Latvia · Retire or live on savings
Latvia Retiree residence
Income needed: €1,231+ a month ≈ $1,380
Temporary residence permit for pension-age persons from visa-exempt countries
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Retiree residence is a retire or live on savings route for Latvia. Applicants need income of €1,231+ a month ≈ $1,380. You can stay 2 yrs. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Money needed
- €1,231+ a month ≈ $1,380
- Government fees
- €160 ≈ $180
- Processing
- Up to 30 days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee €160 ≈ $180; income to show €1,231+/mo ≈ $1,380; decision: up to 30 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€160 ≈ $180
- EUR 160 (≈ $180)State fee for reviewing temporary residence permit documents within 30 days; EUR 280 (≈ $310) within 10 working days and EUR 560 (≈ $630) within 5 working days.
Shown, not spent€1,231+/mo ≈ $1,380
- EUR 1,231 a month (≈ $1,380)Personal regular pension equal to double the average monthly old-age pension of the previous year, as listed by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs from 1 April 2026 under Cabinet Regulation No. 225.
RenewalRenewable
Issued for up to two years.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
EU long-term resident status after 5 years of continuous, lawful residence; half of study time counts.
CitizenshipAfter 5 years as a permanent resident
Naturalisation needs 5 years of residence on a permanent residence permit, knowledge of Latvian and the Constitution, and a legal source of income.
ProcessingUp to 30 days
The authority answers on a temporary residence permit within 30 days of receiving all documents.
Presence rulesAbsence limits
For long-term status, absences must not exceed six successive months or ten months in total over the five years.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports, or passports from Belarus, Russia
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant can enter Latvia and stay under visa-waiver agreements binding on Latvia.
- The applicant has reached the pension age set in Latvia.
What you must show2
- The applicant has sufficient means of subsistence, shown as a personal regular pension of at least EUR 1,231 (≈ $1,380) per month.
- The state fee for document review is EUR 160 (≈ $180) within 30 days, EUR 280 (≈ $310) within 10 working days or EUR 560 (≈ $630) within 5 working days.
After you arrive1
- The permit is granted for up to two years.
What happens at day 183
How Latvia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in any 12-month period starting or ending in the tax yearA person staying in Latvia 183 days or more is a tax resident; a declared place of residence in Latvia also makes the person resident.
- Foreign-source income
Residents are taxed on worldwide income: 25.5% on annual income below EUR105,300 (≈ $118,000) and 33% above, plus an additional 3% on annual income over EUR200,000 (≈ $223,000); non-taxable minimum EUR550 (≈ $610) a month in 2026.
All tax rules for Latvia Tax records checked
Full official text
Permit of up to two years for a foreigner who can enter without a visa under Latvia's visa-waiver agreements, has sufficient means of subsistence and has reached the pension age set in Latvia. 1 2 3 4
What you must show and pay
- Income of at least EUR 1,231 a month (≈ $1,380) · Personal regular pension equal to double the average monthly old-age pension of the previous year, as listed by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs from 1 April 2026 under Cabinet Regulation No. 225. 2
- A fee of EUR 160 (≈ $180) · State fee for reviewing temporary residence permit documents within 30 days; EUR 280 (≈ $310) within 10 working days and EUR 560 (≈ $630) within 5 working days. 3
Requirements
- The applicant can enter Latvia and stay under visa-waiver agreements binding on Latvia. 1
- The applicant has reached the pension age set in Latvia. 1
- The applicant has sufficient means of subsistence, shown as a personal regular pension of at least EUR 1,231 (≈ $1,380) per month. 1 2
- The state fee for document review is EUR 160 (≈ $180) within 30 days, EUR 280 (≈ $310) within 10 working days or EUR 560 (≈ $630) within 5 working days. 3
- The permit is granted for up to two years. 1
Stay
- Temporary residence permit for up to two years.
- First stay: up to 24 months, decided case by case.
Nationality
Third-country nationals who can enter Latvia without a visa under visa-waiver agreements, except Russian and Belarusian citizens. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Family
Family members (spouse, minor children including children under guardianship, and persons in the holder's care) can request a residence permit for the holder's permit term (Immigration Law Section 27(3)).
Official sources
- Immigration Law (adopted 20 August 2026, in force 15 September 2026) · Saeima of the Republic of Latvia (likumi.lv) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-09-01
- The necessary subsistence (from 1 April 2026) · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA/PMLP) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-03-16
- State fee for issuing the residence permit · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia (OCMA) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-03-18
- Initial residence permit, pensioner of a visa-free country: documents to be submitted · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-06-02
- The long-term resident status of the European Community in Latvia · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2020-10-06
- Naturalisation (Latvian citizenship) · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), Latvia · checked 2026-10-11
Retiree residence and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retiree residence | Needs income of €1,231+ a month ≈ $1,380 | 2 yr | – |
| D7 passive income visa Portugal | Needs income of €920+ a month ≈ $1,030 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Non-lucrative visa Spain | Needs income of €2,400+ a month ≈ $2,680 | 1 yr, renewable | No |
| Elective residence Italy | Needs income of €31k+ a year ≈ $35k | – | No |
| Independent means permit Greece | Needs income of €3,500+ a month ≈ $3,910 | 3 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Retiree residence?
Income of at least EUR 1,231 a month (≈ $1,380). Personal regular pension equal to double the average monthly old-age pension of the previous year, as listed by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs from 1 April 2026 under Cabinet Regulation No. A fee of EUR 160 (≈ $180). State fee for reviewing temporary residence permit documents within 30 days; EUR 280 (≈ $310) within 10 working days and EUR 560 (≈ $630) within 5 working days.
How long can I stay on the Retiree residence?
Temporary residence permit for up to two years.
How long does the Retiree residence take to process?
The authority answers on a temporary residence permit within 30 days of receiving all documents.
Can I bring my family on the Retiree residence?
Family members (spouse, minor children including children under guardianship, and persons in the holder's care) can request a residence permit for the holder's permit term (Immigration Law Section 27(3)).
Who can apply for the Retiree residence?
Third-country nationals who can enter Latvia without a visa under visa-waiver agreements, except Russian and Belarusian citizens. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Retiree residence lead to permanent residence in Latvia?
Time on the Retiree residence counts toward permanent residence in Latvia, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Retiree residence counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years as a permanent resident.
How are Retiree residence holders taxed in Latvia?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Retiree residence. The standard rules apply: Residents are taxed on worldwide income: 25.5% on annual income below EUR105,300 (≈ $118,000) and 33% above, plus an additional 3% on annual income over EUR200,000 (≈ $223,000); non-taxable minimum EUR550 (≈ $610) a month in 2026.
More in Latvia
Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 6 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Immigration Law (adopted 20 August 2026, in force 15 September 2026) · Saeima of the Republic of Latvia (likumi.lv) · checked 2026-10-11
- The necessary subsistence (from 1 April 2026) · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA/PMLP) · checked 2026-10-11
- State fee for issuing the residence permit · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia (OCMA) · checked 2026-10-11
- Initial residence permit, pensioner of a visa-free country: documents to be submitted · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs · checked 2026-10-11
- The long-term resident status of the European Community in Latvia · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) · checked 2026-10-10
- Naturalisation (Latvian citizenship) · Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), Latvia · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.