Latvia’s New Immigration Law: Shorter Permits for Workers

Latvia’s new Immigration Law, adopted by the Saeima in its third and final reading on 11 June 2026, has been in force since 15 September 2026. It rewrites how temporary residence permits are issued and tightens the rules for employers who invite third-country workers. For people planning to work in Latvia, the main message is that permits are now tied more closely to the validity of the residence card, and for many categories they are shorter.

Shorter permits, no annual registration

Under the new model, the period of a temporary permit follows the validity of the ID card, and annual registration is abolished. Cobalt Legal’s analysis of the law lists the following maximum periods:

• Local hire or secondment: up to 1 year, down from up to 5 years
• EU Blue Card: up to 2 years, unchanged
• Business activity (for example board members and procuration holders): up to 2 years, down from up to 5 years
• Investment in a company: up to 2 years, down from up to 5 years
• Intra-corporate transferee, manager or specialist: up to 1 year, down from up to 3 years
• Trainee transferee: up to 1 year, unchanged

The actual period depends on the legal basis of each permit. Permits issued before the law remain valid until their registration date or expiry date.

Stricter rules for employers

Invitations and sponsorships will be refused if the inviting labour supply provider, including an employer-of-record provider, is an inactive taxpayer, was established within the last six months or has tax compliance violations flagged by the State Revenue Service rating system. The same refusal rules apply to invitations for occupations in Major Group 9 of the Occupation Classification, which covers low-skilled roles. If the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs cannot meet the review deadline for objective reasons, it may extend it by no more than four months from receipt of the documents. Initial visa and temporary residence applications may be filed in Latvian or English, while repeat temporary applications and inviter documents must be in Latvian.

Investment routes: what ended and what remains

Two routes are closed to new applicants: permits based on buying real estate in Latvia, and permits based on subordinated liabilities with a Latvian credit institution. The company investment route continues, at EUR 50,000 for a smaller company or EUR 100,000 for a larger one, plus a EUR 10,000 payment to the state budget, with the permit period cut to up to two years. A new route, EUR 150,000 for at least five years in a state-established alternative investment fund manager plus EUR 10,000, has been announced but is not yet operational.

Transition rules

• Visa and temporary residence applications submitted before 15 September 2026 are reviewed under the previous law.
• Existing holders of permits on the two closed investment grounds are not cancelled automatically. Their permits stay valid until the ID card expires, and they must apply for a five-year permit during the card’s validity.
• Permanent residence applications submitted before 15 September 2026 are reviewed under the new law, which keeps one status, the EU long-term resident permit. It requires five years of continuous residence, and from 31 December 2027 also Latvian at A2 level and a course on Latvian history and culture.

What this means for workers and employers

• Workers: Expect shorter first permits in many categories and plan renewals earlier. Do not assume the period you used to receive will apply to a new application.
• Employers: Check that your company, or your labour supply partner, meets the tax-status and age conditions before inviting workers, and be prepared for stricter scrutiny when hiring for low-skilled roles.
• Everyone: Confirm the current rules on the website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs before filing, because details and guidance are still being updated.

Sources: Cobalt Legal, BBCRiga. Official information is published by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.