EU Visas and Residence Permit

Useful links

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia www.am.gov.lv/en
OCMA - The office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs www.pmlp.gov.lv/en

• +371 67829750
  
• rigas1nod_pieraksts@pmlp.gov.lv
• Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 3, Rīga, LV-1026, tram No 11, stop 2. Meža Kapi

Contacts for Visa and Residence Permit support

Olga Roslova, +37167100593, olga.roslova@isma.lv

For citizens of EU, European Economic Area States and The Swiss Confederation

• Student has to apply for the registration certificate in person at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Riga (Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 3, Riga, LV-1026, tram no 11, stop 2. Meža Kapi) within 90 days as of the first day of entry, if a Union citizen resides in the Republic of Latvia for longer than 90 days counting from the first day of entry. A registration certificate shall be issued to a Union citizen without delay after submission of all necessary application documents.
• A Union citizen shall be entitled to receive a registration certificate if he or she acquires his or her education in an accredited educational establishment in the Republic of Latvia and he or she has a sufficient level of subsistence to avoid becoming a burden on the social assistance system and a valid European Health Insurance Card, a statement issued by a European Union Member State or European Economic Area State that the person in the Republic of Latvia is entitled to receive medical assistance in the amount guaranteed by the State or a health insurance policy.
• A registration certificate will be issued to a EU citizen without delay after submission of all necessary application documents:
  
  
• • Valid passport or ID
  • Application form www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/home/services/residence-permits/applications.html
    
  • Study agreement
  • Health insurance

For citizens of FOLLOWING COUNTRIES

A citizen of Albania (only holders of biometric passports), Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina (only holders of biometric passports), Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Korea, Israel, Japan, Macao, Macedonia (only for holders of biometric passports), Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro (only for holders of biometric passports), Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Mariana Islands, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Seychelles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Serbia (only for holders of biometric passports), Singapore, Taiwan (Only for holders of passports which include an identity card number), Uruguay, USA, The Vatican and Venezuela

How to get a residence permit?

• If the positive answer about your acceptance as a degree student at ISMA is received:
• ISMA prepares an official invitation for the residence permit. Following documents must be submitted to the ISMA coordinator:
  1. Passport copy
  2. Date and place of birth
  3. Citizenship
  4. Home address
  5. Address (will be indicated in the invitation by the coordinator)
  6. Embassy of Latvia where student will submit the documents to get the residence permit (if the documents will be submitted before the arrival in the Embassy)

After the invitation is approved and sent by ISMA coordinator to the student:

• 1. Student apply for residence permit at the Embassy of Latvia
• 2. OR within 90 days as of the first day of entry at the OCMA in Riga

To apply for residence permit, the following documents are necessary to be submitted:

• Invitation number
• Residence permit application form www.pmlp.gov.lv/en
• Copy of passport (original must be showed at the Embassy). The passport should be valid at least 3 months after the final date of planned residence permit term
• 1 photo
• Confirmation of the necessary subsistence, at least 700 EUR per month
• Document which approves the accommodation place in Latvia
• Copy of the study agreement (original must be presented)
• Legalized documents on previous education which should be sufficient for studies at ISMA
• State duty payment check for the examination of submitted documents. Master, Doctoral students need to pay the state duty only if they wish to faster checking of the submitted documents (within 10 or 5 working days)
• The procedure takes over 40 days
• Student may receive the residence permit for studies in Latvia for the period on which the Student has paid his/her study fee.
• To extend the residence permit the documents must be submitted not later than 40 days before the validity of the current permit expires.
• Upon receiving the residence permit the student has to present health insurance which is valid in Latvia and a copy of statement on fluorography or x-ray results (original must be presented) issued by a competent institution in Latvia.
• Health Insurance police, valid for the entire stay in Latvia (original and copy). You can use police issued in your own country but it should be valid in Latvia. You can buy this police at ISMA International Relations department.
• X-ray or fluoroscopic examination results. Closest clinic to ISMA is Bikur Holim, Maskavas street 122/128, Riga, LV-1003, Latvia, working hours: daily 08:30 – 19:00, Saturdays 09:00 - 15:00, Sundays – closed

HOW TO GET A RESIDENCE PERMIT?

• If the positive answer about your acceptance as a degree student at ISMA is received ISMA prepares an official invitation for the residence permit.
• Following documents must be submitted to the ISMA coordinator:
  1. Passport copy
  2. Date and place of birth
  3. Citizenship
  4. Home address
  5. Address of your accommodation in Riga
  6. Embassy of Latvia where student will submit the documents to get the residence permit

After the invitation is approved, the student submits the documents for the residence permit IN PERSON at the EMBASSY OF LATVIA which is not located in a Schengen country.

Exceptions:

• If the student has a valid residence permit in any of the Schengen countries, he/she holds a right to submit the documents in the Embassy of Latvia which is located in a Schengen country or at the OMCA in RIGA.
• Master, doctoral students can arrive to Latvia with a Schengen visa and while the visa is valid, submit the documents for the residence permit at OMCA in Riga.
• In this case ISMA first will take the invitation for the Schengen visa and after student`s arrival the invitation for the residence permit should be requested.

To apply for the residence permit, the following documents should be submitted:

• Invitation document
• Residence permit application form (available at www.pmlp.gov.lv/en) 
• Copy of passport (original must be showed at the Embassy). The passport should be valid at least 3 months after the final date of planned residence permit term
• 1 photo
• Legalized statement on criminal records issued by a competent institution of the citizenship of the host country if a foreigner has resided in that country longer than 12 months 
• Confirmation of the necessary subsistence, at least 700,- EUR per month
• Document which approves the accommodation place in Latvia
• Copy of the study agreement (original must be presented)
• Legalized documents on previous education which should be sufficient for studies at ISMA
• State duty payment check for the examination of submitted documents. Master, Doctoral students need to pay the state duty only if they wish to faster checking of the submitted documents (within 10 or 5 working days)
• The procedure takes over 40 days 
• Student may receive the residence permit for studies in Latvia for the period on which the Student has paid his/her study fee.
• To extend the residence permit the documents must be submitted not later than 40 days before the validity of the current permit expires.
• Upon receiving the residence permit the student has to present health insurance which is valid in Latvia and a copy of statement on fluorography or x-ray results (original must be presented) issued by a competent institution in Latvia.
• Health Insurance police covering at least 43 000 EUR, valid for the entire stay in Latvia (original and copy). You can use police issued in your own country but it should be valid in Latvia. You can buy this police at ISMA International Relations department.
• X-ray or fluoroscopic examination results. Closest clinic to ISMA is Bikur Holim, Maskavas street 122/128, Riga, LV-1003, Latvia, working hours: daily 08:30 – 19:00, Saturdays 09:00 - 15:00, Sundays – closed.

For citizens of OTHER COUNTRIESM

HOW TO GET A RESIDENCE PERMIT?

• If the positive answer about your acceptance as a degree student at ISMA is received ISMA prepares an official invitation for the residence permit.
• Following documents must be submitted to the ISMA coordinator:
  1. Passport copy
  2. Date and place of birth
  3. Citizenship
  4. Home address
  5. Address of your accommodation in Riga
  6. Embassy of Latvia where student will submit the documents to get the residence permit

Exceptions:

• If the student has a valid residence permit in any of the Schengen countries, he/she holds a right to submit the documents in the Embassy of Latvia which is located in a Schengen country or at the OMCA in RIGA.
• Master, doctoral students can arrive to Latvia with a Schengen visa and while the visa is valid, submit the documents for the residence permit at OMCA in Riga.
• In this case ISMA first will take the invitation for the Schengen visa and after student`s arrival the invitation for the residence permit should be requested.

To apply for the residence permit, the following documents should be submitted:

• Invitation document
• Residence permit application form (available at www.pmlp.gov.lv/en) 
• Copy of passport (original must be showed at the Embassy). The passport should be valid at least 3 months after the final date of planned residence permit term
• 1 photo
• Legalized statement on criminal records issued by a competent institution of the citizenship of the host country if a foreigner has resided in that country longer than 12 months 
• Confirmation of the necessary subsistence, at least 700,- EUR per month
• Document which approves the accommodation place in Latvia
• Copy of the study agreement (original must be presented)
• Legalized documents on previous education which should be sufficient for studies at ISMA
• State duty payment check for the examination of submitted documents. Master, Doctoral students need to pay the state duty only if they wish to faster checking of the submitted documents (within 10 or 5 working days)
• The procedure takes over 40 days 
• Student may receive the residence permit for studies in Latvia for the period on which the Student has paid his/her study fee.
• To extend the residence permit the documents must be submitted not later than 40 days before the validity of the current permit expires.
• Upon receiving the residence permit the student has to present health insurance which is valid in Latvia and a copy of statement on fluorography or x-ray results (original must be presented) issued by a competent institution in Latvia.
• Health Insurance police covering at least 43 000 EUR, valid for the entire stay in Latvia (original and copy). You can use police issued in your own country but it should be valid in Latvia. You can buy this police at ISMA International Relations department.
• X-ray or fluoroscopic examination results. Closest clinic to ISMA is Bikur Holim, Maskavas street 122/128, Riga, LV-1003, Latvia, working hours: daily 08:30 – 19:00, Saturdays 09:00 - 15:00, Sundays – closed.