Published: 25.08.2021.
Updated: 22.07.2025.

A Latvian citizen is:

  • a child who has been found in the territory of Latvia and whose parents are unknown, or other child left without parental care who is under non-family care in Latvia;
  • an orphan who is under non-family care in Latvia.

The procedure according to which OCMA accepts and examined the submission and registers a child as the Latvian national, in accordance with provisions of Section  2, Paragraph one, Clause 5 or Clause 6 of the Citizenship Law, is governed by the Cabinet Regulation No. 974 “Procedures for Registering a Person as a Latvian Citizen”, adopted on 24 September 2013.

  1. Application: 
    • a submission about the child until the age of 15 years shall be signed by a legal representative of the child;
    • in the age from 15 to 18 years the submission shall be signed by the child.
  2. submission form for a child in the age up to 15 years; 
    submission form for a child in the age from 15 to 18 years; 
  3. personal identification document of the legal representative of the child (passport or identification card). When sending the documents via mail, only a copy of the personal identification document shall be sent;
  4. personal identification document (if any is existing) of a child (when sending the documents via mail only a copyof the personal identification document should be sent);
  5. a document, confirming the right to acquire the Latvian citizenship (if the necessary information is not included in the Register of Natural Persons):
    • a document regarding the fact that the custody rights have been removed from parents of the child (court decision) or a document certifying the fact that the child is an orphan (certificate of death of parents or excerpt from the Death Register);
    • a document regarding the fact that the child is placed into the non-family care (decision of the Orphan’s and Custody Court).

Documents may be submitted:

  1. using the official electronic eAddress, enclosing certified copies of the original documents signed with a secure electronic signature;
  2. with a secure electronic signature, sending to the e-mail pmlp@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. by sending by post to OCMA 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.

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?

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

The decision shall be made within a time period of one month from the day of receipt of all necessary documents by OCMA.

In case of any questions and uncertainties, you may obtain information by writing to the e-mail: pskn@pmlp.gov.lv or calling during working days to the phone +371 67209400.