What visa do Russians need for Latvia?
Photo of visa to Latvia.
The state issues several types of entry documents, it depends on how long the tourist needs to stay in the country. There are 3 types of documents for entry into Latvia:
- transit;
- National;
- Schengen.
The first option does not require special design. To transit through Latvia you do not need to register anything. Tourists waiting for a transfer to another flight are allowed to stay on the airport premises for 24 hours without special permission.
It is important to know! If a Tourist transfers at a Latvian airport to travel to a country that does not belong to the Schengen agreement, he will have to apply for a transit visa category C on the territory of the Russian Federation.
National visa (D) is issued for six months. According to it, you can stay on the territory of the state for no more than 90 days in a row.
Most travelers are interested in a tourist visa. It can be double, single, valid for three months, and multiple – 180 days.
If a tourist manages to enter the territory of Latvia by obtaining a visa on his own, he can continue his trip to other Schengen states without a special entry document.
If a traveler has Latvian relatives or friends, he can obtain a Schengen visa by invitation. Citizens of the Russian Federation who decide to go to Latvia for employment apply for a work visa. A business visa is often issued, allowing you to visit the country for business trips, participation in symposiums, and congresses.
Travelers traveling with children apply for a child visa.
Since 2015, a new system for issuing Schengen visas has been introduced. Now you need to undergo a fingerprint scan and take a digital photograph at the visa center. Biometric data must be provided once every 5 years. Children under 12 years of age are exempt from fingerprint scanning. The personal presence of the applicant when submitting documents is mandatory. The new system is designed to improve the security of data storage. More details - eurovisa.info
New rules for obtaining a Schengen visa (1357 Downloads)
What documents are needed for a visa to Latvia?
To go on a trip, prepare documents for a Latvian visa.
Tourist visa
List of required documents for obtaining a Schengen visa to Latvia:
- A foreign passport issued a maximum of 9 years ago, with 2 blank pages. Validity period – valid 3 months from the date of return from the Baltic region,
- internal passport , photocopy of completed pages,
- 2 photographs 3.5x4.5 cm , one photograph must be glued to the application form,
- printed air or train tickets and vouchers confirming hotel reservations,
- confirmation of payment of state duty ,
- a correctly completed visa application form ,
- medical insurance for 30 thousand €;
- proof of solvency.
It is important to know! For each day of stay in the Republic of Latvia, you need to have about $60 daily if the tourist lives independently and pays for housing. When a traveler arrives by invitation, this amount is $20 for each day.
National visa
For a national visa, in addition to the main document package, you will need others:
- notification from the place of work (or study) , which indicates the applicant’s salary;
- bank accounts confirming the tourist’s solvency.
Visa by invitation
When applying for a visa by invitation, you must provide a health certificate for the tourist .
Work Visa
The working type of the document requires the original of the employment contract with the Latvian company, as well as a letter from the future employer .
Sample documents:
List of documents for a Schengen visa, complete list (8992 Downloads) Itinerary sheet for a Schengen visa (One Download) Sample sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa in English (One Download) Certificate of employment for a Schengen visa, sample (2177 Downloads)
- Detailed information about documents for a Schengen visa ->
Visa for a child
Children under 6 years old receive a visa free of charge.
To apply for a child visa, bring:
- application form,
- photos ,
- his birth certificate ,
- insurance policy for the same amount as for adults.
When a minor travels unaccompanied by parents, they must provide a power of attorney (notarized) indicating who is responsible for the young tourist. But traveling without parents is only possible if you have your own passport (from 14 years of age).
Sample consent for a child to travel abroad for one of the parents (954 Downloads) Sample consent for a parent to travel abroad for a child accompanied by a third party (833 Downloads)
- Read more about the Schengen visa for a child ->
Photo requirements
There are several requirements for photographs. They must be in color and made a maximum of six months ago.
Images that have been damaged or processed in Photoshop cannot be submitted. There is a restriction for women - they should not wear clothes that do not cover their shoulders.
Photo requirements for a Schengen visa (1197 Downloads)
- Read more about the photo for a Schengen visa ->
Application form for a visa to Latvia
To obtain permission to enter the Baltic region, you must fill out a visa application form for Latvia.
The form contains only truthful information, it is entered in legible handwriting, or the application is filled out online in printed form on the website epak.pmlp.gov.lv.
Each item in the questionnaire indicates a specific answer to the question posed. Upon completion of the form, you must sign it and attach photographs there.
Application form for a Schengen visa to Latvia (158 Downloads) Sample of filling out an application form for a Schengen visa to Latvia (144 Downloads) How to convey Russian letters using the Latin alphabet (1011 Downloads) Instructions for filling out an application form for a Schengen visa (2415 Downloads)
- Read more about filling out the Schengen visa application ->
Medical insurance
It is very important to have insurance for a Latvia visa. It is issued for 30 thousand € and is valid throughout the tourist’s entire stay on the Baltic coast.
It is important that the policy has no deductible. Insurance must be obtained no later than 5 days before the planned departure.
To obtain medical insurance in Latvia, we recommend using the service cherehapa.ru
You can find out prices for travel insurance in Latvia for 2 people using the form below:
Complete list of requirements for a health insurance policy for a Schengen visa (1179 Downloads)
- Read more about health insurance for a Schengen visa ->
Self-application of a visa to Latvia
You can independently obtain a visa to Latvia through consular missions in Russia.
Travelers are interested in how to obtain a visa to Latvia on their own. The procedure is quite feasible without the assistance of travel agencies.
To do this you need:
- First, they collect all the documents that will be needed for the trip. You can view the list of official documents at the embassy or on the Internet.
- Then you need to book a hotel or other place of residence and print a voucher confirming your reservation.
- Before applying for a visa to Latvia, fill out a form, print it out, and sign it.
- Then they scan your passport and other documents and go to the consulate.
- There they pay the state fee and submit documents.
- After reviewing the documents, you receive a visa.
A Latvian visa can be issued at the embassy, consulates or visa centers.
Document requirements
The main document is a foreign passport. It has special requirements, such as:
- Availability of free pages for stamping. There must be at least two of them.
- Reality and authenticity.
- The expiration date is no earlier than three months after the end of the trip.
If you plan to travel with a child under fourteen years of age, the parents must have a corresponding entry in their foreign passport. But this is only necessary if the child does not have his own foreign passport. The photo should also be taken seriously. For a Schengen visa, you must prepare passport size photographs measuring 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm.
The background also plays an important role. It should be white or light gray. The photo should clearly show the person's face, head without a headdress and covered shoulders.
To travel to Riga you need medical insurance. It can be purchased directly in the Schengen zone. The amount of insurance coverage should not be less than thirty thousand euros. In this case, you should pay attention to its validity period. She should be active for another two weeks after the end of the trip. For foreign representatives, including Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians, you need to take care of booking a hotel room in advance. In addition, the consulate may require hotel details in Riga, so you also need to find out these in advance.
Gutenbergs Hotel building in Riga
You can book a room yourself via the Internet or use the services of travel agencies. The exception is booking.com.
The Latvian Consulate, having seen a reservation using this site, may refuse to accept the confirmation voucher without reason. An important document is also a certificate of a person’s financial condition. As this document, you can provide an extract from your job or bank.
