The Republic of Latvia (RL) is a state of the European Union in which citizens from the countries of the former USSR strive to live and work. The right to freely move around the Republic of Lithuania, enter and leave the country, work, study, use medical services gives a residence permit. However, many Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians want to acquire Latvian citizenship, with which there is a chance to become a full citizen of the EU.
Is it worth getting a Latvian passport
New opportunities are opening up for citizens who have acquired Latvian citizenship. With a Latvian passport, you can:
- move freely through the territory of the EU countries;
- study at any higher educational institution in Europe without applying for a student visa;
- take part in elections, elect and be elected to government bodies;
- obtain in a simplified manner the citizenship of any country of the European Union;
- apply for state benefits when starting your own business in the Republic of Lithuania;
- get a priority job in another country of the European Union;
- apply for a visa-free travel to the United States.
Speaking about what Latvian citizenship gives, it should be noted that the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania have not only rights, but also obligations. A Latvian is obliged to comply with the laws of the Republic of Latvia, know the history of the country, know the state language, respect the traditions of the Latvian people, pay taxes established by law.
It is important to remember that the condition for obtaining Latvian citizenship is the renunciation of the previous citizenship.
Who is granted the status of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania
In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Latvia “On Citizenship”, adopted by the Seimas on July 22, 1994, persons who:
- have grounds to acquire citizenship by right of blood;
- were born in the territory of the Republic of Latvia;
- voluntarily wish to naturalize;
- have special services to the state (in this case, the decision on granting citizenship is made by the Seimas of Latvia).
In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Lithuania “On Repatriation”, adopted by the Seimas on September 21, 1995, foreigners with Latvian roots can move to a permanent place of residence in Latvia and obtain citizenship. Family members have the right to come to the country together with the repatriate: spouse, dependent parents, minor children.
The citizenship of the Republic of Latvia is obtained by children whose parents are citizens of the Republic of Latvia. If the mother or father is a foreigner, then the child's citizenship is determined by the parents.
Also, by birth, the status of a Latvian citizen is received by a child found on the territory of the country, without parents, living in an orphanage or boarding school.
Under the general naturalization procedure, Latvian citizenship can be acquired by persons who are registered in the Register of Latvian residents and:
- have reached the age of 15;
- have permanently lived in the country for at least five years, starting May 4, 1990. The period of residence for citizens who arrived in Latvia after July 1, 1992 is calculated from the date of obtaining a residence permit;
- renounced their previous citizenship (together with the application for admission to Latvian citizenship for Russians in 2021, a notice of renunciation of Russian citizenship must be provided).
- speak the state language (Latvian);
- know the history of the country, the text of the national anthem, studied the main provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania (Satversme);
- have a legitimate source of livelihood;
- made a promise to be loyal to Latvia.
According to Article 13 of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania "On Citizenship" dated 22.07.1994, some categories of citizens can obtain citizenship in a simplified manner.
For example, persons who have married a citizen of Latvia and have permanently resided in the country for at least five years are eligible for extraordinary naturalization. The main condition: the applicant for citizenship must be officially married for at least 10 years at the time of application.
Naturalization procedure
The process of acquiring citizenship of the Republic of Latvia by naturalization can be divided into several stages:
- Testing the skills of the Latvian language, knowledge of the basics of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, the text of the anthem, history and traditions of the country.
- Preparation of documents, filing an application and registration at the territorial division of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA).
- Submission of a notice of renunciation of previous citizenship (non-citizens and stateless persons in Latvia are required to provide confirmation that they do not possess the citizenship of any of the states).
- Verification of the applicant's compliance with legal requirements: a request is made to the relevant government agencies, such as the State Security Service, the State Police, the Bureau for the Protection of the Constitution, the Military Intelligence and Security Service.
- Signing a pledge of loyalty to the Republic of Latvia - after it has been established that there are no obstacles and the applicant can obtain Latvian citizenship.
- Obtaining citizenship. A decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Lithuania is issued, a letter is sent to the applicant with information on the status assignment.
After obtaining Latvian citizenship, the previous passport becomes invalid. A passport of a citizen of Latvia can be obtained at any territorial department of the OCMA, regardless of the place of residence.
You can find out detailed information about what documents you need to provide, for how long an identity card is issued, and also see a sample of a Latvian passport on the official website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
What document gives the right to temporary stay in the country
The right to stay in the country for a certain time is given to a foreign citizen by a temporary residence permit. The need to obtain a document in the form of an electronic ID-card arises if a person plans to stay in the country for more than 90 days within six months. The decision to issue a residence permit is made by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Latvia.
A residence permit in Latvia is issued for up to five years. After this time, the foreigner can apply for a new temporary residence permit, you can apply for a permanent residence permit or for granting the status of a permanent resident of the European Union.
Relatives of Latvian citizens, students, self-employed persons, representatives of foreign companies can obtain a temporary residence permit. They also provide a residence permit for investment and for the duration of treatment.
Permanent residence permit
The right to long-term residence in the country and the acquisition of Latvian citizenship gives a foreigner a permanent residence permit. According to Article 24 of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania "On Immigration" of October 31, 2002, the following categories of persons are eligible to apply for the status of permanent resident in Latvia:
- relatives of a person who has a passport of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania or permanent residence in Latvia (minor children, spouse, parents);
- foreign citizens who had a Latvian passport before June 17, 1940;
- persons who have lived in Latvia for 5 years on the basis of a temporary residence permit (except for foreigners who have received a permit for a temporary residence permit for the period of study, and persons recognized as a victim of human trafficking);
- foreigners who, prior to acquiring citizenship of another country, were citizens of Latvia;
- refugees;
- persons whose direct relatives are Latvians or Livs;
- family members of the repatriate.
A residence permit is also provided, and then citizenship in Latvia when buying real estate for an amount of at least 250 thousand euros plus 5% of the transaction amount (property tax).
For the extension of the residence permit (every 5 years), investors must pay 5 thousand euros.
Persons who know the state language can obtain a permanent residence permit. It is necessary to provide a certificate of knowledge of the Latvian language (at least level A2). For checking the language proficiency, you will have to pay a state fee, the amount of which is established by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Lithuania.
What documents need to be prepared
The Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Lithuania No. 1001 of September 24, 2021 "Procedure for submitting and considering an application for naturalization" stipulates how to become a citizen of Latvia, defines the rules for filing and considering an application. Also, the regulatory legal act contains a list of necessary documents that must be provided.
List of main documents:
- application for citizenship;
- identity document;
- a certificate confirming the receipt of legal means of subsistence (certificate of salary from the place of work, an extract from the bank on the state of the account);
- photo (1 piece, size 30 x 40 mm);
- confirmation of the fact of residence in the country for the last five years:
- certificate from the place of work;
- a certificate from an educational institution;
- a paper from the State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA) on deductions;
- a document confirming the conduct of economic or financial activities in Latvia;
- a certificate stating that a person lives in the territory of the relevant region, city, issued by an official;
- a police clearance certificate, legalized and translated into Latvian (issued no earlier than six months prior to submission of documents);
- receipt of payment of state duty.
If children under the age of 15 receive citizenship together with a foreigner, additional papers must be included in the package of documents:
- application for naturalization of a child;
- a certificate confirming the child's permanent residence in Latvia.
The size of the state duty and the period of consideration of the application
There is a state fee for the consideration of documents for naturalization. You can pay it at the territorial subdivision of the OCMA of Latvia, at any bank, post office.
You can find out how much it costs to apply for citizenship by reading the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Lithuania No. 849 of September 17, 2021 "Rules of the state duty for filing an application for naturalization." The fee is € 28.46.
The amount of the state duty at 4.27 euros is established for the following categories:
- the needy;
- people without work who are registered with the State Employment Agency;
- members of large families (three or more children);
- persons of retirement age;
- disabled persons of the second and third groups;
- students of state institutions, students of full-time departments of universities.
Exempt from paying state fees:
- persons repressed for political reasons;
- people with disabilities (disabled people of the first group);
- orphans and children left without parental care;
- persons who are in state or municipal institutions of social care.
According to Latvian legislation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is given no more than one year to consider an application for granting citizenship.
Why they may not be granted Latvian citizenship
In accordance with Articles 20, 21 of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Lithuania No. 1001 of 24.09. 2021, obtaining Latvian citizenship may be refused if the applicant:
- provided an incomplete package of documents or false information;
- has no legal basis for naturalization or they have been lost;
- violated the rules for holding the Latvian language proficiency test or failed to pass it three times;
- refuses to test knowledge of the basic rules of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, the text of the national anthem, the history of the country;
- did not swear allegiance to Latvia;
- does not have a stable legal income;
- creates a threat to the state security of Latvia by his behavior;
- a child who turned 15 years old before the decision was made to grant him Latvian citizenship.
An official letter is sent to the person whose application is rejected, indicating the reasons for the rejection.
It is possible to appeal against the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in court: you need to file an appeal, indicating which legal norms have been violated.
It is possible to reapply documents for granting Latvian citizenship a year after the decision on refusal is made.
Is it possible to have a passport of several states
Only one citizenship is allowed by the legislation of the Republic of Latvia. If a person has, for example, dual citizenship of Russia and Latvia, then in legal relations with the Republic of Lithuania he is recognized only as a citizen of Latvia.
A foreigner who wishes to naturalize in Latvia is obliged to renounce his previous citizenship. The exceptions are:
- children whose parents have citizenship of different states, provided that the mother or father is a Latvian citizen;
- children adopted by Latvians (may have citizenship of the previous country of residence);
- persons who have received permission from the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Lithuania to retain their second citizenship.
How they live in the Republic of Latvia
The Republic of Latvia is a small Baltic state, which attracts many foreign citizens with comfortable living conditions. Those who decide to move should be aware of such moments:
- to officially get a job, you need to obtain a work permit and visa;
- higher education in the country is paid, education is carried out mainly in the Latvian language;
- a reliable banking system, a flexible taxation system, government programs to support small businesses attract private entrepreneurs;
- emergency medical care for foreign citizens is provided with an insurance policy.
Advantages and disadvantages
Immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus who immigrate to the Republic of Latvia seek to obtain citizenship for several reasons:
- the state has European laws;
- smart young guys who know the state and English languages are willingly hired for public service;
- territorial accessibility of the country (you can get there by any type of transport);
- the population in many cities speaks Russian (if they do not communicate, then they understand Russian well);
- quality products can be bought at low prices;
- a large number of historical and natural attractions.
Many migrants in Latvia face the following problems:
- the labor market has a limited choice of vacancies;
- low salaries compared to other EU countries;
- more than 40% of the amount allocated for salaries, the Latvian employer spends on taxes and social benefits;
- knowledge of the Latvian language is required for qualified work;
- high humidity, winds often blow, it rains.
Life in a Baltic country, where you can get a quality education, buy real estate, take a profitable mortgage loan, open your own business, invest in any of the EU countries, is worth the effort spent on obtaining a Latvian passport.
