Analytics, Latvia, Legal Counsel
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Tuesday, 19.03.2024, 07:50
Residence permit in Latvia. Questions and answers
We have decided
to put together the questions regarding purely practical matters, asked by the
foreigners who already have a residence permit in Latvia or those planning to
move to our country in the future.
Question: I have heard that there is an s.c. „Riga
Resident’s Card” which grants a number of privileges to the residents of Riga.
Can I also obtain this card if I reside in Riga with a valid temporary
residence permit?
Answer: Yes, sure. “Riga
Resident’s Card” can be obtained by all residents of Riga (i.e. those having
declared their residence in Riga or persons who own a real estate in Riga), including
the foreigners who have a temporary residence permit in Latvia.
Question: I and my husband have a residence permit in
Latvia. We are expecting a child soon. Are we entitled to place our child to
the municipal nursery school, just like local parents, or are there any
restrictions?
Answer: In this particular
aspect you have the same rights as any local parents. As soon as your child is
born and is granted a personal identity number, you are entitled to sign up for
a place in the municipal nursery school. The most important thing is that your
child must have a declared residence in the relevant municipality.
Question: My husband and I have a temporary residence
permit in Latvia and we live in Latvia on the permanent basis. I’m working for
a Latvian company and all the taxes have been paid for me as an employee. I’m
pregnant and planning to leave for a maternity leave in the future. Am I
entitled to have any kind of maternal benefits due to be paid by the state of
Latvia?
Answer: There is a number
of benefits paid by the State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA) to future mothers
or those who have already given birth to a child. Certain types of benefits (e.g.
a child birth benefit and a family state benefit) are only paid to those women
who have a permanent residence permit in Latvia. However, you are also entitled
to have certain benefits, and namely: a maternal benefit and parents’ benefit. Whereas
the child’s father is entitled to be paid a paternity benefit.
Question: I have a temporary
residence permit in Latvia. I officially work for a Latvian company. In case I
get fired will I be paid an unemployment benefit?
Answer: First of all, it’s important to understand on
what grounds you have been granted a temporary residence permit. If it was not
based on your employment but on other grounds – e.g. on the grounds of family
reunion or you have purchased a property in Latvia, then the answer is yes, you
will be paid an unemployment benefit. However, if you have been fired by the
employer who once hired you as a foreigner (based on which, you obtained your
residence permit in the first place), then the situation is completely
different: as soon as you are fired, you will immediately lose the grounds to
reside in Latvia, that’s why you will not be entitled to be paid an
unemployment benefit.
Question: Our family has moved to
Latvia on the basis of the temporary residence program. As we can see, medical
treatment for children in Latvia is free of charge, including dentist’s
services. Does it refer to our children as well? And what about us, grown-ups?
Can we sign up for a family doctor in a state hospital?
Answer: Unfortunately, the
answer is no, since you have a temporary residence permit. In the future, when
you have a permanent residence permit you will be entitled to obtain all these
privileges, the same way as ordinary Latvian residents.
Question: Which kinds of insurance events are covered
by the foreigner health insurance which I as a foreigner must purchase when
obtaining the temporary residence permit (as well as every year after that –
when prolonging my residence permit)? Is it a health insurance in the broad
sense of this word?
Answer: No, the main
purpose of this type of insurance is to cover the expenses regarding the
repatriation in case of illness or death, as well as emergency medical
expenses. E.g. if you need an urgent operation during your stay in Latvia. Once
our client who resides in Latvia with a temporary residence permit needed his
appendicitis to be operated urgently, he was brought to the hospital in the
middle of the night. The insurance company has covered most of the medical
expenses (about 700 EUR) in respect of the operation and hospital stay, which
was really appreciated by this person’s family.
Question: My friends say that the temporary residence
permit in Latvia is basically the same as a long-term visa. Does the residence
permit have any other advantages, apart from the possibility to reside in
Latvia?
Answer: There is a number
of advantages, we can mention the most significant ones:
- Once you have
been granted a temporary residence permit, in 5 years you are entitled to apply
for a permanent residence permit (in the event you meet certain criteria),
which, in its turn, allows you to apply for Latvian citizenship in another 5
years;
- A temporary residence permit allows travelling around
the Schengen area countries without visas and staying there for 90 days in six
months;
- A person who has a temporary residence
permit in Latvia may issue invitations for visas to his or her relatives up to
the third degree;
- A temporary residence permit allows issuing visas to
other countries (e.g. the UK) according to a simplified procedure;
- A temporary residence permit allows working in Latvia
(with a few exceptions, the majority of the temporary residence permit holders are entitled to
work).