SHORT TERM VISITS
Citizens of the United Kingdom may travel to Latvia without a visa and stay there for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, as long as they are not employed or involved in any paid activity. During border crossing procedures, UK citizens have to be able to produce documents proving their purpose of travel, evidence of having appropriate travel medical insurance or the GHIC card, and sufficient financial means for whole envisaged stay in Latvia.
MOVING TO LATVIA
If a UK citizen plans to live and work in Latvia in the long-term, they must apply for a residence permit. Citizens of the United Kingdom may travel to Latvia and apply for a residence permit at the competent institution issuing residence permits - the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA). The grounds for requesting a residence permit and the list of required documents for the residence permit application are available on the following website of the OCMA website.
WORKING IN LATVIA
UK citizens travelling to Latvia with the purpose of being employed or involved in any paid activity must apply for a visa with employment rights. Information on employment in Latvia can be found on the website of OCMA.
Employment rights are granted with the decision to issue a visa (for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period) or a residence permit (for stays longer than 90 days). The right to employment is certified by a corresponding entry in the visa or residence permit.
The Embassy is issuing visas with employment rights based on an invitation approved by the OCMA. As soon as the invitation is approved, the person may apply for a visa at the Embassy. Information on the visa application process and the required documents is available here.
If your planned stay in Latvia is longer than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit. As a UK citizen you may travel to Latvia and apply for a residence permit directly at the OCMA. You may also submit your application to the Embassy for further forwarding to the OCMA for processing. There is a fee for document forwarding. If you choose to submit your documents to the Embassy, please see this page.
Categories of visitors who are not required to have a visa with employment rights are listed in the Section 9 (3) of the Immigration Law.
In case of further inquiries, please contact the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs by phone +371 67209400, by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or via the website.