Residence permit in Latvia, residence permit in Latvia for Russians when purchasing real estate in 2021

Types of residence permits in Latvia

According to Latvian legislation, there are two residence permits for foreigners in the country: temporary and permanent. A residence permit in Latvia is a plastic card that contains personal information about its owner. In essence, this card is an identity document for a foreigner on the territory of the Republic of Latvia, and also confirms his legal status of residence in the country.

Temporary

A temporary residence permit in Latvia is issued for a period of 5 years. According to it, a foreigner can legally stay in the country for the entire duration of the permit. In other Schengen countries with a Latvian residence permit, you can stay no more than 90 days in a six-month period, although in fact no one can track this, because There are no actual borders between Schengen countries. However, it is worth understanding that if a foreigner has a residence permit in Latvia, he does not have the right to reside in another country in the Schengen area, much less work there and enjoy other benefits. Please note that a temporary residence permit in Latvia must be registered annually, despite the fact that the document is valid for 5 years.

Constant

Anyone can obtain a permanent residence permit in Latvia after five years of residence in the country with a temporary one. The document is also issued for 5 years. In fact, a permanent residence permit gives all the same rights as a temporary one. The only advantage is that the temporary residence permit does not need to be registered annually; renewal is carried out once every 5 years.

Permanent residence and citizenship of Latvia

If you decide to move to Europe for permanent residence and are ready to apply for permanent residence in Latvia, you must show that you have lived in Latvia for 4 years out of the last 5 years after receiving a temporary residence permit. In addition, you must also pass a Latvian language exam and a test on knowledge of the history of Latvia and its national anthem.

Requirements for obtaining Latvian citizenship

To qualify for Latvian citizenship and a European passport, you must have lived in the country for at least 10 years, 5 of which you have been a permanent resident - you will need to prove this in the form of proof of permanent residential address and proof of employment. In addition, you must meet the following conditions:

Knowledge of the basic principles of the Constitution of Latvia, the national anthem, as well as the foundations of the history and culture of the country.
No criminal record and good reputation.
No debts to the tax and other authorities.

Who can apply

First of all, blood relatives of legal Latvian citizens of the 1st and 2nd line, children (if they are in the care of a foreigner) and spouses of those who received a residence permit can apply for a residence permit in Latvia. Investors have the same opportunities. If a pensioner wants to obtain a residence permit, the first chances are for Latvians and Livonians, repatriates, pensioners whose spouses have a residence permit or permanent residence in Latvia.

All submitted documents along with applications are carefully reviewed by the Latvian Migration Department

Grounds for obtaining a residence permit

Most often, the factors for issuing a residence permit are:

Reunion with family. Only in cases where there is a close relative in the country with the right to permanent residence or has a local passport.
In case of investing in the country's economy. The amount of investment must be no less than that established by Latvian legislation.
Study at one of the local universities or for the purpose of student exchange. It is also possible to issue a residence permit for taking a secondary education course.
To continue or start treatment, an appropriate certificate must be issued.
Availability of a blue card, which is issued for EU citizens.
If you are planning political, religious, charitable activities or employment.
If you need to restore the right to a Latvian passport (mainly when the previous one is lost).
It is planned to do business in the country in the form of registering an enterprise or commercial activity.

The Law on Latvian Immigration states that all specified grounds for obtaining a residence permit must be accompanied by an invitation or request from the Latvian side.

How to obtain a residence permit in Latvia when purchasing real estate

Latvia is one of the few European countries that is ready to offer foreigners a residence permit when purchasing real estate. Why is Latvia taking such steps? In fact, everything is simple: a foreigner who owns real estate in Latvia pays the appropriate taxes in the country, which in turn helps replenish the state treasury. Buying an apartment, house or other real estate in Latvia is quite simple, the main thing is that everything is legal. Most often they buy small apartments in the resort area.

Latvian legislation provides for two ways for foreigners to purchase real estate:

Purchase of one object worth at least 250 thousand euros, the minimum cadastral price must be at least 80 thousand euros. Purchase is expected only in the Riga region. It is prohibited to purchase undeveloped land.
Purchase of 2 objects with a total cost of 250 thousand euros, the cadastral price of each of them is at least 40 thousand euros. Allowed to purchase 2 properties outside the Riga region. The acquisition of undeveloped land is prohibited!

Obtaining a residence permit when purchasing real estate and investing

Purchasing real estate in Latvia involves obtaining a temporary residence permit, which can later be changed to a permanent one. It is important to remember that in order to obtain a residence permit in 2021, you must purchase real estate for a total amount of at least two hundred and fifty thousand euros. This amount is the estimated value on the real estate market, which is carried out by experts in this field.

An important condition is that you can purchase real estate only from people who have:

Citizenship of Latvia.
Residence permit in Latvia.
Citizenship of European Union countries.

After purchasing real estate, the foreign representative is issued a residence permit in Latvia for a period of five years.

Detailed map of the European Union showing the GDP of all countries

If a person has children, this right extends to them. It is also necessary to remember that when purchasing real estate in 2021, it is necessary to pay duty contributions to the state budget. Such rules were introduced by the state government in 2014. Purchasing real estate in Latvia requires payment of five percent of the total cost of the real estate itself.

Regarding investing in the development of the country’s economy, there are two permitted methods, such as:

Investment of at least one hundred and fifty thousand euros in the development of your own enterprise. In this case, the total number of employees must exceed fifty persons. The estimated turnover of the organization must be at least ten million per year.
Investment of at least thirty-five thousand euros. The staff is over fifty people, and the profit is less than ten million a year.

Required documents

The list of documents will differ depending on the basis on which the residence permit is issued: study, work, business, real estate ownership, etc.

When you first contact the Latvian Migration Department, you must provide the following package of required documents:

Application form for a Latvian residence permit of the established form. You can find the form on the website pmlp.gov.lv.
Current color photo 3x4 cm.
A criminal record certificate with official stamp for applicants over 14 years of age, issued by the competent authority of the applicant's country of citizenship. The validity period of such a document is 6 months from the date of issue.
Document on the financial solvency of the applicant. The subsistence minimum from 04/01/2019 is 2008 euros per month for the main applicant, for a spouse - 430 euros per month, for a child - 129 euros per month. Such a document is usually provided by a certificate from the bank with a statement of funds in the account.
A document that will confirm that the applicant has a place of residence in Latvia (lease agreement, purchase and sale of housing).
A document confirming the basis for obtaining a residence permit.

Important! In case of obtaining a residence permit based on the purchase of real estate, you must provide a document confirming that payment for the purchase of real estate was made by bank transfer. This point is very important, because... Payment, as a rule, is made in several stages, and buyers often pay part of the amount in cash. This option is not suitable for a residence permit. Cashless payment only!

Receipt for payment of state duty.

Please note that this list may be supplemented by other documents.

If the decision on the application is positive, when you apply to the Migration Department again, you will need to have insurance of at least 50 thousand euros and a medical certificate from a Latvian health care institution with fluorography.

Where to contact

The decision to issue a residence permit is made by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Latvia (OCMA). And you can submit documents to the Latvian consulate in Russia or, if the applicant is already in the Republic of Latvia, directly to the OCMA. You must submit documents in person.

The Embassy website has detailed recommendations for obtaining a residence permit. First you need to contact the consular department, you need to get on the electronic queue to submit an application. On the appointed day, fill out the form and submit a complete package of documents and receipts for payment of the duty. An interview is required. After all these actions, all that remains is to wait for the Department’s decision.

Expensive and cheap real estate in Latvia: price review

The cost of real estate in Latvia is significantly lower than in more developed countries of the European Union. The state became a member of the EU in 2004. In 2010, due to the simplification of obtaining a residence permit, property prices increased significantly. About 20–25% compared to the previous year.

Property price:

Today, the cost of luxury real estate located in the historical center of the city, for example, in Riga and Jurmala, is 1,500 to 3,500 euros per sq.m.
On the secondary market in areas remote from the center, you can buy an apartment in Latvia for an average of 500–600 euros per sq.m.
Apartments in Latvia in a new multi-storey building will have to pay 1000–1500 euros.
In Jurmala prices are slightly higher than in Riga. For example, an apartment near the sea can cost from 3,000 euros per sq. m. m. The cost of a small townhouse reaches 150,000 euros.

Cost and duration of obtaining a Latvian residence permit

The cost of obtaining a Latvian residence permit directly depends on the timing of document review - the faster it is reviewed, the more expensive it costs. So, obtaining a temporary residence permit in Latvia for Russians will cost:

30 days – 100 euros;
10 working days – 200 euros;
5 working days – 400 euros.

Registration of a permanent residence permit in Latvia will cost the same.

If you submit documents through the Latvian consulate in Russia, you will additionally need to pay a consular fee of 110 euros. If you submit documents directly to the Latvian Migration Department, you do not need to pay the consular fee.

How to get a permanent residence permit in Latvia for a valid reason

Part eight, article 24, of the Immigration Law is clearly defined. Permanent residence in Latvia is considered continuous if during the specified period the absence from the country was no longer than 6 (six) months in a row. And in total this does not exceed 1 (one) year. Absence is considered valid if it was caused by circumstances beyond the control of the person. First of all, this is a foreigner’s illness or force majeure (force majeure). Take into account the illness of a child, a spouse, studying at school or college. Please note that working abroad is not accepted as an excuse for absence from the country. Therefore, it is extremely rare for foreigners to obtain a permanent residence permit in Latvia for a valid reason.

The point is that there are exceptions. Certain categories of foreign citizens can apply for a permanent residence permit in Latvia without the necessary residence in the country. These include:

A minor child (under 18 years of age) - if one of his parents has received a permanent residence permit.
A person who has completed secondary school in Latvia in Latvian as the language of instruction.

When can you apply for a residence permit?

It is defined in paragraph 3, part one of Article 33, of the Immigration Law. After receiving all the documents, the consideration required for requesting permanent residence in Latvia by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (UGDM) must pass the period established by law. The Immigration Department reviews the application and responds within 30 days. Review is possible within a shorter period of 10 working days.

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Refusal to issue a residence permit and its cancellation

If the documentation requirements are not followed, the applicant may be denied a visa. This mainly happens for the following reasons:

The foreign passport turned out to be invalid.
Not the entire package of documents was submitted or errors were found in filling out.
Incomplete or incorrect information about the applicant was provided.
The documents were forged.
Fictitious marriage with a citizen of Latvia.
The applicant has been diagnosed with dangerous diseases with which crossing the Latvian border is not permissible.
In Latvia, offenses were committed before the documents were submitted.
Violation of the requirements of the migration service.
The applicant has not fully proven his financial solvency.

If a refusal to obtain a residence permit is received, you can challenge it by submitting a written appeal. It is submitted to the head of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs within a month after receiving the refusal. The application is written only in Latvian. The decision issued by the head of the OCMA can also be challenged.

Even if you already have a visa, there is a risk that the permit will be revoked. This happens in the following cases:

The applicant provided false information or proved forgery of documents.
The person was deprived of the opportunity to stay in Latvia or cross its border.
A serious crime was recorded that the applicant committed.
The fictitiousness of marriage or adoption has been proven.
If you have Latvian permanent residence, the applicant has received permanent residence from another state.

Certain factors may influence the cancellation of a temporary residence permit:

There is a tax debt of more than 150 euros or the financial solvency of the foreigner has not been proven.
Travel within the Schengen area is prohibited.
He became the organizer of a crime, for which he received 2 years in prison.
Engaged in illegal activities in Latvia.
The foreigner has not worked anywhere for a year or his company has not been active during this period.

Permanent residence is canceled in cases where he has not provided the necessary documents or has violated labor laws several times or has not been in Latvia for 12 months without good reason.

Reasons for refusal of visas and residence permits

There is a whole list of reasons why you may be denied a visa or residence permit.

Service in foreign military forces of countries outside the European Union and NATO.
You submitted an incomplete set of documents, or you did not provide clarifying documents that the consulate requested from you.
Your marriage was declared fictitious.
There are problems and refusals in your visa history.
You have dangerous health problems.
Your documents turned out to be invalid or deliberately false.
You have not confirmed sufficient funds to live in Latvia.
You have previously committed a serious or especially serious crime on the territory of Latvia.
The person inviting you has withdrawn his invitation or has lost the right to it.

Validity period of the Latvian residence permit

A temporary residence permit is issued for a period of 1-5 years. An annual recheck of the applicant’s documents and the appropriateness of his presence in the country may be carried out.

You can extend your residence permit an unlimited number of times if necessary and provide the necessary documents. If an investor submits an application for a second extension, he must pay a state fee of 5,000 euros.

To renew the permit, you must contact the Office no later than 2 months before the expiration of the previous permit. In addition to the application, it is mandatory to submit a foreign passport with a normal validity period, insurance, and a document indicating that the foreigner does not have any debt.

Those who are just thinking about obtaining a residence permit should take into account that living in Latvia has its advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side: the opportunity to obtain permanent residence; there should be no problems with communication at first, since the majority of the population speaks Russian. There are many attractions, pure beautiful nature, a developing economy and infrastructure. It is easier for foreigners who have a Latvian residence permit to obtain a visa to any European country. But there are also a few “buts”. Although foreigners who are willing to invest in the local economy are welcome here, it is better if they speak Latvian. Citizens of other countries who want to settle here are not always perceived positively. The unemployment rate is high – up to 8%. A damp climate will not suit everyone.