse wishes to obtain a residence permit at the same time as the property owner, regardless of where the documents are submitted (in Latvia or at the embassy), the spouse must be present when submitting the documents.

If different dates for obtaining a residence permit are acceptable, a spouse can submit documents later. Thus, it is permitted to request and obtain a residence permit first for the property owner and then for their spouse.

4) How long does document review take and how much do I need to pay when submitting documents?

• The document review period depends on the fee paid, as well as on the place of submission.

When submitting documents, two fees are paid. The first is for document review. The second is for issuing an identification card (reminder - the residence permit certificate is issued as a plastic card).

Fee for document review:

Within 30 days: €150 per person.

Within 10 working days: €300 per person.

Within 5 working days: €450 per person.

Fee for issuing identification cards:

Within 2 working days: €30 per person.

Within 10 working days: €15 per person.

• If documents are submitted in Latvia, the period starts to be calculated from the next working day.

For example, residence permit documents are submitted on August 1. In this case, documents begin to be reviewed from August 2 (if August 2 is a working day).

• If documents are submitted at the embassy, the review period starts from the day when the embassy sends the documents by diplomatic mail to Latvia, to the Department of Citizenship and Migration.

For example, residence permit documents are submitted on August 1. Documents are sent to Latvia. The Department of Citizenship and Migration receives the documents on August 14. Accordingly, documents begin to be reviewed from August 14 (if August 14 is a working day), and from this day the paid review period is counted.

• Additionally, after submitting documents, you will be issued a special certificate indicating the decision date. On this day, the Department of Citizenship and Migration will make a decision regarding your residence permit.

5) How do I learn the decision, whether I received a residence permit in Latvia, is everything in order?

• As mentioned earlier, the document review period depends on the fee paid.
• When the day of the decision on granting a residence permit arrives, a specialist from our company will learn this decision.
• Upon learning the decision, a lawyer from our company will contact you, inform you of the residence permit granted, and help you plan further actions.
• If any complications or delays occur in the document review period, this is not a problem; for more details, see the information here.

6) What are the steps after a positive decision is made?

• After a positive decision is made, a fee for obtaining a residence permit must be transferred to the state treasury account.

A specialist from our company will help calculate the fee amount, provide the payment details, and assist with payment.

Travel to Latvia for further actions is possible only after the fee has been transferred to the state treasury account. Usually, this takes 2-3 working days from the date of payment.

• Next, all family members who submitted residence permit applications must come to Latvia. Please note that you must arrive within 3 months from the date of the residence permit decision.

• In Latvia, all family members must undergo a medical check-up. A specialist from our company will assist with this. If documents were submitted in Latvia, the medical check-up is usually performed immediately after submitting the documents, and the results are collected by an employee of our company.

• When you have the medical examination results and insurance, a lawyer from our company will schedule a visit to the Department of Citizenship and Migration and will accompany you and your family members during the visit.

At the Department of Citizenship and Migration, you will need to collect the residence permit decisions and identification cards.

• If documents were submitted at the embassy, you will need to stay in Latvia for a longer period, as two visits to the Department of Citizenship and Migration will be required. During the first visit, identification cards will be ordered (unfortunately, they cannot be issued at the embassy), and during the second visit, these cards will be collected.

Please note that the card issuance period is: 2 working days or 10 working days.

If you would like to receive additional information about a residence permit in Latvia, read the details by clicking on the link to the relevant section:

1) What is a residence permit

3) Simplified residence permit for pensioners from certain countries

4) Documents for obtaining a residence permit

6) Residence permit renewal