Information updated as of 6 August 2026

Several different packages of amendments to Latvia’s immigration legislation were discussed and adopted in 2026. These changes are sometimes presented together in the media, even though they have different legal statuses and different dates of entry into force.

It is therefore important to distinguish between:

  • amendments to the existing Immigration Law that have already entered into force;
  • amendments to the Residence Permit Regulations that entered into force in July 2026;
  • the completely new Immigration Law adopted by the Saeima in June 2026 but returned by the President for reconsideration.

The main development at the end of July 2026

In June 2026, the Saeima adopted a completely new Immigration Law, which was intended to replace the Immigration Law of 2002.

However, on 19 June 2026, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs returned the new law to the Saeima for reconsideration. The President’s main objections concerned residence permits granted in exchange for investment and the insufficiently detailed mechanisms for assessing and supervising such investments.

On 22 July 2026, the President and the Prime Minister publicly discussed the need to balance national security considerations with Latvia’s interest in attracting foreign investment.

Therefore, the information reported around the end of July mainly concerned the further reconsideration of the new Immigration Law, rather than the entry into force of the entire new law.

As of 6 August 2026, the new Immigration Law cannot yet be regarded as having finally entered into force. The previous Immigration Law of 2002 continues to apply together with the amendments that entered into force in 2026.

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Amendments that have already entered into force

1. Amendment that entered into force on 29 April 2026

A new legal ground for cancelling a temporary residence permit has been introduced.

The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs may consider cancelling a foreign national’s residence permit if, within a period of one year, the person has committed three or more administrative offences in certain areas.

These areas include, in particular:

  • public order;
  • road traffic;
  • public administration;
  • protection of children’s rights.

This does not mean that a residence permit will be cancelled automatically after the third administrative offence. However, repeated administrative offences now constitute a legal ground on which the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs may consider cancelling the residence permit.

This amendment is particularly important for foreign nationals holding Latvian residence permits in cases involving repeated traffic offences, conflicts with the police and other administrative proceedings.

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2. Major package of amendments that entered into force on 20 May 2026

The most extensive package of amendments to the existing Immigration Law was adopted by the Saeima on 23 April 2026 and entered into force on 20 May 2026.

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Changing employers without obtaining a completely new residence permit

One of the most important practical changes concerns third-country nationals who wish to change employers.

In certain cases, a third-country national is no longer required to obtain an entirely new temporary residence permit solely because the employer has changed. Instead, the person’s employment rights and the information concerning the employer may be amended within the framework of the existing residence permit.

However, this does not mean that the foreign national may simply start working for a new employer without completing the required procedure.

The new employer must still comply with the applicable employment and immigration requirements, which may include:

  • registering a vacancy;
  • completing the required procedure with the State Employment Agency;
  • submitting an invitation or sponsorship request;
  • confirming the position, salary and employment conditions;
  • obtaining approval from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

The employee may start working for the new employer only after the necessary employment rights have been properly granted or amended.

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The right to continue working while a residence permit application is being examined

Where a foreign national submits an application for a repeated residence permit or for an amendment of the existing legal basis within the required time limit and previously had the right to work in Latvia, the person may, in the cases provided for by law, continue working while the application is being examined.

This reduces the risk that an employee must automatically stop working solely because the validity period of the residence permit card has expired while a timely submitted application is still being processed.

The possibility of continuing employment depends on the circumstances of the particular case and on whether the statutory requirements have been fulfilled.

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A single permit for residence and work

The amendments implement the requirements of Directive (EU) 2024/1233 concerning a single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State.

The purpose of the single-permit system is to bring residence and employment authorisation into a more unified administrative procedure and to strengthen the rights of workers from third countries.

The amendments also concern:

  • the procedure for examining applications;
  • access to information;
  • equal treatment of legally employed third-country nationals;
  • changes of employer;
  • continuation of legal employment during certain administrative procedures.

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Restrictions on investment-based residence permits

The amendments significantly revised several grounds for obtaining temporary residence permits through investment or commercial activity.

The changes concern, among other things:

  • investment in the share capital of a company;
  • investment connected with real estate;
  • subordinated liabilities with credit institutions;
  • investment in government securities;
  • the actual economic activity of a company;
  • tax payments made by the company;
  • documents proving the continuation and reality of the investment.

The purpose of these changes is to ensure that investment-based residence permits are connected with genuine economic activity and not only with the formal completion of an investment transaction.

Applicants and companies may be required to demonstrate:

  • that the investment continues to exist;
  • that the company carries out real economic activity;
  • that the company has made the required tax payments;
  • that the information submitted to the authorities is accurate;
  • that the transaction is not artificial or fictitious.

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Stricter responsibility of the inviting party

An employer or another inviting party assumes legal obligations in relation to the foreign national whom it invites to Latvia.

The inviting party must ensure that the actual purpose and circumstances of the foreign national’s stay correspond to the information submitted to the Latvian authorities.

Depending on the situation, the inviting party may be required to:

  • provide accurate information about the purpose of entry and residence;
  • ensure that the declared employment conditions are actually observed;
  • pay the salary specified in the employment documents;
  • notify the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs or the State Border Guard of material changes;
  • ensure compliance with the conditions of the invitation or sponsorship request;
  • cover certain expenses connected with the foreign national’s stay, medical care or return from Latvia.

The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs may restrict or temporarily prohibit a natural or legal person from inviting foreign nationals if that person:

  • submitted false or misleading information;
  • failed to fulfil the obligations of an inviting party;
  • breached foreign-national employment rules;
  • failed to ensure compliance with the declared purpose of residence;
  • did not cover the expenses for which the inviting party was legally responsible.

For employers, this means that obtaining approval for an invitation or sponsorship request is not sufficient by itself. The employer must also ensure that the actual employment corresponds to the information submitted in the application, including:

  • the position;
  • salary;
  • working hours;
  • place or places of work;
  • employment sector;
  • accommodation arrangements where applicable;
  • other declared employment conditions.

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3. Amendments to the Residence Permit Regulations that entered into force on 10 July 2026

On 7 July 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted amendments to Cabinet Regulation No. 564, Residence Permit Regulations. The amendments entered into force on 10 July 2026.

These regulations establish practical procedures for applying the amendments made to the Immigration Law.

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Procedural changes

The amended regulations clarify:

  • which applicants require a sponsorship request approved by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs;
  • in which cases a sponsorship request is not required;
  • which documents must be submitted for an initial residence permit;
  • which documents must be submitted for a repeated residence permit;
  • how a company’s actual economic activity is verified;
  • how tax payments, turnover, profit and the number of employees may be assessed;
  • how applications based on investment are examined;
  • how a change of employer is processed;
  • how the single residence and work permit procedure is applied;
  • when a personal interview may be required;
  • when a foreign national must provide information about time spent outside Latvia.

The regulations also specify certain categories of applicants for whom an approved sponsorship request is not required.

Depending on the particular legal basis, these may include:

  • certain individual merchants;
  • certain sole officials of commercial companies;
  • self-employed persons;
  • specific categories of family members;
  • certain applicants for permanent residence permits;
  • other categories expressly provided for in the regulations.

Whether a sponsorship request is required must always be assessed according to the specific legal basis on which the person is applying.

Validity period of a favourable residence permit decision

A decision by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs granting a residence permit is generally valid for three months.

If the foreign national does not obtain the physical residence permit document within this period, the person may be required to submit the documents again.

In exceptional cases, including certain humanitarian circumstances, the Office may permit the residence permit document to be issued on the basis of an expired decision, provided that the applicant submits updated documents and the relevant statutory requirements are met.

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Additional examination of investment-based applications

The amended regulations strengthen the examination of certain residence-permit applications based on investment or commercial activity.

Depending on the relevant legal basis, the applicant or the company may need to provide evidence of:

  • genuine economic activity;
  • the preservation of the investment;
  • the company’s tax payments;
  • turnover and financial results;
  • the number of employees;
  • compliance with other economic indicators;
  • the absence of artificial or fictitious arrangements.

For certain types of investment in the share capital of a company, the amount of taxes paid by the company during the relevant period may be an important criterion.

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What the new Immigration Law provided for

The new Immigration Law adopted by the Saeima on 11 June 2026 was intended to comprehensively restructure Latvia’s immigration system.

Although the law was returned to the Saeima for reconsideration and has not yet entered into force in its final form, its provisions indicate the general direction of Latvia’s future immigration policy.

The new law provided for or addressed:

  • stricter control of third-country nationals;
  • increased use of biometric data;
  • broader exchange of information with European Union databases;
  • screening procedures at the external border;
  • more efficient return and removal procedures;
  • additional grounds for refusing or cancelling visas and residence permits;
  • stricter supervision of foreign students;
  • increased responsibility of higher education institutions;
  • stricter supervision of employers inviting foreign workers;
  • early-integration requirements;
  • Latvian-language requirements;
  • measures against marriages of convenience;
  • measures against fictitious studies;
  • measures against fictitious employment;
  • revised rules for start-up founders;
  • revised rules for foreign investors.

The draft also included a possibility for qualifying start-up founders to obtain a temporary residence permit for a period of up to three years, subject to compliance with the applicable innovation and business-development criteria.

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Why the President returned the new law to the Saeima

One of the principal concerns related to a proposed new investment-based residence-permit scheme.

The law adopted by the Saeima provided for the possibility of obtaining a temporary residence permit for up to five years where a foreign national:

  • invested at least EUR 150,000 for a period of at least five years through an alternative investment fund manager established by the state; and
  • paid an additional EUR 10,000 into the State budget.

The President indicated that the law did not sufficiently and clearly regulate:

  • verification of the origin of the invested funds;
  • the permitted purposes for which the investment could be used;
  • supervision of the preservation and use of the investment;
  • restrictions applicable to citizens of Russia and Belarus;
  • the relationship between the new investment provision and other restrictive provisions of the law.

The President also proposed that the Saeima reconsider whether residence permits based on real-estate investment could be retained for nationals of selected countries, for example:

  • NATO Member States;
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries;
  • European Economic Area countries;
  • other states considered friendly to Latvia and included in a separately approved list.

This proposal did not mean that such a system had already been adopted. It was a proposal for reconsideration by the Saeima.

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Key documents to study

1. Current Immigration Law

The current consolidated version of the Immigration Law is the primary legal source that should be followed at present.

2. Amendments adopted on 23 April 2026

These amendments entered into force on 20 May 2026 and introduced significant changes concerning employment, changes of employer, single permits, investment-based residence permits and the responsibility of inviting parties.

3. Amendment concerning repeated administrative offences

This amendment entered into force on 29 April 2026 and introduced an additional legal ground for cancelling a residence permit.

4. Amendments to Cabinet Regulation No. 564

The amendments were adopted on 7 July 2026 and entered into force on 10 July 2026. They establish procedural requirements for residence-permit applications.

5. Materials concerning the new Immigration Law

These materials are useful for understanding the expected direction of future immigration policy. However, the provisions of the new law should not be treated as fully applicable until the reconsideration and promulgation process has been completed.

6. President’s decision to return the law

This document is essential for understanding which provisions of the new law may still be amended.

Practical implications for employers and foreign workers

When arranging the employment of a foreign national in Latvia, particular attention should currently be paid to:

  • whether the person is legally entitled to submit an application while staying in Latvia;
  • the legal basis of the person’s current stay;
  • whether a long-stay visa or a residence permit is required;
  • registration of the vacancy with the State Employment Agency, where applicable;
  • completion of the applicable local-labour recruitment procedure;
  • preparation of an invitation or sponsorship request;
  • compliance of the job title with the Classification of Occupations;
  • the correct economic-sector classification;
  • the actual place or places of work;
  • the required salary;
  • working hours and other employment conditions;
  • the right to start work only after the appropriate employment authorisation has been granted;
  • the employer’s obligation to notify the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of material changes;
  • the employer’s tax compliance;
  • previous violations by the employer or inviting party;
  • repeated administrative offences committed by the foreign national;
  • the accuracy and consistency of all documents submitted to the Latvian authorities.

The most important conclusion is that media reports published at the end of July 2026 did not mean that the completely new Immigration Law had entered into force in full.

As of 6 August 2026, the legislation that must primarily be followed consists of:

  • the existing Immigration Law;
  • the amendment that entered into force on 29 April 2026;
  • the major package of amendments that entered into force on 20 May 2026;
  • the amendments to the Residence Permit Regulations that entered into force on 10 July 2026.

The new Immigration Law adopted by the Saeima in June 2026 remains subject to reconsideration and may still be amended before it becomes finally applicable.

This material is intended as a general informational overview and does not replace an individual legal assessment of a particular immigration case.