Updated: 16.09.2026.
For not registering a residence permit, a warning or a fine of up to thirty-three units of fine shall be imposed.
For staying in the Republic of Latvia without a valid travel document, visa, residence permit, travel authorisation, or health insurance policy, where the necessity for such documents is provided for in this Law, a warning or a fine of up to seventy-seven units of fine shall be imposed.
For employing one or more persons (up to five persons) if the relevant person is entitled to stay in the Republic of Latvia, but the right to employment has not been granted thereto, and the Immigration Law provides for the necessity of such right, a fine from seventy-eight up to two hundred and forty units of fine shall be imposed on a natural person or a member of the executive board, with or without depriving the member of the executive board of the right to hold specific offices in commercial companies.
For employing more than five persons if they are entitled to stay in the Republic of Latvia, but the right to employment has not been granted thereto, and the Immigration Law provides for the necessity of such right, a fine from two hundred and forty up to four hundred units of fine shall be imposed on a natural person or a member of the executive board, with or without depriving the member of the executive board of the right to hold specific offices in commercial companies.
For employing one or more persons (up to five persons) who are not entitled to stay in the Republic of Latvia, a fine from two hundred and forty up to four hundred units of fine shall be imposed on a natural person or a member of the executive board, with or without depriving the member of the executive board of the right to hold specific offices in commercial companies.
For working without the appropriate right to employment, if the violation has been committed by an employed foreigner, a fine from seventy-eight up to two hundred and forty units of fine shall be imposed.
For non-compliance of the purpose of entry and stay of the invited foreigner with the purpose specified in the documents submitted for requesting a visa or residence permit, if such non-compliance is established after the foreigner has entered the Republic of Latvia, a fine from eleven up to fifty-nine units of fine shall be imposed on a natural person and from forty-two up to one hundred and eighteen units of fine on a legal person.
For not covering the expenses related to the health care of the invited foreigner, stay in the Republic of Latvia, or return to the country of residence, a fine of up to four hundred units of fine shall be imposed on a natural person and from thirty up to one thousand units of fine on a legal person.
For violating the requirements of laws and regulations related to the employment of foreigners, or failing to ensure remuneration for the invited foreigner in the amount or in accordance with the procedures specified in the documents submitted for requesting a visa or residence permit, or for non-payment of compensations or non-fulfilment of other remaining obligations to a seasonal worker, a fine from two hundred up to four hundred units of fine and, with or without a prohibition to exercise the right to hold a specific position in a commercial company and its administrative bodies for a period of up to one year, shall be imposed on a natural person or a natural person who holds a position registered in the Commercial Register in the relevant legal person (inviter).
- written request - six months after approval thereof;
- documents confirming the necessary provision of subsistence and planned place of residence in the Republic of Latvia - three months after issue thereof;
- statements, letters and other letters, except the civil registry documents, court rulings, archive statements and education documents - six months after the issue thereof;
- statement about results of X-ray or fluorographic examination - a year after issue thereof.
The inviter or the foreigner, who does not require a letter of invitation to apply for a residence permit, is entitled to contest the decision regarding refusal to issue or register a residence permit within 30 days after the day of entry into force of the decision to the Head of OCMA.
Sample of the application.
Head of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs
M.Roze
Name Surname,
residing in ... (city), ... (street), ..... (No of apartment)
application
Riga, 25 April 2021
[Text of the application]
Personal signature
Please take into account that applications are accepted in the official language only.The aforementioned persons are entitled to appeal the decision of the Head of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs regarding refusal to issue or register a residence permit or annulment of a residence permit to the court in the procedure set forth by law.
If a foreigner wishes to apply for a permanent residence permit or for European Union long-term resident status in the Republic of Latvia, in addition to the basic documents, they must submit a document certifying that they have passed the State language proficiency examination (level A2, certificate issued on or after 1 February 2001) or a document certifying that they are exempt from taking the State language proficiency examination.
In accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 157, a person is exempt from taking the examination if they:
- have acquired basic, secondary or higher education in accredited programmes in the Latvian language (this may be certified, for example, by a diploma, certificate, school-leaving certificate or a statement issued by an educational institution);
- have completed an accredited minority education programme and have taken the centralised Latvian language examination for Grade 9 or the centralised Latvian language examination for Grade 12, as certified by a basic education or general secondary education certificate;
- have successfully passed the Latvian language Baccalaureate examination at a European School, as confirmed by the Ministry of Education and Science;
- have health-related functional limitations or a diagnosis referred to in Annex 2 to Cabinet Regulation No. 157 (an opinion from a physician specialising in physical and rehabilitation medicine, a psychiatrist or a child psychiatrist is required);
- are under 15 years of age;
- are 75 years of age or older.
More detailed information on taking the State language proficiency examination is available on the website of the National Centre for Education:
https://www.visc.gov.lv/en/state-language-proficiency-examination