Receipt of the temporary residence permit by acquiring the immovable property in the Republic of Latvia

General information

Residence permit is a document, giving a right for a foreigner to stay in the Republic of Latvia for a certain period of time (temporary residence permit).

Temporary residence permit (hereinafter – TRP) may be received if a foreigner has acquired and he or she owns one or several immovable properties in the Republic of Latvia. TRP is issued for a term not exceeding 5 years with a further possibility to prolong it for the new period, provided that the immovable property is in the property of the investor.

TRP gives the right to live permanently within the territory of Latvia as well as a right to free movement and stay in all countries of the Schengen area. Period of stay in the countries of the Schengen area is up to 90 days within half a year.

Persons, who have received TRP, do not have to permanently stay in Latvia. However, if a person, who has received a residence permit wants, he or she may live in Latvia for the whole year.  For a TRP to be valid, an annual registration of the TRP has to be performed once a year.

Receipt of the TRP does not cause an obligation for an investor to become as a Latvian tax resident.

Terms and conditions for issue of the Temporary Residence Permit in Latvia

• Investor has acquired and owns one functionally related immovable property in Rīga or Jūrmala, or Ādaži, Babīte, Baldone, Carnikava, Garkalne, Ikšķile, Ķekava, Mārupe, Olaine, Ropaži, Salaspils, Saulkrasti or Stopiņi region (except for the case, when the immovable property is a vacant land plot), the value of which is at least 250 000 euros, or outside of the above mentioned administrative territories – not more than two immovable properties (except for the case, when the immovable property is a vacant land plot) and each of them is one functionally related immovable property, the total value of which is at least 250 000 euros;
• on the day of acquisition of the immovable property, the cadastre value thereof is of at least 80 000 euros. If a foreigner has acquired two immovable properties outside of Rīga or Jūrmala, or Ādaži, Babīte, Baldone, Carnikava, Garkalne, Ikšķile, Ķekava, Mārupe, Olaine, Ropaži, Salaspils, Saulkrasti or Stopiņi region, the cadastral value of each immovable property on the day of acquisition thereof shall be of at least 40 000 euros;
• when applying for the first temporary residence permit, an investor must pay to the State budget a one-time payment in the amount of five percent from the acquisition value of the immovable property;
• the immovable property shall not contain an agriculture land or wooded area;
• the immovable property has been acquired from a legal person registered in the Republic of Latvia or a member state of the European Union, European Economic Area or Swiss Confederation, who is a taxpayer in the Republic of Latvia for the purpose of regulatory enactments governing the tax area of the Republic of Latvia, or from a natural person, who is a citizen of Latvia, non-citizen of Latvia, citizen of the European Union or a foreigner, who stays in the Republic of Latvia on the basis of a valid residence permit issued by the Republic of Latvia;
• Full transaction amount of the immovable property shall be paid via non-cash payment.
• There are no debt liabilities for the immovable property tax.

Upon investing in the immovable property in Latvia, which corresponds to the above-mentioned criteria, the TRP may be received by:

• the owner of the immovable property;
• a spouse;
• children of minor age.

Documents necessary for arrangement of the TRP

• Questionnaire of a specified type;
• Foreign passport;
• Photograph (passport format);
• A statement issued by the competent authority of the country of citizenship or residence, if a foreigner has stayed there for a period longer than 12 months, regarding penal records (for a foreigner aged above 14 years);
• A document, certifying the necessary means for subsistence;
• A document, certifying the expected place of residence in Latvia;
• Bank’s statement, certifying that the payment for acquisition of the immovable property was performed via non-cash wire transfer;
• A document, certifying that the foreigner has no debts of the immovable property tax payments, if the immovable property is owned by him or her for a period longer than one year;
• Opinion of a certified immovable property appraiser regarding the compliance of the market value of the immovable property with the value specified in the Immigration Law, if the cadastre value of the acquired immovable property does not correspond with the provisions of the Immigration Law;
• A document, certifying that the State fee for processing of documents is paid.

Additional documents for family members:

• Copy of marriage certificate;
• Copy of birth certificate for a child;
• Notarially certified consent of the mother/father, if the child receives TRP only with one of the parents.

Original documents are to be presented, when submitting copies.

Term for review of documents and fees:

• 5 working days – EUR 426.86
• 10 working days – EUR 284.57
• 30 working days – EUR 142.29

Issue of TRP:

• within three months after the date, when the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereinafter – OCMA) has adopted a decision regarding the issue of TRP, the investor and his or her family members shall arrive in Latvia to receive a personal identity card or electronic identity card (eID). If the above-mentioned period has expired, the decision regarding the issue of TRP shall become void and the procedure shall be commenced from the beginning.
• Term of issue of personal cards and fee:
  • 2 working days – EUR 28.46
  • 10 working days – EUR 14.23
• Before receipt of the TRP the following additional documents must be submitted to the OCMA:
  • A statement issued by the Latvian medical institution that a person is not suffering from tuberculosis in active phase;
  • Health insurance policy for the period of validity of the personal identity card.

Annual registration

• Personal identity card or electronic identity card (eID) shall be issued for a period of one year.
• 45 days before expiry of the personal card the investor and his or her family members have to pass the procedure of annual registration in order to receive a personal card for the next period.
• In order to pass the annual registration, the investor and his or her family members must submit the following documents to the OCMA in person:
  • A statement, confirming that the investor does not have any debt liabilities for the immovable property tax;
  • A prolonged health insurance policy;
  • A document confirming the necessary means for subsistence;
• If the obligations of the annual registration of the TRP are not performed, the residence permit is annulled.