Latvia digital nomad visa (2026)

Who can apply

Not open to citizens of Russia.

• Employer or own business registered in an OECD member state
• Employees: at least 6 months with the same employer and pay at or above the threshold
• Self-employed: income at or above the threshold over the last 6 months
• Health insurance valid in Latvia and Schengen with at least €42,600 cover

Income requirement

You need to show at least €4,213 per month (about US$4,713 a month at rates from 11 Nov 2026). 2.5 times the previous year's average gross monthly salary in Latvia, using the latest Central Statistical Bureau figure; no family add-on is published.

Documents you need

• Valid passport (copy sent by post) and online visa questionnaire
• Recent photo
• Health insurance policy
• Proof of where you will live in Latvia
• Employment certificate from an OECD tax or social insurance authority and employer statement, or tax document certifying self-employment income
• Proof of state fee payment

How to apply, step by step

1. Complete the electronic visa questionnaire
2. Pay the state fee
3. Send the documents to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs or apply at a Latvian mission
4. Collect the visa once approved

Where and how to apply

Applications are decided by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA, known in Latvian as PMLP) in Riga. OCMA's own instructions describe a mostly remote process: you complete the electronic visa questionnaire, pay the state fee, and post a copy of your passport with the supporting documents to OCMA at Ciekurkalna 1. linija 1, k-3, Riga. Latvian embassies also accept national (D) visa applications, and some of them work through outsourced visa centres; the Embassy in Washington, for example, accepts files at VFS-run centres in several US cities, in person at the embassy, or by mail for most nationalities. Citizens of Russia cannot use this visa at all, and embassies accept only limited categories of applications from Belarusian citizens. There is no quota and no lottery. Because the visa is a national D visa rather than a residence permit, you do not need to enter Latvia first, and there is no separate in-country permit stage after arrival.

Timeline

1. Check the employer or business Before you start
   Your employer, or your own business if self-employed, must be registered in an OECD member state, and employees need at least six months with that employer. A company registered outside the OECD does not qualify, even if you live in an OECD country.
2. Collect certificates and insurance 1-4 weeks, depending on your home authorities
   You need an employment or income certificate issued by a tax or social insurance authority of an OECD state, the employer's statement, a housing document and a Schengen-wide insurance policy of at least EUR 42,600 for the whole stay.
3. Fill in the e-questionnaire and pay the fee Same day
   Complete the online visa questionnaire, print and sign it, and pay the state fee. The fee doubles if you file with OCMA less than three working days before your current permitted stay ends.
4. Submit the file By post to OCMA or at a mission
   Post the passport copy and documents to OCMA in Riga, or lodge them at a Latvian embassy or its visa centre where that option exists.
5. Decision 15 days; up to 60 days if extra checks are needed
   Under Section 15 of the Immigration Law, a decision on a long-stay visa is due within 15 days of receiving all documents, extended to 60 days when more information or an inspection is required.
6. Live and work remotely in Latvia Up to 1 year
   The visa also lets you travel in other Schengen states for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
7. Second visa or residence permit Before the first visa expires
   You may request one more remote-work visa for up to a year, or apply for a temporary residence permit on another ground without leaving Latvia while the visa is still valid. After the second visa ends, a new remote-work visa is barred for six months.

Proving your income

Latvia does not ask for bank statements as the main income evidence. Employees prove income with an employment certificate issued by the tax administration or social insurance institution of the OECD country where they work, together with a statement from the employer confirming at least six months of employment, the salary, and that the job can be done remotely. Self-employed applicants need a document from the tax administration of an OECD state showing their self-employment income for the last six months. The pay or income must reach 2.5 times Latvia's average gross monthly wage for the previous year, as published by the Central Statistical Bureau; OCMA updates the euro figure when new statistics appear, and at least one older OCMA page still showed the earlier figure in November 2026, so check the date on the page you rely on. Only income from the qualifying remote work counts; the rules do not mention rental income, dividends or savings as alternatives. OCMA's pages do not state translation rules for this visa. Embassy pages ask for an English translation of company registration documents, so plan for certified translations of anything not in English or Latvian and confirm with the office handling your file.

Bringing your family

The remote-work visa provision (Immigration Law, Section 11, Paragraph 5) and OCMA's instructions say nothing about spouses, partners or children, and no dependant add-on to the income test is published. In practice this means each family member needs a separate legal basis to stay longer than 90 days in 180: for example, a partner who also meets the remote-work conditions can apply for their own visa. The family reunification rules in Section 23 of the Immigration Law are written for foreigners who hold a residence permit, not a long-stay visa, so they do not open a route for the family of a visa holder. When the Cabinet approved the scheme in 2022, the government said it expected spouses who could work remotely to use the visa themselves. Holders and their family members have no right to employment with Latvian employers and no right to social assistance under this visa.

Health insurance

You must hold a health insurance policy valid in Latvia and in all Schengen states, with an insurer's liability limit of at least EUR 42,600 for the full insurance period. The policy must cover the whole planned stay, so a one-year visa needs a policy that runs for at least the visa's validity. OCMA's page does not restrict the type of insurer, and it does not mention deductibles or co-payments, but the policy must state the cover limit clearly. Because holders are not socially insured in Latvia, they cannot rely on the state health system, so the private policy is the main source of cover. Make sure the policy start date is no later than the first day of the visa.

Cost and processing time

The fee is €90 state fee (€180 if filed less than 3 working days before your current stay ends). Processing takes 15 days after a complete application (up to 60 days if extra checks are needed). Budget extra for translations, certified copies and health insurance.

After you arrive

• There is no residence card: the D visa sticker in your passport is your status document, valid until its end date.
• Keep your health insurance active for the whole stay; it is a condition of the visa, not just of the application.
• The duty to declare a place of residence under the Declaration of Place of Residence Law is written for residence permit holders and citizens; be aware that a declared place of residence in Latvia makes you a Latvian tax resident immediately under the Law On Taxes and Fees.
• Count your days: 183 or more days in Latvia within any 12-month period that starts or ends in the tax year makes you a tax resident, and from that date the optional 15% income tax rate window of 365 days begins.
• If you become tax resident, report income to the State Revenue Service (VID), normally through its Electronic Declaration System, and keep foreign tax records to claim relief under any tax treaty.
• Do not take a job with a Latvian employer; if your situation changes, apply for a temporary residence permit on the new ground before the visa expires.
• Plan the next step early: a second remote-work visa or a temporary residence permit must be requested while the current visa is still valid, and filing less than three working days before the end of your stay doubles the fee.

Tax

Under Section 14 of the Law On Taxes and Fees, you become a Latvian tax resident if your declared place of residence is in Latvia, or if you stay in Latvia for 183 days or more in any 12-month period that begins or ends in the tax year. Tax residents are taxed in Latvia on worldwide income, with double tax treaties deciding which country has the first right to tax. Latvia has a special rate for this visa: Section 15, Paragraph 19.2 of the Law On Personal Income Tax lets a foreigner holding a long-stay visa issued under Section 11, Paragraph 5 of the Immigration Law choose a flat 15% rate on income from remote work for an employer registered in another OECD state, or on income from a business registered in an OECD state. The choice applies for 365 days from the day the person becomes a Latvian tax resident; income taxed at this rate does not get the non-taxable minimum or certain other reliefs. The provision took effect for income from 1 January 2023; the official English translation used here does not include amendments made after December 2024, so confirm the current wording with VID. When the scheme was approved in 2022, the government stated that holders would not be socially insured in Latvia; social security contributions therefore normally stay in the home or employer's country, but the coordination rules depend on your nationality and any social security agreement.

Does it lead to permanent residence?

Time on the remote-work visa does not count toward permanent residence. Latvia grants a permanent residence permit under Section 24 of the Immigration Law to a foreigner who has lived in Latvia continuously for at least five years with a temporary residence permit, and the applicant must also pass the official Latvian language test; absences of up to six consecutive months, and no more than one year in total, do not break continuity. A long-stay visa is not a temporary residence permit, so the clock only starts once you switch to one. The law allows you to apply for a temporary residence permit from inside Latvia while the visa is valid, provided you qualify on another ground such as employment with a Latvian employer, running a Latvian company, or family ties. The remote-work visa itself can be held for at most two consecutive years.

Why applications get refused

• Employer or own business is not registered in an OECD member state, or you are a Russian citizen, who is excluded by law.
• Less than six months of employment with the current employer, or less than six months of documented self-employment income.
• Income below 2.5 times the latest published average gross wage, or an employment certificate not issued by an OECD tax or social insurance authority.
• Health insurance below EUR 42,600, not valid in the whole Schengen area, or not covering the entire stay.
• No proof of where you will live in Latvia, or no employer confirmation that the work can be done remotely.
• Applying for a third consecutive remote-work visa, or within six months after the second one ended, which the Immigration Law does not allow.

Cost of living in Riga

1-bedroom rent

About EUR 400-600 per month excluding utilities for the one- and two-room flats most in demand (Arco Real Estate report on 2025, reported by BB.LV on 8 May 2026); furnished two-room flats were EUR 580-780

Coworking desk

About EUR 120-175 per month for a shared or fixed desk (Live Riga coworking listings, 2026)

Arco Real Estate put the average Riga rent across all flats at EUR 938 a month in 2025, so new-build and Old Town flats cost well above the typical range.

Good to know

• The visa does not give the right to work for Latvian employers
• The threshold was updated on 11 February 2026; older pages show €3,192.50

Visiting first? Entry rules for popular passports

93 passports can enter Latvia visa-free for a short stay, a common way to try the country before applying. Check Latvia visa requirements for your passport.

Official source

Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) – Long-stay visa for remote work