EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Latvia; students are required to apply for Registration Certificate while reisiding in Latvia.

The citizens of other countries need to apply for visa prior to the arrival to Latvia.

Read carefully information about the procedure in order to fulfill the immigration requirements for coming to studies in Latvia:

• Citizens of EU, European Economic Area (EEA) States, and Swiss Confederation
• Citizens from VISA-FREE countries and other countries who need visa
• Citizens from other countries who have additional assessment

For citizens of EU / EEA / Switzerland

EU/EEA citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Latvia. Citizens of these countries may reside in Latvia max. 90 days within a 6 months period, therefore, students are required to undergo a certain immigration procedure before or after their arrival to Latvia.

The citizens of other countries need to apply for visa prior to their arrival to Latvia.

Student has to apply for the REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE in person at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Riga (Riga 1 Division) within 90 days from the first day of entry, if citizen resides in the Republic of Latvia for longer than 90 days counting from the first day of entry. A registration certificate will be issued after submission of all necessary application documents without delay. The EU / EEA / Swiss citizen needs submit the following documents for acquiring registration certificate:

1. Application Form (a definite sample of residence permit request);
2. valid travel document (passport);
3. study agreement;
4. health insurance (valid in Latvia);
5. document confirming the necessary subsistence (at least 500 Euro per month) – Official statement from bank with stamp and signature of representative person (statement valid for 3 months from the date of approval), and also copy of bank card.

In order to get to the main division of Office of Citizenship and Migration, you must take the Tram No.11 (the stop “2. Meža kapi”). More information about divisions of OCMA is here; the public transport routes and schedules available here.

For citizens from visa-free countries and other countries who need visa

Countries and territories whose citizen passport holders do not require a visa to enter Latvia and stay in its territory for up to 90 days in any 180-day (6 months) period:

Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,  Dominica, East Timor, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Mariana Islands, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, The Vatican, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela. 

Citizens of other countries, who are not stipulated in the list above, need to have visa to enter Latvia.

In order to stay longer in Latvia than 90 days in any 180-day (6 months) period, a student need to acquire residence permit regarding studies in accredited study program.

In order to receive a residence permit, student has two possibilities:

1. Apply for residence permit by him/her after receiving visa (for citizens from countries who need visa) and arriving to Latvia (within 30 or 90 days as of the first day of entry) at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Riga (OCMA);
2. Student can apply for residence permit at the Embassy of Latvia in their country of origin or at the Embassy of other country who has territorial competence on giving visas for going to Latvia (* if the student has a valid residence permit in any of the Schengen countries, she/he has the right to submit the documents in the Embassy of Latvia which is located in a Schengen country)

For preparing the Invitation for residence permit, student should send the following data to LCA Admission Commission: 1) copy of passport (all filled pages); 2) date and place of birth; 3) citizenship; 4) home address (in home country); 5) address of accommodation in Latvia; 6) Embassy of Latvia where student will submit the documents for the residence permit.

After the invitation is approved, the student can submit the following documents for the residence permit:

• invitation document from OCMA;
• a definite sample of residence permit application form (available here);
• photo (3×4 cm);
• copy of passport (original must be presented with all filled pages) (passport should be valid at least 3 months longer than planned residence permit term);
• document confirming the necessary subsistence (at least 500 Euro) per month – official statement from bank (original) with stamp and signature of representative person, and also copy of bank card (statement valid for 3 months from the date of approval);
• document which approves the place of accommodation in Latvia (lease/rent agreement);
• legalized statement on punishability (Police clearance certificate) issued by a competent institution of the citizenship or the host country if a foreigner has resided in that country longer than 12 months (certificate valid for 6 months from the date of approval);
• copy of study agreement (original must be presented);
• Academic Information Centre (AIC) decision of recognition of qualification (given by LCA);
• legalized documents on previous education which should be sufficient for studies at LCA;
• state duty payment for the examination of submitted documents (will be done on the place in Embassy or OCMA office). (Prices for examination of the documents for residence permit: within 30 days – 70.00 EUR; within 10 business days – 200.00 EUR; within 5 business days – 400.00 EUR)

The residence permit procedure takes over 30 days as additional assessment is performed. Student receive the residence permit for studies in Latvia for the period of 1 year, which is prolonged every year within period of full-time studies of student (2 or 4 years). The documents for the prolongation procedure must be submitted not later than 30 days before the validity of the current permit has run out.

On receiving the residence permit student have to present a life and health insurance policy which is valid in Latvia and a copy of statement on fluorography or x-ray results (stating that the foreign national does not suffer from tuberculosis in active phase) issued by a competent medical institution in Latvia.

For citizens from other countries who have additional assessment

There is a list of countries that for citizens of which in issuing a visa or a residence permit an additional assessment shall be performed. As of February 5, 2019, citizens of these countries need to apply for residence permit and visa by themselves the Embassy of Latvia in their country of origin or at the Embassy of other country who has territorial competence on giving visas for going to Latvia:

1. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
2. People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
3. United Arab Emirates
4. Kingdom of Bahrain
5. People’s Republic of Bangladesh
6. Arab Republic of Egypt
7. Republic of Indonesia
8. Republic of Iraq
9. Islamic Republic of Iran
10. Republic of Yemen
11. Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
12. State of Qatar
13. Republic of Kenya
14. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
15. Russian Federation (Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetiya) (applicable to a person whose residential address or place of birth is in Chechnya, Dagestan or Ingushetiya)
16. State of Kuwait
17. Lebanese Republic
18. Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
19. Kingdom of Morocco
20. Federal Republic of Nigeria
21. Sultanate of Oman
22. Islamic Republic of Pakistan
23. Palestinian Authority (applicable to a person whose residential address or place of birth is in the Palestinian Authority)
24. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
25. Syrian Arab Republic
26. Somalia
27. Republic of Sudan
28. Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
29. Republic of Tunisia

For preparing the Invitation for residence permit, student should send the following data to LCA Admission Commission: 1) copy of passport (all filled pages); 2) date and place of birth; 3) citizenship; 4) home address (in home country); 5) address of accommodation in Latvia; 6) Embassy of Latvia where student will submit the documents for the residence permit.

After the invitation is approved, the student can submit the following documents for the residence permit:

• invitation document from OCMA;
• a definite sample of residence permit application form (available here);
• photo (3×4 cm);
• copy of passport (original must be presented with all filled pages) (passport should be valid at least 3 months longer than planned residence permit term);
• document confirming the necessary subsistence (at least 500 Euro) per month – official statement from bank (original) with stamp and signature of representative person, and also copy of bank card (statement valid for 3 months from the date of approval);
• document which approves the place of accommodation in Latvia (lease/rent agreement);
• legalized statement on punishability (Police clearance certificate) issued by a competent institution of the citizenship or the host country if a foreigner has resided in that country longer than 12 months (certificate valid for 6 months from the date of approval);
• copy of study agreement (original must be presented);
• Academic Information Centre (AIC) decision of recognition of qualification (given by LCA);
• legalized documents on previous education which should be sufficient for studies at LCA;
• state duty payment for the examination of submitted documents (will be done on the place in Embassy or OCMA office). (Prices for examination of the documents for residence permit: within 30 days – 70.00 EUR; within 10 business days – 200.00 EUR; within 5 business days – 400.00 EUR)

The residence permit procedure takes over 40 days as additional assessment is performed. Student receive the residence permit for studies in Latvia for the period of 1 year, which is prolonged every year within the period of full-time studies of student (2 or 4 years). The documents for the prolongation procedure must be submitted not later than 40 days before the validity of the current permit has run out.

On receiving the residence permit student have to present a life and health insurance policy which is valid in Latvia and a copy of statement on fluorography or x-ray results (stating that the foreign national does not suffer from tuberculosis in active phase) issued by a competent medical institution in Latvia.