Permanent Residence in Latvia — EU Long-Term Resident Status

General Information on Permanent Residence in Latvia

As a rule, permanent residence requires 5 years of continuous residence in Latvia.

Residence is considered continuous if, during that period, absence from Latvia did not exceed 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total.

For certain categories, including EU Blue Card holders, the law provides special rules for calculating the period of residence.

Permanent Residence in Latvia — Main Requirements

To obtain EU long-term resident status in Latvia, an applicant must meet the requirements set by law.

• continuous residence in Latvia for 5 years;
• sufficient means to support the applicant and dependent family members;
• knowledge of Latvian at level A2 or above;
• completion of a course in Latvian culture and history;
• compliance with the permitted periods of absence set by law.

For certain categories of foreign nationals, the law provides special rules for calculating the five-year period.

Registration of Permanent Residence

The status grants the right to permanent residence. The document confirming the right of residence is subject to periodic registration in the manner provided by law.

Grounds for Loss or Cancellation of the Status

EU long-term resident status may be lost or cancelled in the cases provided for by Imigrācijas likums, including the submission of false information or documents, prolonged absence, obtaining the corresponding status in another EU country, and in other cases provided for by law.

Permanent Residence and What Comes Next

EU long-term resident status in Latvia provides:

• the right to reside permanently in Latvia;
• access to the labour market without a separate work permit;
• the ability to exercise the social rights provided for by law;
• the ability, subject to the established conditions, to move to another EU member state;
• the ability to apply for Latvian citizenship in due course, subject to meeting the requirements of the law.

How We Can Help

We work with clients across every stage of the Latvia permanent residency process:

• reviewing residence permit history and calculating qualifying periods
• checking compliance with language and immigration requirements
• preparing the full document package
• submitting the application to PMLP
• advising on renewal and next steps, including the path to EU citizenship

Get in touch to discuss your situation.

Documents Required

The decision — approval or refusal — is made by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP).

Language Requirement

Permanent residence requires proof of Latvian language proficiency at level A2 or above.

In the cases provided for by law, an applicant may be exempted from proving knowledge of the state language.

Is the Period of Study Counted?

A period of study in Latvia is counted towards the required period of residence in the manner provided by law. Where applicable, no more than half of the period of study is counted towards the five-year period.

Latvian Culture and History Course

Permanent residence requires meeting the integration requirement set by law — completing a course in Latvian culture and history, unless a statutory exception applies to the applicant.