How To Get Residency in Latvia | A Complete Guide
Capital: Riga
Population: 1,842,226 (2022, 146th)
Ethic Group: 63.0% Latvians, 24.2% Russians, 3.1% Belarusians, 2.2% Ukrainians
Area: 64,589 km2 (122nd)
Offical Language: Latvian
Currency: Euro
GDP per Captial: $41,730 (2024, 51st)
Human Development Index: 0.879 (37th)
Country Profile:
Nestled in northeastern Europe, on the Baltic Sea, Latvia stands as one of the three Baltic States, alongside Lithuania and Estonia.
Historically, Latvia’s strategic position made it a significant crossroads between Europe and Russia, leading to a deep influence from both Russian and German cultures, where Russian is still widely spoken. Today, however, Latvia is a proud member of the European Union and the Schengen Area. It operates as a developed capitalist nation, providing its citizens with free universal healthcare and education.
Visa & Immigration System:
Beyond family reunification visas, there are currently five ways for non-EU citizens to obtain a long-term residency visa in Latvia:
1. Investment Visa
Latvia’s Investment Visa is currently one of Europe’s most affordable investment visa options. It offers four distinct investment pathways: real estate purchase, company investment, bank deposit, and government bonds.
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The minimum investment for company operations is €60,000.
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Other investment methods require a minimum investment of €250,000.
2. Digital Nomad Visa
Since February 2022, Latvia has offered a Digital Nomad Visa for remote workers. The core requirement for this visa is that you are a remote worker with a stable monthly income of €4,213.
However, a crucial condition for the Latvian Digital Nomad Visa is that your employer must be based in an OECD country. This means if you work for a Chinese or Indian company, you cannot apply. To qualify, you must either work remotely for a company in an OECD country or be self-employed with a company registered in an OECD country.
3. Retirement Visa
The Latvian Retirement Visa requires applicants to be at least 65 years old and originate from countries or regions that permit visa-free entry into Latvia.
Financially, to apply for this visa, your monthly pension income must be at least €900.
4. Startup Visa
The Latvian Startup Visa requires applicants to invest €6,000 or more to establish a company in Latvia.
The main challenge with this visa is that you must provide a business plan approved by the Latvian government.
5. Work Visa
Latvian Work Visas are categorized into four types, but generally require you to be employed by a local company and possess over five years of work experience.
Only individuals in specialized industries or certain top talents may have the work experience requirement reduced to three years.
Naturally, foreign nationals can also enter and work in Latvia with an EU Blue Card.
Dependents:
For most Latvian immigration visas, the main applicant can include their spouse, children under 18, and other direct relatives with physical or mental disabilities to obtain the visa as dependents.
Permanent Residency & Citizenship:
After legally residing in Latvia for five years, spending at least six months there each year, and with total absences not exceeding 12 months within those five years, foreigners become eligible to apply for Latvian permanent residency, provided they also achieve at least an A2 level in Latvian.
If you reside in Latvia for more than 183 days each year, you’ll become a Latvian tax resident, and For annual income up to €105,300, the personal income tax (PIT) rate is 25.5%. For income exceeding that, it’s 33%..
Latvian permanent residents can apply for naturalization after another five years of legal residency, again spending at least six months there annually with total absences not exceeding 12 months. They’ll also need to pass a basic test on Latvian history, culture, and government, demonstrate an A2 or higher level of Latvian proficiency, and be able to sing the Latvian national anthem.
Passport Power:
Latvia permits dual citizenship in some cases, but individuals seeking naturalization may be required to renounce their original nationality before completing the process. The Latvian passport holds a strong global standing, ranking 10th worldwide. As of July 8, 2025, holders can enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 184 countries and territories around the globe.
Useful Links:
Latvia Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs：https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en
Latvia Residence Permits：https://www2.mfa.gov.lv/en/newdelhi/consular-section/applying-for-a-residence-permit