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Help from the Latvian government

For any questions about moving to or living in Latvia, you may be able to get help from the:

• Latvian Embassy in London
• Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs

You can also check the Latvian state services portal for help with common questions.

The UK government and the British Embassy in Riga cannot give personalised advice on moving to, living or retiring in Latvia.

Professional help in Latvia

You can also get help from English-speaking professionals in Latvia, including:

• lawyers
• translators
• notaries
• funeral directors

Help from the UK government

Read the travel advice for Latvia to understand the risks you may face if you live in or visit Latvia. This includes the latest information on:

• visas and entry requirements
• laws and cultural differences
• safety and security

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad.

Get help from the UK government abroad, including in an emergency.

Make sure you meet the entry requirements for Latvia before you travel.

 Visas and residence permits

Check which visa or residence permit you need to live in Latvia. 

You can get a visa for:

• work
• study
• business
• joining a family member
• religious activities

For more information, read guidance on visas and residence permits for UK nationals.

Registering as a resident

Once you arrive, you need to register your residency in Latvia. You can do this:

• at your local municipality
• at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs – read their guidance on residence permits
• online through the State Administration Services Portal

If you have any problems or questions about registering your residency, contact:

• the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs
• an English-speaking lawyer in Latvia

Extending or replacing your visa or residence permit

Contact the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs for information on how to:

• extend your visa or residence permit
• replace a lost, damaged or stolen visa or residence permit

Permanent residency

You may be able to apply for permanent residency in Latvia if you hold a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years.

For more information on eligibility and how to apply, read guidance on:

• residence permits
• different types of residence permits

Citizenship

Latvia recognises dual citizenship with the UK. This means you do not have to give up (renounce) your British citizenship to become a Latvian citizen.

To find out if you’re eligible for Latvian citizenship, read guidance on acquiring Latvian citizenship.

Help with visa, residency and citizenship applications

The British Embassy in Riga cannot give personalised information or advice on Latvian visa, residency or citizenship applications.

For any questions or issues, contact:

• the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs
• the Latvian Embassy in London
• an English-speaking lawyer in Latvia

If you moved to Latvia before 1 January 2021, and have been legally living there since then, you and your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Residence permits if you moved to Latvia before 1 January 2021

If you moved to Latvia before 1 January 2021, make sure you have a residence permit (‘uzturēšanās atļauja’). This shows that you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Under the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES), you’ll need a residence permit when entering or leaving Latvia. If you have one, you will not have to register with the EES to travel within the Schengen area. Without it, you may be wrongly identified as overstaying in the Schengen Area and denied entry to Latvia or other Schengen countries.

Bringing family members to Latvia if you moved there before 1 January 2021

The Latvian government’s information on Brexit explains:

• which family members can join you in Latvia
• how and when they should apply for their residence permit

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• apply for a British passport from abroad
• travel urgently without your British passport

If you have a Latvian residence permit or long stay visa, the time you spend in Latvia does not count towards the 90-day visa-free period you can spend in the Schengen area.

Always carry your passport and residence permit when entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. If you’re asked to show your passport at border control, make sure you also show your residence permit or other evidence of residence status. Your passport may be stamped if you do not.

If you have dual citizenship with an EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country, you should enter and leave Latvia using your EU or EFTA passport.

Dual citizens travelling to the UK 

When travelling to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. Read guidance on dual citizenship.

European Entry/Exit System (EES)

Under the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) there are new rules for entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. Non-EU nationals will need to have their photo and fingerprints taken or verified at the border. This data will be stored in a digital record and used to monitor how long visitors have spent in the Schengen area.

British nationals legally resident in Latvia, and who have a residence permit (‘uzturēšanās atļauja’), do not need to register with the EES.

If you’re legally resident in Latvia but do not have a residence permit, contact Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs for information on how to get one.

For more information about how the EES will work and when it will come into force, read:

• EU guidance on the EES
• guidance on the EES for UK nationals

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• plan your healthcare
• take medicine abroad

To find out how to get medical treatment:

• contact your insurance provider
• read guidance on healthcare in Latvia and health in Latvia
• find English-speaking medical facilities and doctors for British nationals in Latvia

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers working abroad, including documents you may need from the UK government.

To work in Latvia, you may need a work permit or work visa. Our guidance on travelling to Latvia for work explains the different work permits and visas available to you.

You do not need a work permit or visa if you have been living in Latvia legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

To apply for a job, you may need to provide a UK police certificate.

When you get your first job in Latvia, your employer applies to the State Revenue Service for your unique tax code. You can use this with future employers in Latvia. Your employer is responsible for deducting your income tax and social security payments from your income.

If you are self-employed, you must register with the tax authorities yourself. You’ll be responsible for calculating and paying your tax and social security contributions.

If you live in Latvia and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country before 1 January 2021, read guidance for frontier workers.

Recognition of qualifications

If you want to work in Latvia, you may need to get your foreign qualifications recognised.

Read our guidance on moving, living and retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• drive abroad legally
• take your UK vehicle abroad
• get driving licence letters

The Latvian Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSSD) provides information on driving in Latvia, including how to apply for or renew a Latvian driving licence.

There is also guidance on registering a foreign vehicle in Latvia and converting it for driving on the right.

For more information read guidance on:

• driving in the EU
• road travel in Latvia, in safety and security in the travel advice for Latvia

Driving in Latvia using a foreign driving licence

You can drive in Latvia until your licence expires using a driving licence issued in:

• the UK
• Gibraltar
• Jersey
• Guernsey
• the Isle of Man

You cannot replace or renew any of these licences if you live in Latvia. 

Exchanging your driving licence

Before it expires, you must exchange your driving licence.

You’ll need to:

• get a check code from the DVLA – for English, Welsh and Scottish driving licences
• get a check code from the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) – for Northern Irish driving licences
• get a medical certificate from a GP or medical institution which provides driving medical certificates

You cannot use an international driving permit instead of exchanging your licence.

Disabled drivers

You may be able to apply for a Latvian parking card for people with disabilities.

If you have a UK Blue Badge and live in Latvia, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers tax, including paying UK tax and National Insurance.  

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Latvia so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.

Contact the State Revenue Service or HMRC for any questions about double taxation relief.

Consider getting professional advice on paying tax in Latvia. To do this, find an English-speaking lawyer in Latvia or contact the Latvian Association of Accountants.

National Insurance

Check if you need to pay National Insurance if you’re going to work in the EU, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

Claiming your UK pension

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• how to claim your UK State Pension
• where the UK government pays an annual increase in the State Pension

Your UK state pension is calculated differently if you’ve previously lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and now live in the EU.

Claiming a Latvian pension

Contact the State Social Insurance Agency to find out whether you can claim a pension.

Claiming UK benefits

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to claim UK benefits abroad, including Child Benefit.  

You can also read guidance on benefits and pensions for UK nationals in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

Claiming Latvian benefits

You may be entitled to some Latvian benefits.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to claim, read guidance on benefits and allowances in Latvia.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers buying and renting property abroad.  

Contact an English-speaking lawyer in Latvia if you’re considering buying property or land.

If you plan to study in Latvia, you must meet all visa and residency requirements before you travel.

You do not need a student visa if you have been living in Latvia legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

For more information, read guidance on:

• studying in Latvia
• studying in the EU
• travel grants for students studying abroad or on placements (England)

You can also contact:

• your higher education provider in the UK or Latvia
• the Latvian Embassy in London

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers moving abroad with children, including:

• getting permission to take your child abroad
• claiming UK Child Benefit abroad
• child maintenance payments if a parent lives abroad

Schools and education

The European Commission provides information about the school system in Latvia.

All children aged 5 to 16 must attend school or home school in Latvia.

For more information, read the Latvian government’s guidance on:

• the Latvian education system
• education programmes and initiatives

Childcare

Municipal education departments manage childcare services in Latvia. For example, the Riga City Council has information about Riga childcare and education (in Latvian).

Contact the municipal government  where you live in Latvia for information.

Births

If your child is born in Latvia, you must register the birth with a municipal civil registry office. Contact the municipal government where you live in Latvia for information about how to do this.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• register the birth with the UK authorities to get a UK birth certificate
• apply for your child’s first British passport

Deaths

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• what to do after someone dies abroad
• how to register the death with the UK authorities

If someone dies in Latvia, read guidance on:

• what to do when someone dies in Latvia
• English-speaking funeral directors in Lativa

Marriages and civil partnerships

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get married or get a civil partnership abroad.  

Divorce and separation

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get a divorce or end a civil partnership.   

The Latvian state services portal has guidance on how to get a divorce in Latvia.

Consider taking legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in Latvia.

To find an English-speaking lawyer, translator or notary in Latvia, read guidance on professional services if you’re abroad.