Latvia Residence by Investment — The Rules After 15 September 2026
Latvia's new Immigration Law took effect on 15 September 2026. It abolished the real estate route, abolished the bank subordinated-capital route, cut the business investment permit from five years to two, and created a new EUR 150,000 investment fund route that does not yet exist in practice.
— Last updated: September 2026 · 9 min read
What Changed on 15 September 2026
The Saeima passed a new Immigration Law on 11 June 2026. President Edgars Rinkevics declined to promulgate it and returned it to parliament on 19 June 2026, objecting to the investment residence provisions. The Saeima re-adopted the law at an extraordinary sitting on 20 August 2026 by 60 votes to 26, with only minor additions to security screening. The President promulgated it on 1 September 2026 and it entered into force on 15 September 2026.
| Route | Until 14 Sept 2026 | From 15 Sept 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Equity investment in a Latvian company | EUR 50,000 or EUR 100,000, permit up to 5 years | Same amounts, permit up to 2 years |
| Real estate purchase | Available | Abolished |
| Subordinated capital with a Latvian credit institution | Available | Abolished |
| Interest-free government securities | Abolished 20 May 2026 | Abolished |
| State-established investment fund | Did not exist | EUR 150,000 plus EUR 10,000, permit up to 5 years — not yet operational |
Overview
Latvia's residence-by-investment programme is administered by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA, in Latvian PMLP). Latvian law has never used the term "golden visa". The legal basis is now Section 27 of the Immigration Law that took effect on 15 September 2026: paragraph one, clause 10 for equity investment, and paragraph one, clause 36 for the new investment fund route.
A residence permit gives visa-free movement in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Permanent residence becomes available after five years of continuous lawful residence, subject to Latvian language at level A2, a Latvian culture and history course, and sufficient means. Naturalisation requires a further five years holding a Latvian permanent residence permit, with habitual residence in Latvia over that period. Latvia has no citizenship-by-investment programme.
One practical improvement: the old model, where a permit could run longer than the ID card and required annual re-registration, is gone. The permit term and the ID card term are now the same, and there is no annual renewal.
Key Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Section 27, Immigration Law (in force 15 September 2026) |
| Administering authority | Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA / PMLP) |
| Equity route — smaller company | EUR 50,000 share capital investment |
| Equity route — larger company | EUR 100,000 share capital investment |
| State budget payment | EUR 10,000 on first application |
| Equity route permit term | Up to 2 years |
| Investment fund route | EUR 150,000 for at least 5 years, plus EUR 10,000 to the state budget |
| Fund route permit term | Up to 5 years |
| Fund route status | Legislated; state fund manager not yet established |
| Decision deadline | 30 days, extendable once to a maximum of 4 months |
| Permanent residence | After 5 years continuous residence, Latvian at A2, culture and history course |
| Naturalisation | After a further 5 years holding permanent residence |
| Annual ID card renewal | No longer required |
| Integration obligation | Mandatory where permit terms total 18 months or more |
| Excluded nationalities | Russian and Belarusian citizens, for both investment routes |
Investment Routes After the Reform
Equity investment in a Latvian company — from EUR 50,000
Invest at least EUR 50,000 in the share capital of a smaller Latvian company, or at least EUR 100,000 in a larger one. A EUR 10,000 payment to the state budget applies on the first application. The thresholds did not change on 15 September 2026. The permit term did: it fell from five years to two. The tax payment test the company must satisfy for the investor's permit to be renewed is unchanged.
In force
State investment fund — EUR 150,000
A foreign national who contracts and transfers at least EUR 150,000 for a minimum of five years to a state-established alternative investment fund manager, and pays EUR 10,000 to the state budget, can request a permit for up to five years. The permit stays valid only while the fund manager confirms the investment contract is live and the balance has not fallen below EUR 150,000. The state has not yet established the fund manager, so nobody can apply under this route today. A bill filed in the Saeima on 10 September 2026 would delete the route from the law entirely; it was referred to the Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee.
Not yet operational
Two Obligations Investors Underestimate
- •Integration. Where a permit, or several consecutive permits, total 18 months or more, the holder must complete an early integration programme: a Latvian culture and history course and Latvian to level A1. The foreign national pays for it. A two-year equity permit crosses this threshold on day one.
- •Language of filing. First applications may be submitted in Latvian or English. Repeat applications and permanent residence applications must be in Latvian only.
Suspension power
If You Already Hold a Latvian Investment Permit
Applications filed and accepted for examination before 15 September 2026 are decided under the previous rules.
Existing real estate and bank subordinated-capital permit holders keep their permits until the registered expiry date. To continue residing in Latvia on the same basis, they must file an application with OCMA for a five-year permit during the validity of their ID card, under transitional provision 10 of the new law.
This is a filing deadline tied to your own card, not to a common date. Check the expiry printed on it.
Where Latvia Now Sits Among EU Options
Latvia's equity route is still the lowest entry threshold of any active EU residence-by-investment programme. That is the whole of the case. The two-year permit term, the integration requirement and the Latvian-language filing rule for renewals make it more demanding to maintain than it was.
The wider context has not changed. Spain closed its golden visa in April 2025. Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom closed theirs earlier. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme in April 2025. Latvia has kept a programme while narrowing it sharply, and a bill to narrow it further is already before the Saeima.
For anyone planning around Latvia today, the equity route is the only route that works, and it works best where there is a real operating business behind it. A EUR 50,000 shell that files nothing will not survive renewal.
Application Process
Structuring
Choose the route and design the Latvian company structure. Since 15 September 2026, only the equity route is operational.
Company formation and capital injection
Incorporate or acquire the Latvian company and make the qualifying share capital investment.
Documentation
Proof of investment, source of funds, criminal record certificate, health insurance, proof of sufficient means.
Filing
Latvian or EnglishSubmitted to OCMA or a Latvian diplomatic mission. First applications may be in Latvian or English.
Decision
30 days – 4 monthsOCMA decides within 30 days. The deadline can be extended once, for objective reasons, to a maximum of four months from receipt of all documents. It cannot be extended a second time.
Collection and integration
Collect the ID card in Latvia, then complete the early integration programme where the permit term reaches 18 months.
How We Work On Latvian Residence Matters
Zitadelle Advisory Group is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation in Latvia. For Latvian residence and immigration matters we instruct J. Rakova, a sworn advocate (zverinats advokats) admitted to the Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates. The attorney takes responsibility for legal opinions, representation before OCMA and any appeal. We handle the corporate structuring, source-of-funds file, compliance documentation and coordination.
- Latvian company formation or acquisition for the equity route
- Qualifying share capital injection and evidencing
- Source-of-funds file and compliance documentation
- Application preparation and OCMA liaison through Latvian counsel
- Family applications for spouse, children and dependent parents
- Renewal planning against the two-year permit term and the tax payment test
- Integration programme scheduling before the 18-month threshold
Frequently Asked Questions
Partly. Latvia's real estate and bank subordinated-capital residence routes were abolished on 15 September 2026, when the new Immigration Law took effect. The government securities route had already been removed on 20 May 2026. The equity investment route remains available from EUR 50,000, but the permit now runs for two years instead of five. A new EUR 150,000 state investment fund route exists in the law but is not yet operational.
Planning around Latvia after the reform?
The equity route is the only route operating today, and it now carries a two-year permit and an integration obligation. We structure the Latvian company, prepare the source-of-funds file, and instruct Latvian counsel for the application itself.
Quick Facts
- Programme type
- Residence by investment
- Min. investment
- EUR 50,000 (equity)
- State payment
- EUR 10,000
- Permit term
- 2 years (equity)
- Decision deadline
- 30 days, max 4 months
- Schengen access
- Yes
- Annual ID renewal
- No longer required
- Integration programme
- Required from 18 months
- Permanent residence
- After 5 years
- Naturalisation
- After a further 5 years
- Legal basis
- Section 27, Immigration Law
- Law in force
- 15 September 2026
- Updated
- September 2026
Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. Requirements, timelines, and fees are subject to change. Always consult directly with the relevant regulatory authority or a qualified professional for the most current information. Zitadelle Advisory Group LTD is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation.