Latvia
Latvia Residence Permit by Investment (Latvia Golden Visa)
Also known as: Latvia Golden Visa, Latvia Investor Residence Permit
- Min investment
- $55K
- Program tier
- Renewable Temp
- Program type
- Golden Visa
- Initial validity
- 5 yr
- Renewable
- Yes
- Path to PR
- 5 yr
- Path to citizenship
- 10 yr
- Schengen access
- Yes
Investment options
Business Investment
$55KEUR 50,000 equity in a Latvian SME (micro or small enterprise, fewer than 50 employees, turnover/balance sheet under EUR 10M), plus a one-off EUR 10,000 state fee. Company must pay at least EUR 40,000 in taxes annually.
Business Investment
$110KEUR 100,000 in equity of a larger Latvian company (more than 50 employees, turnover above EUR 10M), plus EUR 25,000 state fee. Company must pay at least EUR 100,000 in taxes annually.
Real Estate
$275KPurchase of property with cadastral value at least EUR 80,000 (or EUR 40,000 outside Riga and main cities), market value at least EUR 250,000. 5% state fee on property value (~EUR 12,500). Limited to one or two properties.
Govt Bonds
$275KNon-interest-bearing Latvian government bonds — EUR 250,000 plus EUR 38,000 state fee.
Bank Deposit
$310KEUR 280,000 subordinated capital deposit at a Latvian bank for minimum 5 years plus EUR 25,000 state fee. Lowest-effort option but capital is at bank credit risk.
Physical presence
Path to citizenship
- Available: Yes
- Minimum years: 10
- Physical-presence years: 10
- Language test: Yes
Naturalization requires 10 years of continuous residence, Latvian B1, naturalization exam, oath of loyalty. Dual citizenship allowed only with EU/EEA/NATO and a defined country list. Most investor-route holders do not pursue Latvian citizenship.
Tax implications
- Becomes tax resident automatically: No
- Worldwide income taxed: Yes
- Territorial tax system: No
- Day-count for tax residency: 183 days
- Wealth tax: No
Latvia taxes worldwide income only for tax residents (183+ days or permanent home). Investor-route holders typically remain non-resident. Personal income tax progressive 25.5-33%; capital gains 25.5%. No wealth or inheritance tax. Solidarity contributions on high income.
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Dependent adult children: No
- Parents: No
Spouse and unmarried minor children included. Dependent adult children and parents not covered as direct dependents under the investor route.
Additional fees
- Application fee: $750
- Legal/agent (est.): $6K
State fees vary by route (see investment options). Annual visit required to renew residence card; renewal fee ~EUR 100. Health insurance mandatory.
Eligibility requirements
- Age 18+
- Clean criminal record from country of citizenship and any country of recent residence
- Proof of legal source of funds (enhanced due diligence post-2022)
- Health insurance covering Latvia
- Demonstrated investment as per chosen route
- Sufficient subsistence funds for self and family (~EUR 9,000/year self, plus EUR 4,500 per dependent)
Disqualifiers
- Russian Federation citizenship — barred from investor residence permits since 2022 sanctions package
- Belarusian citizenship — barred for the same reason
- Prior Schengen entry ban or immigration violations
- Failure to meet enhanced due diligence on source of funds
Recent changes
- 2022-09
Russian and Belarusian citizens permanently barred from the investor residence route as part of solidarity sanctions following invasion of Ukraine.
- 2023
Initial permit validity extended from 1 year (annually renewed) to 5 years (with annual ID-card refresh visit). State fee restructured per investment type.
- 2026
PMLP enhanced due diligence — applicants subject to additional security-screening review by State Security Service for high-risk-jurisdiction passports.
Notes
Cheapest EU/Schengen investor residency at EUR 50,000 business route, but the cheap headline only secures Schengen visa-free mobility, not freedom of establishment — only EU citizenship grants that. Citizenship path is realistically out of reach for non-resident investors due to A2/B1 Latvian language and 10-year presence requirement. Best used as a Schengen mobility instrument and Baltic banking domicile, not as a citizenship pipeline. Russia/Belarus exclusion is firm and enforced.
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EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.