Banking in Latvia
Countries whose citizens may enter Latvia without a visa

 
Entry into to Latvia by citizens of Member States of the European Union, countries of the European Economic Area, and the Swiss Confederation and their family members

Entry into and residence in Latvia of citizens of the European Union member states, European Economic Area states and the Swiss Confederation (hereinafter – Union citizens), and their family members, is regulated by the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 243 of 29.03.2011 "Procedures for the Entry into and Residence in the Republic of Latvia of Citizens of European Union Member States, European Economic Area States and the Swiss Confederation, and their Family Members" transposing in Latvia Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.


In accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 243, a family member of Union citizen in the meaning of Directive 2004/38/EC shall be:

the spouse;
the partner with whom relationship has been registered;
a relative in direct descent of the Union citizen or his/her spouse who has not reached the age of 21 or is a dependant of a Union citizen or his/her spouse;
a relative in direct ascending line of the Union citizen or his/her spouse who is a dependant of a Union citizen or his/her spouse.
In accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 243, the following persons may be recognised as a family member of a Union citizen in the meaning of Directive 2004/38/EC:

the spouse of a Union citizen;
a relative in direct descent of the Union citizen or his/her spouse who has not reached the age of 21 or is a dependant of a Union citizen or his/ her spouse;
a relative in a direct ascending line of the Union citizen or his/her spouse who is a dependant of a Union citizen or his/her spouse.

A visa is required by a Union citizen’s family member who is not a Union citizen and to whom, according to Council Regulation No 539/2001/EC of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, the visa-free entering conditions do not apply, in order to enter and reside in Latvia for a period of up to three months.

If a Union citizen’s family member who is not a Union citizen must be in possession of visa according to Council Regulation No. 539/2001/EC conditions, he/she may enter the Republic of Latvia without visa provided that he/she has been issued a valid Union citizen's family member’s residence card by a Member State and that he/she:

enters the territory of the Republic of Latvia without crossing the external borders of the Republic of Latvia,
enters the territory of the Republic of Latvia crossing the external borders of the Republic of Latvia and is accompanying a Union citizen or joins him/her.

If a family member of the Union citizen together with the Union citizen wishes to reside in Latvia for more than 90 days, counting from the first day of entry, he/she must register with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs and receive a registration certificate.


The provisions of the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 243 are applicable to a family member of Latvia’s citizen if:

Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council applies to the given Latvia’s citizen, i.e. the given Latvia’s citizen is starting to use or has used his/her rights to move freely within the territory of the Union, and he/she is travelling to a Member State which is not the state of his/her citizenship, or is already residing here (irrespective of the objective and length of residence), or he/she is returning to the state of his/her citizenship while is permanently residing in another Member State (irrespective of the objective and length of residence), or if he/she is returning from the state of his/her citizenship after having resided in another Member State (irrespective of the objective and length of residence);
a family member accompanies a Latvian citizen (travels with him/her) to the destination Member State or joins the Latvian citizen in the destination Member State (travels at a later time).

If a family member is travelling by him-/herself and is not accompanying a Union citizen or is not joining him/her in the destination Member State, the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 243 are not applicable and visa shall be granted according to the general provisions.


A Union citizen does not require a visa in order to enter and reside in Latvia for a period of up to three months. In order to enter Latvia, he/she requires a valid travel document – passport or identification card (an ID card).

If a Union citizen wishes to reside in Latvia for more than 90 days counting from the first day of entry, he/she must register with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs and receive a registration certificate. It is not necessary to register with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs if the Union citizen:

resides in the Republic of Latvia up to six months per year counting from the first day of entry if the aim of residence is the establishment of employment relationship in the Republic of Latvia. If after the end of the six months’ period the Union citizen has not established the employment relationship, he/she and his/her family members may continue residing in the Republic of Latvia without registering with the Office provided that there is proof that the Union citizen is continuing his/her search for work and it is justified to believe that he/she will establish employment relationship;
is employed in Republic of Latvia but lives in another European Union Member State to which he/she is returning once per week;
is a student of an educational institution registered in the Educational Institutions Register of the Republic of Latvia, and his expected length of residence in the Republic of Latvia does not exceed one year.



Member States of the European Union, countries of the European Economic Area, and Swiss Confederation
 

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy
Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom


Countries of the European Economic Area
Iceland

Lichtenstein

Norway