Latvia Residence Permit for Retirement
Senior Citizens Loved and Welcomed
Latvia offers a fast and economic residency permit for seniors over the age of 65, with a proven, regular pension.
Your must be holding a valid passport of a country that allows visa-free entry into Latvia. Several countries qualify. USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Israel to name a few. A full list is provided below.
Main requirement is that you must prove that you earn no less than Euro 1101/- in pension each month.
Latvia is an EU member state, member of the Schengen zone and NATO. As such, it offers a sensible European home base, with a wallet friendly, yet clean and modern lifestyle.
English so widely spoken in Riga, our capital city, that you almost never need Latvian.
ELIGBILITY SUMMARY
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You are a citizen of a NON-EU country.
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Your passport allows you to visit Latvia without obtaining a visa. Check the country list below.
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As main applicant, you are of 65 years or age or above. Your spouse need not be 65 or older.
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You earn a regular pension from your Government or a private pension plan you may have been contributing to.
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Your monthly pension is Euro 1101 per month or more ( from April 1, 2025 ) if you are applying a single applicant.
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If you wish to apply along with your spouse, and you have a duly authenticated marriage certificate, your will need to prove your spouse's pension or other source of income at Euro 740 per month. You may also attach a bank statement as proof of 740x12 available as balance.
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You provide a proof of accommodation /residential property lease or proof of purchase of residential property in Latvia.
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Buy basic emergency health insurance that covers you in Latvia. Companies like Cigna, Gjensidige, Balta, Compensa etc. offer such insurance to senior citizens and average annual cost is Euro 100 +/-
Read more at Government website : https://vissparmigraciju.pmlp.gov.lv/?page_id=36
BENEFITS
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Latvia is a member of the European Union
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Latvia is a member of the Schengen zone. This means visa free movement in 30 European countries. Best based to explore entire Europe.
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Free to stay 90 days in 180 days in any of the Schengen countries.
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Latvia is a NATO member, along with all three Baltic states ( Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania )
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Faster and easier immigration process compared to other nations like Portugal, Spain, Italy etc. Residency permit approval process can be as short as 12 days upon submission of application while visiting Latvia and may take 30-45 days if submitted at a Latvian embassy personally. Subject to the application pack being 100% complete.
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No need to translate your documents to Latvian language, if these are in English.
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No need for criminal record certificate for this category.
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Path to Permanent Residency after the initial 5 years of being a resident.
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No Latvian language exam for this category to become permanent residents.
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Note that you will receive a residence permit card valid for 12 months, needing repeated biometrics and renewal of this card, at least 30 days prior to the expiry date.
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Ease of communication for English speakers.
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English is widely spoken within Riga city, communication is never a problem here.
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Immigration forms can be filled in English too.
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Pensioners truly appreciate that their dollar or pound gets more in Riga. Lower cost of living than in most European cities.
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For example a nice, one bedroom apartment can be rented for as low as € 400-500 per month.
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Utilities can be as high as 200 per month in winter and about half in summer.
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High speed internet with Netflix subscription is about Euro 27 per month.
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Food qualify at affordable prices. Euro 10-15 is a good budget for a nice meal in Riga. Many options of fresh and budget friendly meals around. We have a vast choice of food here. Of course you can always spend more in many of Riga's Michelin ranked restaurants too. Euro 25-35 per meal in such restaurants is a sheer steal as reported by many American and other Europeans living in Riga city.
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Riga city is fascinating and well planned for senior citizens.
Multiple low cost flight connections to almost all tier 1 / tier 2 cities in Europe make it easy to explore Europe.
Air Baltic, the Latvian national airline, Ryan air, Norwegian, Lot Polish, Turkish air, Finnair, Lufthansa, Norse Atlantic, Wizz air etc. connect Latvia to the rest of Europe and even directly to Dubai, Turkey and many others.
Makes good sense to make Latvia your low cost home base in Europe-Schengen zone, and go discover rest of Europe as per your affordability.
Mobility across Europe
Easier immigration process
Ease of communication for expats
Moderate cost of living
Connectivity
DOCUMENTS NEEDED
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Official proof of monthly pension. ( original document, no older than 3 months old, duly legalized by an Apostille or Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp and then double legalized in Latvia ) see this link if you are trying to do it all by yourself. If you decide to hire us, we will explain and assist with the process. See https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/foreign-public-documents-intended-use-latvia
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Proof of savings in a bank. Original document, duly signed and stamped by the bank.
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Marriage Certificate. Original document must bear an Apostille or MFA stamp before it can be submitted. See https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/foreign-public-documents-intended-use-latvia
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Valid passport ( application pack requires a full copy of all pages of passport as a Certified True Copy )
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Application form. Its a 13 page form asking details of your work history, your relatives, your envisaged address of residence in Latvia.
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Proof of rented / purchased residential property in Latvia. Alternatively, a private arrangement with an apartment owner to allow you to use the address as your legal and mailing address in Latvia. Its called Delcared Place of Residence in Latvia.
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A photo as specifications acceptable to OCMA
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Private health insurance, for each individual in the application, ( must be valid for at least 12 months or more, if you are presenting an international insurance from your existing insurance provider, if it covers you for international medical coverage, including Latvia ) If not, then we buy one year basic emergency health insurance within Latvia, that is easily acceptable to OCMA
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If you apply from within Latvia, attach a proof of your physical arrival and presence in Latvia. Boarding pass, Hotel or Apartment booking proof etc.
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Tuberculosis clearance report ( X-ray ) from a Latvian hospital
Hope you find this list of help. If you seek professional help from local consultants who are highly experienced with the process, with recent successful clients, then you need to consider hiring us.
ELIGIBLE NATIONALITIES
Citizens of the following countries enjoy visa-free entry into Latvia for 90 days within 180 days period. ETIAS program may apply from 2025/2026 ( that would involve a simple one time online application for these citizens. However, that would not change eligibility for a retirement visa in Latvia. If you hold any one of these passports, you are welcome to apply for a 5 year, extendable residency status in Latvia
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Bosnia and Herzegovina*
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominica
East Timor
El Salvador
Georgia *
Grenada
Guatemala
Honduras
Hong Kong
Israel
Japan
Kiribati
Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Norway
Macau
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova*
Montenegro*
New Zealand
Nicaragua
North Macedonia*
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Serbia***
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon Islands
Switzerland
Taiwan**
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
The Vatican
Ukraine*
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uruguay
Venezuela
* Only for holders of biometric passports
** Only for holders of passports which include an identity card number
*** Only for holders of biometric passports (excluding holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate, in Serbian: “Koordinaciona uprava”)
Our Clients Say
Nav Singh, director of Proserve, with our latest client from USA.
Our Service Package
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Advise on correct format of documents required and help get mandatory legalizations / apostille in your home country.
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Prepare your complete application and submit at Immigration head office in Latvia or at a Latvian embassy in your region.
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Help arrange mandatory temporary residence address in Latvia or help find, mediate to lease / buy your own place.
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Accompany you to immigration department for biometrics and residence permit card collection.
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Initial support services in Latvia, such as setting up E-signature app, help get a telephone / internet connection, guide you on residential areas of the city, help you decide where to reside, where to find food of your liking, where to shop, help you integrate with clubs, groups of interest.
Gorgeous Latvia. Come and make it your home base in Europe and go explore Europe for the rest of your life.
What about taxes
Latvia has signed Double Tax Avoidance treaty with many countries including UK, USA, Canada and so many more. This means you won't being paying double tax on your pension.
Latvia has signed double tax treaties with: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America and Uzbekistan.
The double tax treaties are agreements meant to cancel the double taxation of capital and income in the applicant's country of residence / citizenship. A person granted a retirement visa to live in Latia, does not need to pay taxes in Latvia, if his/her taxes are paid in another country with such a tax treaty.
For these countries, the double taxation is avoided through credit (the income is taxed, but a credit is received from the residence country) or through exemption (the income is taxed only in the country of residence).
The withholding taxes on dividends, interest and royalties are lower than those for the non-treaty countries and may vary from 0% to 15%.
The fact that Latvia has one of the lowest costs of livings in all of Europe is one of the best reasons why so many foreigners decide to apply for Latvian residency. Our agents will go over everything you need to know to submit a successful application if you intend to apply for a stay permit in this Baltic nation. The right to live, work, study, and do business in Latvia is granted by a document known as a resident permit. Our lawyers can help you get one.
Disclaimer : Information provided above must not be construed as legal or tax advice. If you are unsure of tax status and need advice from a Latvian Tax Advisor, please get in touch and we can organize a Tax Advice Consultation at the rated of Euro 100 for initial one hour consultation.
Alternative Retirement Visas in Europe, for pensioners or those earning other types of proven regular income ?
To be blunt, you have to be somewhat wealthy, with a regular and healthy flow of monthly income. Most European retirement visas were designed for pensioners with a credible Government backed monthly income. Probably the safest bet for these countries. Who does not want wealthy retirees who come and spend money in the country. As such, although demonstrating a pension is the sure path to acquiring residency rights in an EU country, there are exceptions. Rental income or other sources of proven regular stream of income from 'passive' investments is often considered too. Each EU country has set it own minimum income threshold based on their average cost of living estimates. Take a look at some more options. If some specific nation fascinates you, get in touch and we will have it sorted for you.
