Latvia temporary residence permit for employment

Third-country nationals intending to work in Latvia for a long-term period under a labour agreement or enterprise agreement.

• Employer sponsorship

  For long-term employment, the employer must submit a sponsorship request to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs with the employment contract or its draft and the foreigner’s education documents.

  pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource

• Registered vacancy

  If employment is based on an employment contract, the employer must register the vacancy with the State Employment Agency; the guidance says a third-country national may be employed only if the registered vacancy has been free for at least 10 working days.

  pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource

• Work agreement

  For work under an employment contract or work-performance contract, the employer must submit a copy of the contract or its draft with the invitation request.

  pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource

• Qualifications or experience

  For a regulated profession, the employer must submit a copy of a certificate recognising the qualification or a similar document showing that it meets Latvian requirements. For a non-regulated profession, the employer must submit a legalised copy of an education document or a document certifying three years of experience in the intended profession; the official page lists exceptions to submitting these documents.

  pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource

• Employment income

  From 1 April 2026, for employment outside the separately listed categories, the required work remuneration is based on the previous year’s average gross monthly remuneration in the employment sector or the minimum wage set by a sectoral general agreement. If the sector average is higher than the national average, the required financial means are at least EUR 1,815. ([pmlp.gov.lv](https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/necessary-subsistence-0))

  pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource

• Passport copy

  The applicant must submit a full copy of their passport and certify the document’s validity themselves.

  pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource

• Criminal-record statement

  An applicant older than 14 must submit a statement on punishability issued by the competent institution of their country of citizenship or a host country if they have resided in that country for more than 12 months.

  pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource

• Application documents

  The applicant must submit the prescribed residence-permit request form, a photograph, evidence of the necessary subsistence and confirmation of payment of the state fee; the inviter must have obtained approval before the applicant submits the documents.

  pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource

• Temporary residence permit application review within 30 days ([pmlp.gov.lv](https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/state-fee-issuing-residence-permit))pmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource€160 per person
• Temporary residence permit application review within 10 working dayspmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource€280 per person
• Temporary residence permit application review within 5 working dayspmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource€560 per person
• Issue of residence-permit identity document within 10 working dayspmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource€45 per person
• Issue of residence-permit identity document within 2 working dayspmlp.gov.lv · checked 2 hours agoSource€80 per person
• Decision timeThe published 30-day period is for reviewing the standard temporary residence permit application. The page does not give an end-to-end time from submission abroad to receiving the permit; it also lists faster paid review options measured in working days. ([pmlp.gov.lv](https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/staAbout 4 weeks

1. Get ready

   • Agree the work

     Arrange the employment contract or work-performance contract, or its draft, for the employer’s sponsorship request.

     You’ll need: Employment contract or work-performance contract, or its draft

   • Register the vacancy

     If the work is based on an employment contract, have the employer register the vacancy with the State Employment Agency and leave it free for at least 10 working days.

     You’ll need: Registered vacancy

   • Prepare qualification evidence

     Give the employer the applicable qualification, education or professional-experience document for its invitation request.

     You’ll need: Qualification-recognition document, education document or evidence of three years’ professional experience, as applicabl

   • Have the employer request sponsorship

     The employer must submit a sponsorship request to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs before you submit your residence-permit documents.

     You’ll need: Sponsorship request, Contract or draft, Applicable education or qualification documents

2. Apply

   • Prepare your application

     Prepare the prescribed form, photograph, certified full passport copy, subsistence evidence, fee-payment confirmation and criminal-record statement where required.

     You’ll need: Residence-permit request form, Photograph, Full passport copy, Subsistence evidence, State-fee payment confirmation, Criminal-record statement where required

   • Submit your documents abroad

     Submit the residence-permit application to a Latvian diplomatic or consular mission abroad after the employer’s sponsorship has been approved.

     You’ll need: Residence-permit application documents

3. Settle in

   • Receive your residence permit

     The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs issues the residence permit with the right to employment.

     You’ll need: Residence permit

   • Register for tax

     Register with the State Revenue Service as a taxpayer.

The employment guidance says a foreigner may receive a permanent residence permit after five years of continuous stay and passing an official-language test at least at A2 level. ([pmlp.gov.lv](https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/employment-foreigners))

• The necessary subsistence | Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvaldepmlp.gov.lvOfficial
• State fee for issuing the residence permit | Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvaldepmlp.gov.lvOfficial
• Employment of foreigners | Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvaldepmlp.gov.lvOfficial
• The employer invites the foreigner | Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvaldepmlp.gov.lvOfficial
• Labour agreement or an enterprise agreement | Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvaldepmlp.gov.lvOfficial

Japper is an AI immigration assistant. It gives general information from official sources, not legal advice, and it can be wrong. For your own case, ask a licensed advisor.