Temporary residence permit based on real estate purchase in Latvia

A foreign citizen who has purchased real estate in Latvia can apply for a temporary residence permit (TRP) for no longer than 5 years, under these circumstances:

The real estate is purchased in Riga, Jurmala, Ikskile, Saulkrasti city or Adazi, Kekava, Marupe, Olaine or Salaspils county or Garkalne, Ropazi, Saulkrasti, Stopini or Tinuzi parish
The real estate in question is not an undeveloped land
The real estate value is at least EUR 250’000 or two independent real estates are purchased with total value of EUR 250’000 under these circumstances: 1) There are no tax debt on the real estates in question; 2) the full purchase price has been made in non-cash; 3) the real estate has been purchased from either a legal entity registered in the EU, EEZ, or Switzerland that pays taxes in Latvia or a natural person who is a citizen of Latvia or has the non-citizen status or an EU citizen or non-citizen who resides in Latvia based on a TRP issued in Latvia; 4) The cadastral real estate value at the moment of purchase is at least EUR 80’000; 5) If the foreigner has purchased two real estates outside the city of Riga, Jurmala,
Ikskile or Saulkrasti or Adazi, Kekava, Marupe, Olaine or Salaspils region or Garkalne, Ropazi, Saulkrasti, Stopini, or Tinuzi parish, the cadastral value of
each real estate is at least EUR 40’000 or, if the cadastral value is less than EUR 40’000, a market value of EUR 125’000 is acceptable if determined by a certified real estate appraiser; 6) The real estate does not consist of forest or agricultural land; 7) The real estate owner, applying for the TRP for the first time pays five percent of real estate value in the state budget.

Family members (spouse, children) can apply for TRP simultaneously with the mainapplicant

Below is the action plan with an estimated time frame (please note that the time frame is approximate as it depends on how fast the necessary documents are gathered and reviewed by the Latvian Immigration authority):

Submitting documents to the Immigration Authority
–	Gathering all the necessary documents for application for the TRP. The necessary documents are the following: Valid passport Picture of every applicant (size 3×4) A notice from relevant authorities as proof of no-criminal record of an applicant who is older than 14 years (for first-time applicants only) A document proving the existence of financial means to cover living costs of the applicant (an official notice from a bank demonstrating funds on the applicant’s bank account, not older than 3 months). The minimum amount for the main applicant currently is EUR 1’500 per month or EUR 18’000 per year; applicant’s spouse – EUR 500 per month or EUR 6’000 per year; applicant’s child – EUR 150 per month or EUR 1’800 per year. The main applicant can guarantee the existence of financial means for his family A document proving the existence of the residence place in Latvia (in case the real estate is owned – a notice from the Latvian Land Book or in case of rent – a confirmation from the owner of the real estate) A document proving that the real estate has been purchased in non-cash A document from a relevant tax authority proving that the real estate owner has no tax debt related to the real estate inquestion A document providing the payment of the state fee All the documents should be in or translated to Latvian, English, or Russian language! In case the applicant applies with dependants (spouse/children/parents), apostilled documents proving kinship are necessary (marriage certificate, birth certificate).
2-3 days	Additional documents required upon the submission: A special application form for each person. A confirmation letter from the main applicant that he / she undertakes to ensure the financial means and place of residence for his family members, if they apply for TRP simultaneously.
1-2 months	Submitting the application for TRP to a Latvian foreign embassy (if applicant applies from abroad) Filled, signed application forms. A proof of state fee payment (a payment is made either by ibank or at the foreign embassy). State fee for revision of the application: Within 30 days: EUR 100 Within 10 business days: EUR 200/ Blue card EUR 100 Within 5 business days: EUR 400/ Blue card EUR 200 Immigration Authority’s decision In general, the decision can be adopted within 30 days in case of standard procedure or within 10 or 5 business days in case of the accelerated procedure. Please note that our prior experience shows that the Immigration authority can prolong the term up to 90 days, in case it considers that (a) more information is required or (b) it requires more time to adopt the decision.
2-10 days	Visiting the Immigration Authority in Latvia Once the decision is made, the applicant and his dependants that applied with him/her can submit their biometric data to the Migration Authority and submit additional documents that wasn’t submitted earlier in the process (only allowed for tuberculosis tests, insurance policies and original employment contracts). TRP cards will be made and can be received by each applicant personally (children also need to be present, if their cards are being received). Upon receiving the cards, the applicants will need to submit: Health insurance policy for all applicants; A notice from a Latvian doctor/medical institution that the applicant is not suffering from tuberculosis in active phase – for first time applicants only (we can assist in arranging an appointment). It is possible to obtain the TRP card within 10 or 2 business days. The stamp duties are the following: Within 10 business days: EUR 15 Within 2 business days: EUR 30