How to Move to Latvia? (Visa, Residence Permit, EU and Non-EU Citizens)

How to move to Latvia? Let's discuss how you can immigrate to Latvia and obtain a residence permit as an EU and Non-EU citizen

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Are you considering moving to Latvia? In this post we will discuss the options to get a residence permit in the country as an EU and as a non- EU citizen, for the purpose of work, business, investment and study. We will also list the advantages and disadvantages about living in Latvia.

00:47 Latvia Overview


Latvia is a country in Northeastern Europe, and part of the Baltic States together with Estonia and Lithuania. The country is a full European Union member, a member of the Schengen area, and currently uses the Euro common currency. The economy of Latvia is relatively stable, and the country has experienced huge economic growth since it got independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990's.

However, Latvia is currently the worst performer in terms of recent economic development in the region. Lithuania is doing a bit better than Latvia, and Estonia is doing fairly better than both.

Below, we will analyze the options if you want to move to Latvia, temporarily or permanently.

01:30 Latvia Residence Permit for EU Citizens

If you are an EU citizen and you want to live in Latvia for more than 3 months, you need to register your stay. The process is pretty straightforward and you can do everything after you are already in Latvia. You will need to either own real estate, have a rental contract, or the consent of a property owner in Latvia to live and register your address there.

In Riga, usually it will take longer for you to register your stay than in other parts of the country. However, in Latvia, you can register your stay in any city, it doesn't necessarily need to be in the city where you live. This way, you can get it done much faster, and get your Latvia residence card in a matter of just a few days.

Once registered, you can go on and start your activities, whatever they might be: work, study, retirement, non-economic activities broadly with the same rights as citizens of Latvia.

02:26 Latvia Residence Permit for Non EU Citizens

If you are not an EU citizen, things are slightly more difficult. However, Latvia is one of the EU countries with the highest availability and flexibility in terms of residence permits for non-EU nationals.

There are residence permits for most categories. Currently, they include, non-EU citizens residence permits for study, work, running a business, self-employed persons, real estate and bond investors, retirees, and many others. Let's cover a few them below. There are really many, so we will not cover all of them.

02:58 Residence Permit for Business

Firstly, let's check how to get a residence permit to run business in Latvia. There are a few different options, including residence permits for company shareholders, for self-employed persons, and also, if you want to run a start-up company in Latvia.

The disadvantage here is that things are not that easy. While anyone, even non-EU citizens can freely open a company in Latvia, getting a residence permit involves a number of requirements to be met. 

The most difficult requirement in my opinion is that your business plan must be checked and approved by a sworn auditor. But, at least you can set up the business plan initially and try to get it approved. If it does, then you can move on and actually invest.

The easiest option if you want to run business in Latvia is going for the Startup Visa. The financial requirement to apply is just 6000 euros, but remember, you will still need to get your business plan approved.

03:59 Residence Permit for Investors in Latvia

Now, let's check two options that I consider some of the best ones if you want to live in the European Union and you want to be a passive investor, as opposed to an active business manager.

The first option is the real estate investment residence permit in Latvia. You need to make a real estate investment of 250.000 euros to qualify for this residence permit, plus some government fees. There is no minimum number of days you need to stay in Latvia to renew it. 

The second option is investing in bonds in Latvia. You need to invest 250.000 euros in an interest-free government bond plus fees. The advantage with the bonds is the liquidity. You don't need to look around for properties, and if you don't want to renew your residence permit you will not need to find a buyer for your property. However the government fees are lower if you invest in real estate.

04:37 Studying in Latvia

05:15 Residence Permits for Retirement

05:40 Other Residence Permits in Latvia

05:54 Permanent Residence and Latvian Citizenship

06:29 Advantages of Living in Latvia

07:35 Disadvantages of Living in Latvia