Consular Information

Office of the Honorary Consul General
Mr. Daris G. Delins is the Honorary Consul of Latvia in New York. learn more
Consultations are by appointment only. contact us

Legal and Consular Affairs
If you have a question on any matters relating to passports, visas, work and residence permits, citizenship, and related legal matters, then these are handled by the Embassy of Latvia in Washington D.C. Although we can assist with advice, the Consulate in New York does not deal with such administrative matters. The Embassy in Washington D.C. issues all passports and visas.

Embassy of Latvia
2306 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel 1.202.328.2840
Fax 1.202.328.2860
Email embassy@latvia-usa.org
www.latvia-usa.org

Please read on here for more preliminary information that may be of assistance to you. 

Entry into Latvia - Visa Requirements for travelers from the United States

U.S. citizens do not need a visa to travel to Latvia up to 90 days in a half a year, counting from the first day of entry. In order to travel to Latvia, U.S. citizens are required to hold a valid U.S. citizen passport with a term validity that exceeds the intende period of stay in Latvia by at least three months and a valid health insurance policy for international travel.

To remain in Latvia for more that 90 days, or to work, study or reside in Latvia, as a self-employed person, a U.S. citizen is required to obtain a temporary residence permit. Please visit the website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

U.S. permament residents ("Green Card" holders) need a Schengen visa to enter Latvia unless they are citizens of countries whose citizens do not need a visa, and hold a valid passport of that country. An updated list of countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter Latvia can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affiars website here.

Entry into Latvia - Schengen zone visas
On December 21, 2007, Latvia joined the Schengen border-free zone. The Schengen agreement allows for passport-free travel across 24 nations in Europe. Those travellers requiring a visa for Latvia require a Schengen visa. A valid Schengen visa is valid for entry into the territory of Latvia.

Traveling via Riga, in transit, to another final destination - do I need a Transit Visa ?

Please note, if your passport requires a visa for entry into Latvia or you are transiting via Riga to another country and Riga is your second entry point to Europe, and your point of departure is the United States, then if you do not have a valid visa you risk not being allowed to board your flight here in the United States. 

If you need to apply for a visa to visit Latvia or have any visa related questions regarding travel to Latvia, please visit the Latvian Embassy website for more details.  The standard cost of a visa is $95 ($55 for citizens of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Moldova). Visa issuance takes about 1 week, and in some cases can take up to 2 weeks. The Latvian Embassy website has the application form you will need to complete and send to the Embassy. Transit Visas: these must be applied for before you travel to Latvia - they cannot be issued upon arrival in Latvia. Apply for a Transit Visa also through the Latvian Embassy in Washington D.C.

U.S. Visa - for travelers to the United States from Latvia

As of November 17, 2008, when going on a short leisure or business trip to the USA, Latvian citizens can now travel to the U.S. under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP).  However, all individuals having different purpose of travel than aforementioned are required to obtain an appropriate U.S. visa.

Latvian citizens who have valid tourist/business visas may continue travelling with their visas if they choose so. No additional/new requirements for travelers with visas apply.

Please consult the page “Travel without a visa” for information on requirements for travelling under the VWP.

Latvian non-citizens are always required to obtain a U.S. visa for any purpose of travel.

Please note: Travelers who hold dual citizenship with the United States must enter and depart the United States on U.S. passports.

Please visit the U.S. Embassy website in Riga for more details.

Renewing your Latvian passport
If your current Latvian passport has expired or is about to expire, then you can renew this through the Latvian Embassy in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, the Consulate of Latvia in New York cannot issue the new format passports. You will need to apply for a new passport, make an appointment with the Embassy to have your passport photo taken. Once this is done, it can take up to 2 months for the passport to be issued and sent to you. A new passport costs $125. Alternatively, you can also have your passport renewed if you are in Riga. Note, the Latvian Embassy in Washington D.C. can only issue a new passport to Latvian citizens who are residing in the United States legally (i.e. have a valid visa, Green Card, or other form of legal residency status). If you have an expired passport and are not here on a legal basis, the Embassy will not be able to issue you a new passport. Please visit the Latvian Embassy website for more details.

Requesting a specific document issued in Latvia
You can request a birth or marriage certificate; information about your relatives in Latvia; information about the duration of your employment in Latvia, real estate in Latvia, etc. Please visit the Latvian Embassy website for more details.

Using official U.S. documents in Latvia
Before you can submit official U.S. documents to Latvia's official institutions, they need to be authorized with a special Apostille certification. In New York City, an Apostille may be secured from the Department of State, Certification Unit, 123 William Street, 19th floor, New York, NY 10038. The country where the document is being sent to must be specified. The telephone number is +1-212-417-5684. You may also bring your document to the New York City Office for processing between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:30 pm. 

Please note, if the document has also been Notarized, then the signature of the Notary first has to be verified by the County Clerk's Office: New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, New York  10007. The Notary office is in the basement. So, you need to go to Centre Street first, get the Notary's signature verified, then go to William Street for the Apostille.The filing fee for an Apostille is $10 per document.

The validity of a U.S. drivers license in Latvia
Drivers licenses issued in the U.S. are not valid in Latvia. To be able to drive in Latvia, you will need to obtain an international driver's license and use that together with your U.S. driver's license. Please visit the Latvian Embassy website for more details.

Applying for a pension from Latvia
Under the current agreement between Latvia and the United States Latvian citizens who reside in the United States can only receive a pension if they became of pensionable age whilst still living in Latvia. For those Latvian pensioners who left Latvia after January 1, 2002, you can recieve a pension if you now live in the United States (however, the pension cannot be paid here, but has to be paid into a bank account in Latvia). For information about pensions, please visit the website of the State Social Insurance Agency for further details (see pages in English, Latvian and Russian). The Consulate in New York nor the Embassy in Washington handle any of these matter. 

Applying to stay in Latvia for more than 90 days at a time

If for any reason you wish to stay in Latvia for more than 90 days at a time, you will need to apply for permission from the government. For further information, please visis the website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

New 5 year temporary residence permit for qualified investors - FAQ

The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia in 2010 passed amendments to the Law on Immigration providing additional possibilities of obtaining a temporary residence permit (TRP) in the Republic of Latvia. The new laws took effect as of July 1^st, 2010.

To be eligible for this new TRP, an investor must fulfill one of the following criteria:

Place in a Latvian bank a minimum of LVL 200,000 (EUR 300,000) in the way of a subordinated deposit for the term of at least 5 years.

Purchase real estate in Latvia at the minimum price of LVL 100,000 (EUR 143,000) in Riga or big cities or at the minimum price of LVL 50,000 (EUR 71,500) in other regions of the country.

Invest at least LVL 25,000 (EUR 36,000) in a capital of a Latvian enterprise and pay taxes as a result of business activities in Latvia in the minimum amount of LVL 20,000 (EUR 28,000) a year.

The investor must have made one of the above investments and/or set up a qualifying business after July 1, 2010.

Having fulfilled one of the above criteria an investor may apply for the residence permit valid for the period of 5 years.  A TRP will be available both for investors and their family members – spouses, underage children and persons that are under the surveillance/official care of such investors. Upon expiry of the term of residence permit investors and their family members are eligible to apply for the renewal.

The TRP of the Republic of Latvia automatically guarantees free movement of persons within the Schengen area, currently consisting of 25 European countries. Visa is still required for travelling to the United Kingdom and Ireland which are outside the Schengen area, as well as to Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria, which have not yet joined the mentioned area.

For further details about the new TRP, please see the websites of leading banks, law firms and accounting offices in Latvia who are now providing advice on these matters to interested investors.

I would like to work in Latvia as a foreigner - how can I do this?

Foreigners wishing to work in Latvia must have a visa and proper immigration status. You cannot work if you are in Latvia on a tourist visa. For more information about work visas, please visit the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

My parents or grandparents were born in Latvia - how do I apply for citizenship?
The deadline for applying for citizenship by descent was in 1995. You would now have to go through the normal citizenship application process if you wish to become a citizen of the Republic of Latvia. Please visit the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs for more details on how one can apply. However, the Latvian citizenship rules are under review and persons of Latvian descent may be eligible to apply for Latvian citizenship at some point in the future. The Latvian Parliament has such a proposal currently under review for 2012. Pleaae visit our home page for more updates regarding this matter.

Getting a document notarized by the Consulate in New York
Unfortunately, the Consulate of Latvia in New York cannot provide notary services. Please see your local Notary if you need a document notarized.

Getting a document translated from Latvian to English or getting assistance with interpreter services from Latvian to English

The Consulate is happy to assist with translation services from Latvian to English. A charge will apply depending upon the number of hours involved.

I hold a Latvian passport which has expired, I have no other passport and I need to travel back to Latvia urgently

If you have a Latvian passport which has expired and need to return to Latvia for an emergency, then the easiest way to do so is to apply for a one-way return document from the Embassy of Latvia in Washington D.C. This will allow you to return to Latvia and then get a new passport whilst you are there. However, you will only be able to return to the United States if you eligible to re-enter the U.S. holding a valid passport, entry document (visa, Green Card, etc.), or have secured permision to enter the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (which now also includes citizens from Latvia).

We need to send the remains of a deceased person back to Latvia

In circumstances where the remains of a deceased person need to be sent to Latvia the remains needs to be placed in a secure and sealed vessel (with a tamperproof seal). A funeral director must attest that the only contents in the vessel or casket are that of the remains of the deceased. The documentation that accompanies the remains must include the following: a) an original Certificate of Death (which states the reason for the death); b) an original Certificate of Cremation (if applicable); c) a letter from the funeral director attesting that the casket or urn contains only the remains of the deceased and nothing else; d) if applicable, an embalming certificate that states that the remains of the late have been properly embalmed and are free of any infectious diseases; and e) a document confirming customs clearance regarding the contents of the shipment (declaration that the late is not known to be of an infectious nature of Certificate in Relation to removal of a body outside the State). The above documents must be signed in the presence of a Notary. Then the above documents must have an Apostille seal attached to them. This Apostille certification is available from the Department of State, which has offices in each State. We recommend that a copy of these documents be kept by the person sending the remains to Latvia.

I need to change some Latvian lats into dollars here in New York

From our experience, few, if any of the major retails banks in New York will change Latvian lats into dollars. The turnover in the currency is too small for them to make a retail market for it.  We suggest you try some of the tourist focused money exchanges in the City, usually found around 42nd Street.

How do I know I have a valid Latvian passport?

The latest new (European Union) passport currently issued by Latvia is a personal identification travel document that contains a microchip, including personal biometrics such as a digital picture and finger prints.

Citizen passports issued after July 1, 2002, containing a scanned signature and picture, will be valid until the expiration date and do not have to be changed, unless they have expired.

All citizen passports (blue color) issued before July 1, 2002, containing a glued photograph, as well as passports without an expiration date (beztermiņa), will not be valid for international travel beginning July 1, 2008. You will not be allowed to travel with such a document.

Non-citizen passports (violet color) are valid until the expiration date and do not have to be changed, unless they have expired.

Information in Latvian

Information on passports, repatriating to Latvia, pensions, return certificates, consular register, etc. Visit Latvian Embassy website for more details.

Emergency contact assistance

If you are a Latvian citizen visiting the United States and need emergency assistance out of hours you can also contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Emergency Desk in Riga: tel +371 29287398 or also visit their website page. They are there to assist in the case of a accident, death, sudden illness, or emergency financial situation.