Obtaining a Latvian citizenship

Latvian citizenship can be obtained by foreign applicants who meet the requirements of the legislation and have good reasons for long-term stay in the country. There are ways of obtaining a passport by birth, naturalization and repatriation. The most common method of acquiring Latvian citizenship is naturalization, under the terms of which you need to live in the country for 10 years, having a legal source of income, learn the state language and sign a renunciation of the original passport.

The Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Latvia also provides certain advantages for foreigners from certain categories of applicants. A Latvian passport can be obtained on the basis of origin, namely, having Latvian roots, while retaining the civil status in the home state.

Advantages of Latvian citizenship

Immigrants come to Latvia with the purpose of obtaining citizenship in order to ensure their ability to live and work in the Republic and other European Union countries without obtaining special permits. Also, an important advantage of acquiring a Latvian passport is traveling without a visa to more than 160 countries of the world. In addition, the state is part of the Schengen zone, which allows its citizens to travel within the territory of the association without any restrictions.

Among the additional advantages which gives you a passport of the republic are the following factors:

1. priority in obtaining jobs on the European labor market;
2. the right to participate in political elections as a voter or candidate;
3. availability of social guarantees from the state;
4. access to pan-European health insurance, as well as high quality services in clinics in Latvia and the European Union;
5. receiving education in educational institutions of the country and the EU on favorable terms or free of charge;
6. possibility to purchase real estate in the EU countries without obtaining permits;
7. access to the services of European financial institutions and money transactions all over the world;
8. the right to do business in the European market;
9. consular assistance and protection abroad.

It is not necessary to obtain this status to get access to all the benefits of Latvian citizenship - any EU passport guarantees you exactly the same rights. There are a number of simplified programs that allow you to become an EU citizen in up to a year. You can learn more about the fastest and easiest methods of immigration to Latvia during a free consultation with our specialists.

The main ways of obtaining a Latvian citizenship

All procedures for obtaining a Latvian passport, as well as their conditions, are regulated by the immigration legislation of the Republic. In 2025, foreigners most often apply for Latvian citizenship by naturalization. Much less often applicants register immigration requests on the basis of origin or invest in the economic potential of the country in order to obtain a passport.

Naturalization

It is possible to obtain a Latvian passport by naturalization after 10 years of residence in the country with a residence permit, 5 of which - with a permanent residence permit. In this case, the applicant must demonstrate the necessary level of knowledge of the state language, knowledge of the Constitution and the history of the country, as well as the absence of criminal records and stable income.

The first step to obtaining a Latvian passport by naturalization is to obtain a residence permit on one of the following grounds:

1. employment or running a business;
2. pension;
3. research;
4. education;
5. religious activities;
6. humanitarian reasons (refugee, subsidiary protection)
7. family reunification.

Immigration-type residence permit may be extended after its expiry if the reason for which it was obtained is preserved. After five years of residence in Latvia you are entitled to permanent resident status, and after another 5 years - to citizenship.

Investment

It is possible to obtain Latvian citizenship by investing money in the economic development of the country, buying real estate in its territory or purchasing securities. Initially, a foreign investor receives a five-year residence permit, and after the expiration of its validity has the right to apply for permanent resident status with the prospect of subsequent naturalization on general terms.

To obtain a residence permit in Latvia, an investor must make one of the following investments:

1. purchase of securities with a nominal value of EUR 250,000 or more and payment of EUR 38,000 to the state treasury;
2. purchase of real estate with a value of 250,000 EUR or more;
3. execution of debt obligations to a Latvian credit institution in the amount of 280 000 EUR and payment of 25 000 EUR to the state budget;
4. investing from 50 000 EUR in the capital of a company with an annual turnover of 10 000 000 EUR and paying a fee of 10 000 EUR.

Repatriation

Applicants who were born abroad and have relatives of Latvian origin up to the third degree may obtain Latvian citizenship provided that there is documentary evidence of such family ties. Latvians who were forcibly removed or fled the country from the Nazi and Soviet regimes after June 17, 1940, and their descendants born before October 1, 2014, have the right to regain lost citizenship with the possibility to retain the passport of the country of origin.

Requirements and procedure of obtaining citizenship of Latvia

Applicants for a Latvian passport usually apply for it by naturalization, so let us consider this method in more detail. Provided that they have met the residency requirement, successfully integrated into society, including language skills and basic knowledge of the country's history, culture and life, applicants have the right to apply for Latvian citizenship. For this purpose, it is necessary to collect the following package of documents:

1. permanent residence card;
2. application for citizenship;
3. personal photo in the format of 3 x 4 cm;
4. passport;
5. certificate of absence of criminal record, received not more than 6 months ago;
6. confirmation of the absence of previous citizenship or renunciation of it;
7. certificate of income and its origin (salary, pension, scholarship or bank account statement with the indicated balance);
8. receipt of administrative fee (28.46 EUR).

All documents issued by institutions of other states must be translated into Latvian and notarized.

Before you become a Latvian citizen by naturalization, you must perform several step-by-step actions. In this case, all procedures related to the registration of legal stay on the territory of the country are performed at the Department of Citizenship and Immigration of the Republic of Latvia - PMLP (Pilsonibas Un Migracijas Lietu Parvalde). The complete process is as follows:

1. Issuance of a temporary residence permit. First you need to apply to the PMLP to fill in an application for a residence permit in Latvia and provide evidence of valid reasons to stay in the country longer than 90 days. The duration of the temporary residence permit depends on the individual reason, but it never exceeds 5 years.
2. Obtaining a permanent residence permit. After 5 years of stay in the country with a residence permit immigrants get the right to obtain permanent residence in Latvia. It is worth noting that in some cases migration service specialists can organize a check of your knowledge of the state language at the basic level A2 and the availability of a minimum monthly income of 700 EUR. Therefore, it is important to have documents that confirm the fact of your residence in the country and characterize your financial situation, as well as to obtain a certificate of passing the language test beforehand. The permanent residence card is issued for 5 years.
3. Submission of an application for Latvian citizenship. After 5 years of residence in Latvia with a permanent resident card, you have the right to apply for citizenship. The application can be filled in at the PMLP office or on the Department's website, and should be supplemented with a package of necessary documents. A child can acquire the status together with his/her parents by submitting an application together with the minor's passport, birth certificate and proof of his/her residence in Latvia for the last 5 years. In addition, a certificate from the Center for Education and Examinations on proficiency in the state language or a certificate of general basic education obtained in the Latvian language and a 3 x 4 cm photo of the child must be submitted.
4. Passing the Latvian language test. Within two months after you apply for citizenship, you must pass a test on your knowledge of the state language, the history and culture of the country, the basic provisions of the Constitution and the text of the anthem. Only after you successfully pass this test your application will be processed.
5. Taking the oath. After the Cabinet of Ministers has made a decision on granting Latvian citizenship, you will receive an invitation to the PMLP for taking an oath to the Republic of Latvia. You will need to provide documentary proof of your renunciation of your previous citizenship.
6. Issuance of internal documents. After receiving the document confirming your new status by letter, you apply for an internal passport at the PMLP office. After the citizenship verification is completed, your personal data is entered into the Register of Natural Persons. If your child has become a Latvian citizen together with you, his/her data will also be entered into the register.

It stands to mention, that a request for an internal passport of a Latvian citizen must also be made for a child under the age of 15. And persons older than this age are also obliged to obtain an eID. When applying for internal documents, it is possible to request a foreign passport, with which visa-free travel to different countries of the world is possible.

Undergoing such a lengthy procedure as naturalization is not the only one way to obtain the right to legal residence and employment in Latvia - there are also simpler options for immigration to the country. Our lawyers, which specialization is international law, are ready to provide detailed information on simplified programs that allow you to quickly access all the rights of Latvian and European Union citizens. Sign up for a free consultation now.

How much time and money it takes to obtain a Latvian citizenship

The level of financial expenses and the length of time it takes to obtain Latvian citizenship depend on the immigration method you have chosen:

1. Naturalization. Only applicants who have lived in the country for 10 years have the right to apply for Latvian citizenship by this method - such a long period of time is the main disadvantage of the program. For legal stay in the republic, you need to first obtain a residence permit - the period of consideration of applications for a permit can be 5/10/30 days and costs respectively 560/280/160 EUR. Registration of a residence permit card will cost 45/80 EUR, provided that the document is issued in 20/10 days. The costs of obtaining a permanent residence permit are similar to the costs of a temporary residence permit. Applying for citizenship will cost 28.46 EUR or 4.27 EUR (for low-income applicants).
2. Investment. Obtaining Latvian citizenship by investing in the economy takes the same amount of time as naturalization. However, it should be taken into account that the costs will increase significantly due to the required capital investments. The rates of state fees for foreign investors are completely similar to those for naturalization.
3. Repatriation. This method of obtaining a Latvian passport is the fastest and least expensive. Payment of fees when submitting an application in this case is not provided for. The main expenses of a repatriate are payment for assistance of lawyers in preparation, translation and legalization of documents. An important nuance is the possibility of submitting documents and certificates in English, French, Russian and German - no translation is required for them. It takes from 10 to 22 days to issue a decision on granting the repatriate status to a foreign applicant.

The price of legalization of each individual document will be 40 EUR for processing within 2 hours or 25 EUR if you are satisfied with the term of 5 days.

The actual receipt of a Latvian passport may take 2/10 days and will cost 70 or 44 EUR respectively. The identity card is a bit cheaper, it is also produced within 2/10 days for 40/25 EUR. The state duty rate is reduced for vulnerable categories of applicants - passport is provided for 40/20 EUR, identity card - for 25/10 EUR. The terms of production of documents remain the same.

What doesn't work: how you can't get a Latvian passport

There is a large number of rumors and myths about obtaining Latvian citizenship, which are of particular interest to those who seek to immigrate in the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible cost. The most common misconceptions about the possibilities of obtaining a Latvian passport are the following:

1. It is possible to obtain automatic citizenship if the applicant has Latvian roots. Being a member of the Latvian people may simplify the process of obtaining citizenship of the Republic, but in no way guarantees automatic granting of the status and issuance of a passport. The repatriation procedure requires compliance with all conditions of Latvian legislation, including residence in the territory of the state, knowledge of history and Latvian language.
2. Latvian citizenship can be bought. Purchasing the status of a citizen of any country is an illegal practice that is prohibited all over the world. If you buy a ready-made passport, you become a participant of a fraudulent scheme and may be criminally liable for it.
3. You can give birth to a child in Latvia and get citizenship automatically. Children born in Latvia to foreign citizens can indeed obtain a Latvian passport, but certain conditions must be met. Parents cannot obtain citizenship at the same time as the child.
4. You can quickly obtain citizenship by investing money in the Latvian economy. According to the legislation of the Republic of Latvia, investment is the basis for granting a residence permit, but not citizenship. Investors can apply for a passport of the country only after fulfilling the conditions of standard naturalization.

With this information you will be able to protect yourself from the actions of scammers, as well as properly prepare for immigration, having realistic expectations about the timing and methods of obtaining citizenship.

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Latvia, like some other EU states, does not allow holding a second citizenship, but there are exceptions for certain categories, namely:

1. citizens of the European Union, NATO, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Federal Republic of Brazil or New Zealand;
2. descendants of evicted or deported Latvians;
3. children under 18 years of age;
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International law specialists will help you to choose the best program for moving to Latvia with the possibility of retaining your current citizenship. Sign up for a free consultation to learn more about it.

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Lawyers of the international law can assist you in choosing the best relocation option. The services of specialists include selection of the best immigration method, collection of necessary documents and support at all stages of the procedure up to the moment of obtaining a European passport. Sign up for a free consultation and start the process of second citizenship obtainment right now.