Welcome to Latvia, guest workers!

Latvia has problem and it is lack of staff. Country looks quite attractive for people from third countries with lower wage level. Actually, EU countries compete for professionals.

Latvia offers more than 2 options to work in Lavia on legally bases. It is visa and residence permit. Other option is to apply for Blue Card.

If foreigner’s employment is related with short term or occasional residence in the Republic of Latvia, which does not exceed 90 days within half a year, the foreigner is obliged to receive a visa or temporary residence permit and work permit.

The total number of issued work permits in Latvia is constantly increasing. Over the last seven years, the total number of employment permits issued by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) to third-country nationals has more than quadrupled. In 2012 it was 2529, but in 2018 - 11359.

The TOP 5 quest workers in Latvia by countries:

1. Ukraine
2. Belarus
3. Russia
4. India
5. Uzbekistan

According to OCMA, guest workers in the freight sector, are programmers or consultants permits, construction, vehicle manufacturing and public catering.  People with higher or at least vocational education are coming to Latvia most often, but others have secondary education.

At the moment, any company in Latvia can hire foreigner if companies follow some criteria. For example, the salary may not be lower than the average wage in the country. In the case of "Blue Cards", the average salary with a factor of 1.2..Of course, process of hiring foreigners have some differences.The government continue to discuss about changes in procedure of issuing residence permits and visas to quest workers.

If you have questions about steps to get residence permit based on work, contact us.

Declaration or “Where do you plan to live?”

It is very important question that you should answer before you apply for visa or residence permit. 
You can't leave it for better time, because The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA)
definitely will ask you to do it.

In accordance with the provisions of Declaration of Place of Residence Law, the following persons have
 a duty to declare a place of residence:

• a Latvian citizen;
• non-citizen;
• a citizen of the Member State of the European Union, European Economic Area State and
   Swiss Confederation and his or her family members who has received a registration certificate
  or permanent residence certificate issued in the Republic of Latvia;
• a foreigner who has received a residence permit issued in Latvia;
• a stateless person who has received a residence permit issued in the Republic of Latvia.

A person have to do it one month.

A person may declare the place of residence:

1.in the local institution, where the new place of residence of the person is located;
2.electronically on the portal www.latvija.lv, by using the e-service “Submission of the 
declaration of the place of residence”
    3.in the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs

On the one hand, OCMA gives you options how you can declare your residence place. 
On the other hand, if you can’t declare through the portal www.latvija.lv when you apply for 1st time,
OCMA asks to do it at once in Office. A person shall pay the State fee in the amount of 4.27 euro.

Would you like to know, what documents should you prepare to prove that you have right to declare
 in a chosen place?