Self-registration of a visa to Latvia

To obtain a visa to Latvia, you must apply with the relevant documents to the embassy, ​​consulate or visa centers of this country, the addresses of which are presented at the end of the article.

Despite all the apparent red tape, anyone can go through the entire registration procedure from start to finish on their own.

If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better, of course, to seek help from the relevant accredited companies, but keep in mind that you will need to pay a certain amount for their services.

Schengen visa to Latvia

Latvia is a member of the European Union and supports all the requirements of the Schengen Agreement. This means that a visa to Latvia is issued in accordance with all Schengen rules. Only in this case, the country of the first visit is necessarily Latvia, and only then you can visit other countries of the eurozone without the need to obtain additional visas.

Types of visas

A visa to Latvia can have one of three categories: A, C and D.

• Category A (airport) - transit visa, according to which it is allowed to stay in the international transit airport zone (without the right to leave it) for a specified period. Such a visa is needed if you need to transfer from one aircraft to another, following from one non-Schengen state to another.
• Category C (tourist) is a short-stay visa, which can be calculated for a one-time, two-time or multiple trip to Latvia. It is designed for 90 days of stay in the eurozone, and the periods of stay can be broken down as you like within the validity period of the visa. A visa is issued, as a rule, for 180 days, but in some cases the validity period can reach 5 years.
  • C1 - entry for up to 30 days;
  • C2 - 31-90 days
  • C3( multiple entry, multivisa) - multiple entries up to 90 days. It can be obtained on the condition that the person applying for it has already received a short-term visa to Latvia twice before and no violations were found during the border crossing and stay in the country. Valid up to 1 year.
  • C4 is the same as C3. Valid up to 5 years.
• Category D (national) - long-term visa (residence permit) issued if you need to stay in Latvia for more than 90 days and the right to travel through the territory of other EU countries. The conditions for issuing such a visa are negotiated individually.

In some cases, a visa with limited territorial validity may be issued.

Applying for a visa to Latvia

Visa processing is up to 10 days after submission of all documents. Urgent visa - 3 days. When obtaining a visa on your own, you must obtain an invitation and a hotel reservation.

Visa by invitation

The inviting party submits an application to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia. The application shall indicate: full name, date of birth, citizenship, address, reason for the invitation, place and length of stay of the invitee in Latvia. After that, the number (code) of the invitation is issued, which is subsequently indicated in the visa application form.

Ethnic Latvians and persons whose parents are citizens of Latvia do not need to issue an invitation. It is enough to present supporting documents.

Issuing an invitation takes 1-2 days.

The invitation may come from:

• Relatives.
• Citizens of Latvia or persons who have a permanent residence permit in Latvia.
• Foreign citizens who have a temporary residence permit in Latvia (only children, parents or spouses can be invited).
• Residents of Latvia who are on the territory of the Russian Federation.
• Friends.
• Legal entities.
• business partners.
• Educational institution.
• Organizers of conferences (seminars and other events).
• Travel company.

A visa by invitation is very carefully considered at the consulate, so any mistake can be a refusal to obtain a visa.

Tourist visa to Latvia

When applying for a tourist visa on your own, you must definitely ask to send a confirmation of booking at the hotel. This document must be submitted to the embassy.

Possible reasons for visa refusal

Most often, the refusal is associated with incorrect paperwork, so check everything in advance, for example, your passport may be expired or there simply aren’t enough funds on your bank statement.

Documents for a visa to Latvia

For a visa to Latvia, you will need to collect the following mandatory documents

• Visa electronic application form. All points of the questionnaire are filled in, and the applicant's signature is put on each page (see below). If the applicant is a minor, then the signature is put by his parents or guardians. To facilitate the procedure, you can fill out an electronic version of the questionnaire on the website of the embassy. Immediately after that, the applicant will be provided with an individual number by which it will be possible to track the status of the visa application.
• International passport. Passports with 2 or more blank pages and valid for more than 3 months beyond the trip period are accepted for consideration. Present the original and copies of all pages.
• Passport of the Russian Federation for adults. In the absence of a civil passport, a certificate in form 33 is filled out and a vacation ticket is presented (for military personnel). Minors present a birth certificate. Present the original and copies of all pages.
• A photocopy of all pages of the general passport of the Russian Federation(original to have with you).
• 2 photographs 35x45 mm. Photos are taken against a gray or white background. One of the photographs must be glued to the questionnaire in the appropriate place. Photos are needed for all persons who are going to leave the Russian Federation. Old photos will not work, a maximum of 6 months.
• Confirmation of the purpose of the trip. For this, data on reserved hotel rooms, as well as purchased or booked round-trip tickets, are suitable. If you plan to travel by car, then a technical passport, a driver's license are presented and a trip route is drawn up, signed by the driver of the car.
• Medical insurance policy. Valid in the Schengen area and designed to cover a minimum of 30 thousand euros. Submit original and copy.
• Confirmation of financial security (certificate of income) at the rate of 30 lats (45 euros) per day. Bank statements, salary statements, traveler's checks, etc. will do. If all expenses are taken to be covered by a third party or inviting person, then the relevant documents are also provided. Private entrepreneurs present copies of registration documents and a certificate of tax payment.
• Copies of railway and air tickets.
• Consular fee payment receipt. Paid immediately before submission of documents. Not refundable if visa was denied.
• Invitation or hotel reservation.
• For traveling by car - a car insurance contract (Green Card).
• For children under 18 You need a copy of your birth certificate. A separate package of documents is also collected for each child participating in a trip in Latvia. If the child will travel with one parent or with a third party, then a power of attorney is issued on behalf of the remaining parent, who authorizes this trip. If one of the parents is absent, then the reason is indicated with supporting documents attached. This may be a death certificate, a certificate from the police, confirmation of deprivation of parental rights. If a child travels to Latvia on their own without an accompaniment, then both parents or guardians draw up an appropriate permit from a notary.

Additionally, you must prove your intention to return to your country. Evidence can be a marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, documents for immovable and movable property, etc.

The unemployed, pensioners and students need to provide a sponsorship letter confirming the relationship with the sponsor. You will also need a bank statement confirming the availability of funds.

Application for a visa to Latvia

On the official website of the Embassy of Latvia, you can fill out the questionnaire yourself (in Latin letters). Print and sign the document.

• Download
• Download .

Peculiarities

• Please note that the information must be reliable and complete, otherwise the embassy may refuse a visa (or cancel an existing Schengen visa).
• If a child is registered, then the parents fill in and sign for him.

Submission of documents

To submit documents, you should contact the embassy, ​​consulate or visa center of Latvia, making an appointment in advance. That is, you must call in advance and agree on the date and time.

Third parties (relatives, travel agency representatives, etc.) can submit documents for you. An appropriate power of attorney is drawn up at the notary, and documents are presented that confirm either kinship with the applicant or an indication of visa processing services.

Documents can be submitted without pre-registration in the following cases:

• if the application must be considered urgently;
• if a residence permit is issued;
• family members have citizenship in EU countries;
• by medical invitation;
• journalists and media workers;
• representatives of travel companies;
• diplomats;
• business trips.

Prices for a visa to Latvia

• When submitting documents, a consular fee must be paid. If you go through the standard registration procedure with consideration of documents within 7-10 days, then the consular fee will be 35 euros. You need to pay only in euros, so exchange currency in advance. You can also pay by credit card.
• If you want to speed up the process of obtaining a visa to Latvia (urgent visa), then pay 70 euros at the checkout. In this case, you will receive a response within 3 days.
• Category D visa is more expensive. A single entry will cost 65 euros, and a multiple entry will cost 90 euros.
• If you are applying through the Visa Application Center or Pony Express (Pony Express), then in addition to the consular fee, you must pay a service fee, which is 25 and 30 euros, respectively. This service includes sending your documents to the embassy and return delivery of the finished visa to the address indicated by the applicant.
• Visa for children under 6 years old- free of charge, after 6 years - 35 euros.

If a visa is denied, the fee will need to be paid again.