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Pathway

Latvia Investor Residence Permit

Latvia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Latvia offers residence through qualifying company investments, with separate state payments, annual company-tax requirements, and nationality restrictions. The new state-fund option is not yet available.

Company investment
€50,000 for a qualifying smaller company; €100,000 for the larger-company or group category
State payment
An additional €10,000 for the first permit
Company taxes
At least €40,000 or €100,000 each reporting year, depending on the investment category

Summary

Latvia offers investor residence through qualifying company investments under the replacement Immigration Law that took effect on 15 September 2026. The law also describes a state-established investment fund, but the immigration authority says that fund has not yet been established, so the option is unavailable. The former real-estate, subordinated-bank and State-securities categories are not a current menu for new applications.

The lowest company threshold remains €50,000 plus a €10,000 State payment, but business-size and annual tax-payment conditions apply. Company permits are now for up to two years. The separate fund basis provides for up to five years, subject to a qualifying manager, investment and continuing compliance. The legal fund period does not make it an available application option. Investor residence does not grant citizenship or guarantee an investment return.

Establish the current investment category before committing funds
  1. Check new application or transition rules Confirm which law and investor category govern a fresh application, an earlier filing, or a renewal.
  2. Verify the qualifying company investment Check the capital contribution, company size, investor limits, ongoing tax conditions, and separate State payment.
  3. Apply and maintain the conditions Document lawful funds and continuing compliance for the permit and any later renewal.

Former property and bank-investment options are not a current menu for new applicants. A fund provision in legislation is not an open program until the authority confirms its implementation.

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Eligibility

EEA means the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Company investment

Section 27(1)(10) requires investment when founding a company or increasing its share capital, plus €10,000 to the State budget for the first permit. It distinguishes:

Refunded or refundable taxes do not count. A share purchase from an existing shareholder is not necessarily a qualifying capital contribution. These permits can be issued for up to two years and require the conditions to remain satisfied.

Statutory fund basis

Section 27(1)(36) requires an agreement and transfer of at least €150,000 for at least five years in a state-established alternative investment fund manager, plus €10,000 to the State budget. The manager must confirm that the agreement remains in force and the investment balance is at least €150,000. The legal permit period is up to five years.

This option is not currently available. PMLP’s September 15, 2026 notice says the state-established fund does not yet exist and the provision cannot currently be used. A privately marketed Latvian fund is not a substitute. Citizeo excludes this option from assessment matches until an operational scheme is confirmed.

Nationality and applicant requirements

Sections 27(7) and 27(8) exclude Belarusian and Russian citizens from these ordinary investment grounds. Section 28 also permits country-specific suspensions. Check nationality, sanctions and security restrictions before choosing an investment.

Applicants must document identity, lawful funds and ownership, the investment, the State payment, and the other residence requirements. PMLP's current instructions govern subsistence, housing, insurance, criminal-history and family evidence. An investment amount alone does not establish approval.

Applications and permits under the former law

The transition depends on whether an application was submitted before commencement and on the existing permit's basis, registration date and expiry. Pre-commencement temporary-residence applications are considered under the former law. Existing permits remain valid until their registration deadline, or expiry where no registration deadline applies.

Transitional provisions 7–10 govern further applications and payments. Former real-estate and bank-liability permit holders may qualify for further permits of up to five years if they apply in time, maintain the required investment and meet the other conditions. Company-investor payments and other legacy cases, including State securities, need the applicable transition analysis. A new investment made now does not receive these protections merely because it resembles a former category.

Policy watch 2 developments we’re tracking
Investor residence will not generally avoid the integration duty
Enacted — not yet in effect

Investor residence will not generally avoid the integration duty

Current official stage: Immigration Law section 48; commencement scheduled for December 31, 2027

Covered temporary residents with permits issued for at least 18 months in total will need basic Latvian and a history and culture course from December 31, 2027. Investment is not a general exemption, although age, health and permits issued under the former law can affect the result.

Timing: Section 48 takes effect December 31, 2027. Cabinet rules will govern the program’s content and organization. The commencement date does not by itself give every resident the same course-completion deadline.

Last checked
References
Read the full briefing
The state-fund option still cannot support an application
Law in effect — implementation pending

The state-fund option still cannot support an application

Current official stage: Statutory basis in force; PMLP confirms the state-established fund does not yet exist

The law describes a €150,000 investment basis, but PMLP says the required fund has not been established. It remains excluded from Citizeo’s assessment options. A privately marketed fund does not become eligible simply because it uses the same investment amount.

Timing: The underlying law took effect September 15, 2026. No operational opening date is confirmed. This watch follows establishment of the qualifying arrangement and official application instructions.

Last checked
References
Read the full briefing

What This Route Allows

An approved permit allows residence in Latvia for its granted period, subject to continuing compliance. Qualifying family members can seek their own permits under the applicable family rules. Check the permit's conditions before working, traveling or changing the investment.

Permanent residence requires a separate application and actual qualifying residence, resources, language and other conditions set by law. Citizenship remains a separate naturalization process. Holding an investment permit alone does not satisfy those later residence tests.

What This Route Is Not

This is not citizenship by investment, a guaranteed five-year permit for every category, or proof that an investment is commercially safe. The €10,000 State payment is separate from invested capital, professional fees, application fees and living costs.

The current law does not offer a fresh investor permit merely for buying €250,000 of property, placing €280,000 in bank subordinated liabilities or purchasing €250,000 of former qualifying State securities. Existing holders should use the transition provisions rather than assume their permits are automatically canceled or automatically renewable.

Latvian temporary residence is not EU citizenship or an automatic right to work throughout the EU.

Next Steps

  1. Establish whether the case is a new application, a pre-commencement application or a renewal under transition rules.
  2. Check nationality restrictions and whether an investor permit is needed; EU/EEA and Swiss citizens normally use free-movement rules.
  3. For a company investment, verify the capital transaction, workforce, financial limits, investor count and annual tax payments.
  4. Treat the state-fund provision as unavailable unless PMLP confirms that the scheme has opened and publishes the qualifying application process.
  5. Prepare evidence of lawful funds and budget the separate State payment and other costs.
  6. Obtain PMLP's current document list and confirm the applicable permit period and renewal requirements.
  7. Preserve investment and compliance records and calendar all permit deadlines.

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Discussed in these reports

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Sources