Latvia EU free movement

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may live and work in Latvia without a visa or residence permit. Stays over 3 months require a Registration Card from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, requested within 3 months of first entry. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11}

Requirements

• Citizens of EU and EEA states and of Switzerland can live in Latvia without a visa or residence permit. ^{1 8}
• Stays of up to 3 months need only a valid passport or national ID card. ^{1 3}
• After 3 months, work, self-employment, study, or sufficient resources with health insurance is needed. ^{3 10}
• For students and people not working, sufficient means are monthly income at least at the legal low-income level, plus health insurance. ¹⁰
• Registration needs a valid ID or passport plus proof of work, study, or resources and insurance. ²
• The application includes a copy of a valid travel document, the application form, and a declaration that a registration ground is met. ¹⁰
• Submit the Registration Card documents to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) within 3 months of first entry, by post or electronically. ¹⁰
• The Registration Card is issued immediately once all documents are submitted, and is collected in person at PMLP. ¹⁰
• No registration is needed for job seekers for up to 6 months, or for students in a registered school staying up to 1 year. ¹⁰
• Holders of a Registration Card must declare their place of residence; a change of address is declared within 1 month. ¹¹
• Permanent residence is acquired automatically after 5 years of continuous lawful residence. ⁴
• The Permanent Residence Card of the Union Citizen is issued for 10 years. ¹⁰

Stay

• No time limit; request a Registration Card from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs within 3 months of first entry.
• First 3 months up to 3 months: Valid ID card or passport only.
• After 3 months: Worker, self-employed person, student, or person with sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance; registration of residence.

Nationality

Citizens of the 27 EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Work

Citizens do not need a work permit to take a job or become self-employed in Latvia; posts involving public authority powers may be reserved for nationals.

Family

Spouse, children under 21 or dependent, and dependent parents and grandparents may join, whatever their nationality; non-EU family members receive a residence permit as family members of a Union citizen.

Checked 2026-10-10

Official sources

1. Residence rights when living abroad in the EU · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
2. Registering residence abroad after the first 3 months · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
3. Residence rights for economically inactive EU citizens · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
4. Permanent residence (after 5 years) for EU nationals · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
5. Work permits · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
6. Work in the public sector abroad · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
7. Your non-EU spouse and children's residence rights in the EU · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
8. The European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the North · European Parliament · checked 2026-10-10
9. Entry of citizens of the EU, the EEA, and Switzerland, and their family members · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia (PMLP) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2021-01-22
10. Cabinet Regulation No. 675: Procedures for the entry and residence of Union citizens and their family members in Latvia · Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia, likumi.lv · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2011-08-30
11. Declaration of residence place · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia (PMLP) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2020-10-06