A person shall be recognised as a stateless person if he or she does not have citizenship of any other state and no state guarantees its citizenship to the said person.
A person may not be recognised as a stateless person in the Republic of Latvia if the provisions of 28 September 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons do not apply to the person.
The compliance of a person with the status of a stateless person is regulated by the Law on Stateless Persons.
Necessary documents:
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a personal identification document;
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a birth certificate or an extract from the birth registry;
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a document that confirms marital status (marriage certificate, document on divorce);
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a document issued by a foreign competent authority determined by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs certifying that the person is not a citizen of the relevant state and he or she is not guaranteed the citizenship thereof, or documentary evidence that it is not possible to obtain such a document.
When determining the authority referred to in Paragraph 5, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs takes into account the person’s legal ties with the relevant state:
- state where the person was born;
- state where the person’s place of residence was registered last;
- nationality of the person’s parents or other family members;
- state whose citizen (national) the person in question may be or whose citizenship (nationality) may be granted to the said person.
Where to submit documents?
Currently, documents can be submitted to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs remotely by sending them 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 notarized, 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.
Important!
Should it be necessary to verify the legal force of the original document or correctness of a document derivative, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs may at any time request that the original document be produced.
How long the documents submitted are reviewed?
A decision shall be taken within three months after the day on which the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs received all the required documents.
Where to get more information?
In case of questions and concerns, you may obtain the information by writing an e-mail to: pskn@pmlp.gov.lv or by phone +371 67209400 on working days.
A stateless person shall stay in Latvia in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Immigration Law, i.e. by obtaining a residence permit or visa! Having received a travel document of a stateless person, the person must submit documents to apply for the residence permit.