EUROPE · LONG-TERM RESIDENCY BY INVESTMENT

Latvia Residence Permit

A business-equity residence route into the Baltic's EU/Schengen gateway, and the only investment route that can currently be used since the new Immigration Law took effect on 15 September 2026 and ended the real-estate and bank routes.

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Minimum Investment

€60,000

Key Benefit

An initial two-year Latvian residence permit through equity investment in a Latvian company, with a path to permanent residence after five years, in the EU's Baltic gateway.

Program Watch · Reformed

The new Immigration Law, in force from 15 September 2026, ended the real-estate and bank routes. Business equity is the route that can currently be used; a new €150,000 state-fund route is not yet operational, and Russian and Belarusian citizens are restricted. See all changes and deadlines →

Latvia Residence Permit Overview

Latvia grants temporary residence permits to qualifying business-equity investors. The new Immigration Law, in force from 15 September 2026, ended the real-estate and subordinated bank-deposit routes (the earlier state-securities option is likewise no longer available) and kept company investment as the route that can currently be used. It also writes in a new €150,000 route into a state-established alternative investment fund, but that fund has not yet been established, so the route cannot be used for now.

The initial permit is two years, requiring at least one renewal, where the programme once issued a five-year permit. Permanent residence is no longer granted on a first application: at least five years on a temporary permit is now mandatory.

Benefits of Latvia Residence Permit

Residence in Latvia, an EU and Schengen member state, on a genuine business-equity investment rather than a passive deposit or bond
A defined path to permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence
One of the lower minimum investment thresholds among EU residence-by-investment programmes Indohill tracks
Access to the Baltic region's EU single-market and Schengen-area benefits

Requirements

The main applicant invests directly in the equity capital of a Latvian company, sized according to the company's scale, plus a fixed state contribution. Citizens of Russia and Belarus are restricted from investor residence permits under the new law, and investor applicants face additional security vetting:

1. Business Equity Investment

A minimum of €50,000 into the equity capital of a smaller Latvian company, or €100,000 into a larger one, plus a one-time €10,000 state budget payment. The resulting permit is issued for an initial 2 years, requiring at least one renewal. These are the published figures; Indohill confirms them against the implementing rules of the new law before any engagement.

2. State Alternative Investment Fund Route (not yet operational)

The new law allows a temporary residence permit of up to five years for an investor who commits at least €150,000, for no less than five years, to a manager of an alternative investment fund established by the state, and pays €10,000 into the state budget. According to the Latvian immigration authority, no such fund has yet been established, so this route cannot be used for the time being. We track it on Program Watch.

Procedure

The applicant identifies a qualifying Latvian company and completes the required equity investment, alongside the one-time €10,000 state payment. The application is reviewed under the new Immigration Law, which sets a statutory maximum processing time of four months and adds security vetting for investor applicants. On approval, an initial 2-year temporary residence permit is issued, renewable subject to the equity investment remaining in place.

Fees & Costs

Beyond the equity investment and €10,000 state payment, applicants pay Latvian government processing fees per applicant and dependant, plus separate legal and business due-diligence advisory fees. Indohill discloses the full statutory and legal fee breakdown for this programme, and every other programme we track, in the Global Matrix Marketplace fee breakdown tool before you commit to a specific company.

Permanent Residence Is Harder, and New Language Rules Are Phased In

The new law no longer grants permanent residence to anyone on a first application: at least five years of residence on a temporary permit is mandatory. Applicants must also meet language and integration conditions (Latvian at B1 level, knowledge of the Constitution and Latvian history, no tax debts or administrative violations), and a broader state-language and cultural-knowledge obligation is phased in, with the immigration authority giving 31 December 2027 for implementation. Indohill confirms the current conditions with every client, since they represent a real, recent tightening of the rules.

Background & Legal Considerations

Latvia's residence permit by investment now operates under the new Immigration Law, adopted by the Saeima on 11 June 2026, returned by the President for a second review on 19 June, re-adopted on 20 August and in force from 15 September 2026. It replaced the former Immigration Law, under whose Section 23(1), points (28), (29) and (30) the programme previously operated. The new law ended the real-estate and subordinated bank-deposit routes, kept company investment, and added the state-fund route. Because the new law's section numbering and implementing regulations differ from the old, Indohill confirms the current provisions with Latvian counsel before every engagement.

Program history

The dated milestones we have verified for this program, drawn from its legal basis and our Program Watch tracker. It is a record of what has changed, not a complete legislative history. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.

1 JULY 2010 New

Residence by investment introduced

Latvia introduces residence permits for investors, initially as a stimulus measure after the 2007 to 2009 economic crisis.
11 JUNE 2026 Legal basis

Saeima adopts the new Immigration Law

Parliament adopts a new Immigration Law that ends the real-estate and bank investor routes and adds a state-fund route.
19 JUNE 2026 Legal basis

President returns the law for a second review

The President sends the law back to the Saeima, citing the need to restrict citizens of Russia and Belarus from investor permits and to address verification of the origin of investment funds.
20 AUGUST 2026 Legal basis

Saeima re-adopts the law

Parliament passes the law again with amendments, including restrictions on Russian and Belarusian citizens and additional vetting of investor applicants. It is published on 1 September.
15 SEPTEMBER 2026 Changed

New Immigration Law ends the real-estate and bank routes

The new Immigration Law, in force from 15 September 2026, ended the real-estate and subordinated bank-deposit investor routes. Business equity continues (from €50,000 plus a €10,000 state payment). A €150,000 route into a state-established alternative investment fund is written into the law but cannot be used until that fund exists, and citizens of Russia and Belarus are restricted from investor permits. Source: the Latvian immigration authority (PMLP), 15 September 2026.

Why Indohill Advises This Program

A private, advisor-reviewed intake — every application is scoped by a person, with the target Latvian company's size and equity terms confirmed before any recommendation
Coordination with independently licensed Latvian corporate and immigration counsel, vetted against Indohill's Certified Partner Network standards before any introduction is made
Full statutory and legal fee disclosure through the Global Matrix Marketplace before you commit to a specific company
The same 5-phase advisory methodology Indohill applies across every program, from initial audit through lifelong governance and renewal support

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Latvia Residence Permit FAQ

€50,000 in equity capital of a smaller Latvian company (or €100,000 for a larger one), plus a one-time €10,000 state budget payment. These are the published figures; we confirm them against the implementing rules of the new law.

No. The new Immigration Law, in force from 15 September 2026, ended the real-estate and subordinated bank-deposit routes. Company (business equity) investment is the route that can currently be used.

Not yet. The new law provides for it (at least €150,000 held for no less than five years with a state-established alternative investment fund manager, plus a €10,000 state budget payment, for a permit of up to five years), but the Latvian immigration authority states that no such fund has been established, so it cannot be used for the time being.

No. The final law restricts citizens of Russia and Belarus from the investor residence routes, so they should not plan on this route.

An initial 2 years, requiring at least one renewal, shortened from the previous 5-year term under the 2026 reform.

Permanent residence is no longer granted on a first application: at least five years of residence on a temporary permit is mandatory. Applicants must also meet language and integration conditions (Latvian at B1 level, knowledge of the Constitution and Latvian history, no tax debts or administrative violations), and a broader state-language and cultural-knowledge obligation is phased in, with implementation dated 31 December 2027 by the immigration authority.

Indohill's tracked timeframe for this program is approximately 3 months, covering company selection, equity investment, and permit issuance. The new law sets a statutory maximum of four months for processing an application.

The new Immigration Law, in force from 15 September 2026. The route previously operated under Section 23(1), points (28), (29) and (30) of the former Immigration Law.