Latvia is a beautiful country in Northern Europe, right next to the Baltic Sea. It has breathtaking landscapes, natural beauties, delicious local cuisine, and unique culture. For this reason, more tourists visit Latvia every year to see what it has to offer. Nevertheless, the most frequently asked question is do you need a visa for Latvia or not. Today, we are going to answer all of your questions regarding the Latvia visa application and Latvia visa requirements.
Guidelines for Latvia Visa
As Latvia has a strict visa policy, you should be sure to know all about the Latvia visa application. Since Latvia is a popular travel destination and the number of tourists who want to see the beautiful capital city Riga is constantly increasing, Latvia has a set of specific Latvia Schengen visa requirements.
Rest assured! By the end of our Latvia visa guideline, you will learn about all the factors that specify whether you need a Latvia visa or not. These factors depend on the purpose of your stay, the duration of your stay, and the country in which you are a citizen of. According to the Latvian airport visa regulations, you will not need to obtain a visa to go to Latvia if you are a citizen of a country that is in the Schengen Area.
However, if you are a citizen of an EU/EAA country, you are not obliged to do a Latvia visa application.
Who needs a Latvia visa?
If you are a citizen or a passport holder of the following countries you are required to get a Latvia Schengen Visa: Afghanistan, Gabon, Oman, Algeria, Gambia, Pakistan, Angola, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Armenia, Guinea, Palestinian Authority, Azerbaijan, Guinea-Bissau, Philippines, Bahrain, Guyana, Qatar, Bangladesh, Haiti, Russia, Belarus, India, Rwanda, Belize, Indonesia, Sao Tome And Principe, Benin, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Iraq, Senegal, Bolivia, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Botswana, Jordan, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Burma/Myanmar, Kenya, South Sudan, Burundi, Kosovo, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kuwait, Sudan, Cameroon, Kyrgyzstan, Suriname, Cape Verde, Laos, Swaziland, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Syria, Chad, Lesotho, Tajikistan, China, Liberia, Tanzania, Comoros, Libya, Thailand, Congo, Madagascar, Timor-Leste, Cote D’ivoire, Malawi Togo, Cuba, Maldives, Tonga, Dem. Rep. Of Congo, Mali, Tunisia, Djibouti, Mauritania, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Morocco, Uganda, Egypt, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Vietnam, Eritrea, Nepal, Yemen, Ethiopia, Niger, Zambia, Fiji, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Northern Mariana’s.
Latvia visa requirements
Latvia visa requirements are made clear, and you should be following the steps attentively. Any failure with providing the necessary documents may result in the rejection of your Latvia visa application. To prevent any situation from happening to you, we have listed all of the Latvia visa requirements below:
- The first thing you should do is to download the Latvia visa application form and fill it correctly. Make sure you arrange this application form digitally and also get a printed copy of your form.
- You should submit 2 passport size Latvia visa photos.
- Your passport and its copy should involve your previous visas and your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after your visa expires. Additionally, your visa must have at least 2 blank pages.
- You should be getting travel health insurance to get a Latvian visa.
- You should be attaching your cover letter to state the purpose of your visit to Latvia.
- You should attach your flight ticket and hotel reservations to your Latvia visa application. If you are not going to stay at a hotel, you are still required to prove your accommodation information during your stay in Latvia. So, you may be asked to provide a host letter, if you are not going to stay at a hotel.
- You should attach a document that proves your civil status.
- Last but not least, do not forget to attach some documents that substitute as proof of financial sufficiency. The Latvia visa requires you to prove your financial sufficiency throughout your stay in Latvia.
In addition to these Latvia visa requirements above, if you are self-employed, a copy of your business license, company bank statement of the latest 6 months, and income tax return (ITR) is required for a Latvia visa. For students, proof of enrollment and no-objection certificate from school or university is required for a Latvian visa. Lastly, if you are retired, you will be asked to provide your pension statement for the latest 6 months to get a Latvia visa.
Latvia visa photo requirements
Latvia visa photos are a crucial Latvia visa requirement. For this reason, you should be careful about the Latvia visa photo requirements as well. Any failure with providing the required photo size and form may result in the rejection of your Latvian visa application. Here’s a list of all Latvia visa photo requirements you should know of:
- The background on your Latvia visa photo should be white or off-white. It should be as suggested by officials.
- Latvia visa photo size should be 0,35 x 0,45 cm (35×45 mm).
- Your Latviavisa photo must be in color. Black and white photos are not accepted.
- Neutral facial expression is essential in Latvia visa photos.
- You should avoid excessive makeup on your Latvian visa photo.
- Items like jewelry, and glasses should not be worn.
- Your mouth should be closed in your Latvia visa photo.
- You should look directly into the camera.
Latvia visa types
There may be additional documents required for the type of Latvia visa you are applying for. So, the Latvia tourist visa requirements and the Latvia student visa requirements are different. You need to pay attention to the type of visa you are applying for and the necessary documents for your application. Here’s a list of Latvia visas you can apply for:
- Latvia Tourist Visa
- Latvia Business Visa
- Latvia Visa for Medical Purposes
- Latvia Visa for Cultural, Sports, Film Crew, or Religious Purposes
- Latvia Visa for Members of Official Delegations
- Latvia Visa for Study, Training, Research, or other types of Internship Purposes
- Latvia Visa For The Wife/Husband of a Latvian citizen
- Latvia Transit Visa
- Latvia Visa for Under-Age Children
For a Latvia tourist visa, along with your Latvia tourist visa application form, you are also required to provide a bank statement of the last 6 months, passport copies, and (if there is any) an invitation letter from family or friends in Latvia.
If you are traveling to Latvia for business purposes, you should be applying for a Latvia Business Visa. This Latvian business visa will require you to provide documents like an invitation letter from the Latvian company, a certificate from your employer for your business travel, a business bank statement of the latest 6 months, a trade license (if any), and coverage of financial expenses.
If you are traveling to Latvia for medical purposes, then you can apply for a Latvia visa for medical purposes. However, you need to prove your local medical report, a medical attestation from the hospital or doctor in Latvia, and lastly payment receipt of medical fees.
If you are employed by a Latvian company, then to get a Latvia work visa, you are required to provide documents like an employment contract, current bank statement of the latest 6 months, leave permission from the employer, and an income tax return (ITR) form or a certificate of income tax deducted at the source of salary.
Latvia visa fees
The Latvia visa fees depend on the purpose of your stay, the duration of your stay, and your age. You can find the Latvia visa fee that fits you from the list below:
- Adults — 80€
- Child between 6-12 years of age — 40€
- Child younger than 6 years of age — Free
- Holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports traveling for official purposes — Free
- A family member of an EU/EEA national — Free
- Pupils, students, and accompanying teachers during a school trip —Free
- Researchers traveling to perform scientific research —Free
- Nationals from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. — 35€
Extending your Latvia visa
If you need to stay in Latvia for longer than your visa allows you to, then you can apply for a new Latvia visa to extend your stay in Latvia. However, if you know that you are going to need to stay longer in Latvia, you can apply for a long-term Latvia visa in the first place. If an unexpected situation happened for you and you are already in Latvia, then you should advise the national authorities and let them know why you need to stay longer in Latvia. You should also ask for further assistance about the Latvia visa information you need to know. If the reason you have proposed is feasible for a possible visa extension, then your Latvia visa will be renewed and extended.
Do US citizens need a visa for Latvia?
One of the frequently asked questions regarding the Latvia visa is if you need a visa to travel to Latvia as a US citizen. The answer depends on the length of your stay in the country. If you are planning to travel to Europe and stay in Europe for less than 90 days, then you are not obliged to get a Latvia Schengen visa. However, if you have intentions to stay longer than 90 days in Latvia, then you should be applying for a Latvia national visa. For long-stay visas, visa requirements for Latvia are the same as for any other country. As an American citizen, you should be carefully following the steps we have mentioned in this guideline.
