Moving to Latvia
4 routes for people from the US, Canada and the UK, each checked against official sources. Find the one that fits, then check it with the source before you apply.
Keep your job, work remotely
Latvia digital nomad visa
Long-stay visa for remote work
Employees of an employer registered in an OECD country, or people self-employed in an OECD country, earning at least EUR 4,213 gross a month.
- What you need
- Monthly gross pay (employees) or self-employment income over the last six months of at least 2.5 times Latvia's average monthly gross wage of the previous year. PMLP lists the current figure as EUR 4,213. (EUR 4,213 a month)
- Employer (or own business) registered in an OECD member state. Employees need a tax or social insurance document from that state and an employer certificate showing at least six months of prior employment with that employer.
- Health insurance valid in Latvia and Schengen with at least EUR 42,600 cover for the insurance period. (EUR 42,600 a lump_sum)
- Not for
- Anyone wanting to work for Latvian employers (no right to employment in Latvia)
- Employees of employers outside the OECD
- Freelancers without six months of documented self-employment income
- Where you apply
- From home or inside the country. PMLP (Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs), Riga, or a Latvian representation abroad; documents sent by post must include a passport copy. The official page does not name a single office.
- How long it takes
- Not officially stated.
- First permit
- 1 year.
- Renewal
- The official page does not mention renewal. Secondary sources disagree (one says renewable for a second year, another says not renewable).
- Family
- Not covered on the official page.
Family roots
Latvian citizenship for exiles' descendants
Registration as a Latvian citizen: Latvian exiles and their descendants (Citizenship Law)
Descendants of Latvian citizens (as of 17 June 1940) who fled or were deported between 1940 and 1990, the typical Latvian-American family history.
- What you need
- Ancestor was a Latvian citizen on 17 June 1940 and fled the USSR or German occupation, or was deported, between 17 June 1940 and 4 May 1990, and could not return as a permanent resident before 4 May 1990. The page states descendants born before 1 October 2014 may acquire citizenship.
- Application form; ID; birth, marriage and name-change documents; confirmation of exile status (form provided); proof of the ancestor's citizenship on 17 June 1940 (civil records, 1935 census, archive records, pre-war passport). Foreign documents translated into Latvian and legalized (apostille for Hague countries).
- No language test stated for this category.
- Not for
- Descendants of Latvians who emigrated before 1940 (other categories, e.g. 'Latvians and Livs', may apply with language requirements)
- Where you apply
- From home or inside the country. By post to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) in Riga; ask the nearest Latvian embassy whether it accepts filings.
- How long it takes
- Decision within 4 months of receiving all documents (official).
- First permit
- Not a permit.
- Renewal
- Not applicable.
0 - Family
- Under-15s apply through a legal representative.
Invest Rules need confirming changing
Latvia fund investor route
Temporary residence permit for investment with a state-established alternative investment fund manager
Passive investors who can place EUR 150,000 for five years and want a Latvian residence permit without running a company.
- What you need
- At least EUR 150,000 placed with a state-established alternative investment fund manager for at least five years; the permit is valid while the agreement is in force and the balance stays at EUR 150,000 or more. (EUR 150,000 a lump_sum)
- State budget payment of EUR 10,000. (EUR 10,000 a lump_sum)
- Not for
- Anyone needing to apply now: the fund programme was reported in June 2026 as not yet developed
- Where you apply
- From home or inside the country. PMLP; procedure not yet published in sources checked.
- How long it takes
- Not officially stated.
- First permit
- Up to 5 years.
- Renewal
- Valid while the investment agreement and balance are maintained.
- Longer term
- Permanent residence after about 5 years. Citizenship after about 10 years.
- Family
- Not detailed in sources checked.
The legal basis and amounts are confirmed, but whether a fund manager exists and is taking applications in Oct 2026 could not be verified.
Invest changing
Latvia golden visa, company route
Temporary residence permit for investment in the share capital of a capital company (Immigration Law 2026)
Investors who will put EUR 50,000 or more into a Latvian company and run or hold it, after the property route closed in Sept 2026.
- What you need
- Investment in a Latvian company's share capital: EUR 50,000 in a smaller company, or EUR 100,000 in a larger company or a company with subsidiaries. (EUR 50,000 a lump_sum)
- State budget payment of EUR 10,000 with the first application. (EUR 10,000 a lump_sum)
- On renewal the company must meet a tax-payment criterion (unchanged from the previous law; amount not verified in this pass).
- Not for
- Passive property buyers (real estate route closed 15 Sep 2026)
- Bank-deposit investors (route closed)
- Nationalities the Cabinet suspends on security or economic grounds
- Where you apply
- From home or inside the country. PMLP (OCMA) or a Latvian representation; check current PMLP guidance under the new law.
- How long it takes
- Not officially stated; PMLP may extend review by up to four months (new law).
- First permit
- Up to 2 years (down from up to 5 years before 15 Sep 2026).
- Renewal
- Renewable while conditions and the company tax criterion are met.
- Longer term
- Permanent residence after about 5 years. Citizenship after about 10 years.
- Family
- Not detailed in the sources checked.