Child born abroad if one or both parents are Latvian citizens at the time the birth of the of child.

Pursuant to Paragraph one, Clause 2 of Article 2 of the Citizenship Law, a procedure under which the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs accepts and examines applications and registers a child born abroad as a citizen of Latvia is established by Cabinet Regulation of 24 September 2013 Procedure for Registering a Person as a Citizen of Latvia.

Necessary documents:

  1. Application. 

    Providing child’s name and surname in the Latvian language and date of birth; ethnicity; place of residence (preferably in capital letters); contact information (e-mail, telephone number, if any).

    An application for a child (up to 15 years of age) must be signed by the child’s lawful representative. The application is signed by the child himself after reaching 15 years of age.

  2. A document confirming the birth of a child (a birth certificate or an extract from the Birth Register)

    The document certifying the birth of a child must be translated into Latvian language (except if the document is in English or German and it is submitted to the diplomatic or consular mission of Latvia or sent from abroad) and legalized in accordance with the procedures specified in regulatory enactments.

    Legalisation is not required for public documents issued by the countries of the European Union, European Economic Area, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (except for its overseas territories) or issued by the Swiss Confederation that  are provided for use in Latvia.
  3. A personal identification document of a parent (s) (sending documents by post, it is necessary to send the copy of a personal identification document);
  4. A personal identification document of a child (if any, , sending documents by post, it is necessary to send the copy of a personal identification document).

Where to submit documents?

Documents may be submitted:

  1. by sending by post to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs to the address: Čiekurkalna 1.līnija 1, k-3, Rīga, LV-1026;

    When sending documents by post, copies of documents must be certified, except for a copy of an identity document.

    If the original documents are sent by post, they will be returned to the address indicated together with the decision taken;
  2. with a secure electronic signature, sending to the e-mail pasts@pmlp.gov.lv , enclosing an application signed with a secure electronic signature, as well as certified copies of the original documents signed with a secure electronic signature, except a copy of personal identification documents;
  3. using the official electronic eAddress, enclosing certified copies of the original documents signed with a secure electronic signature.

If the documents are sent electronically, signed with a secure electronic signature, the document must be certified "copy correct", with an indication to that effect, and a copy of the document must be signed with a secure electronic signature.

How to certify copies of documents?

Regarding the possibility to submit documents to the nearest diplomatic or consular mission of Latvia abroad, please contact the nearest mission or watch on the website: https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/latvias-embassies-and-consulates

Important! 

If it is necessary to verify the legal validity of the original document or the correctness of a derivative of the document, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs may at any time request that the original document be presented.

How long does the examination of submitted documents take?

A decision on granting citizenship, updating data in the Population Register and assigning an identity number or refusal to grant citizenship is taken within one month from the day the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs receives all the necessary documents.

Where to receive additional information?

 In case of any questions or concerns please write an e-mail: pskn@pmlp.gov.lv or call the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs on +371 67209400.

In case of uncertainty as to the spelling of a persons’ name in the Latvian language, please contact the Latvian Language Agency www.valoda.lv, by telephone +371 67225879 or e-mail: konsultacija@valoda.lv

Information about the legalisation of documents may be found at:

https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/legalisation-documents