How to apply for and receive a Schengen visa to Latvia Moscow, application process

Latvia visa requirements

A document permitting entry into Latvia simultaneously allows you to travel to another 25 European countries. A Schengen visa to the Baltics can be issued independently or with the help of visa center specialists.

It is not recommended to order a document through travel companies, since most of them do not have the appropriate accreditation.

In 2021, the Latvian government will issue 2 types of visas

short-term Schengen visas from category C are required for:

tourist,
guest,
business trips;

for a national visa
from category D.

Short-term Schengen is valid from 6 months to 5 years

, allows you to stay in foreign territory
for up to 90 days every six months
. The main advantage of a tourist visa is that it does not create restrictions on tourism in other EU countries.

The national document is issued for one year with the possibility of further extension. The maximum validity period of one visa is 10 years
, which ultimately gives the right to obtain a permanent residence permit.

The advantage of ordering a visa to Latvia is the ability to fill out and submit documentation in Russian. The foreign government does not accept official documents in electronic format, which is why the client must sign up for personal delivery of a package of documents to the consulate.

Cooperation with experts from an accredited center will relieve the visa applicant from the need for personal visits to government agencies and interviews. The only procedure that the client must attend is the submission of biometric data
.
The process has been eliminated for children under 12 years of age, diplomats, persons whose data is already entered into an international database, as well as persons with disabilities who are physically unable to submit fingerprints.

Visa to Latvia
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Valid term of a visa

The period for which a category C visa is issued largely depends on the applicant’s travel history to Latvia and the Schengen area countries, as well as the political and economic situation prevailing at the time of submission of documents. For those who receive a Schengen visa for the first time, its validity will most likely coincide with the dates of travel. On your second trip, you can quite count on a 6-month or one-year multiple-entry visa. Holders of multiple Schengen visas have a chance to get a two-year visa. Latvia practically does not issue category C visas valid for 3-5 years.

Types of visas to Latvia

Permits to enter Latvia can be of two types: for a short-term visit - a Schengen visa category C and for a long-term stay in the country - a national visa category D. They are divided according to the purpose of the trip.

Most often, Russians need to obtain a Schengen visa to Latvia. It is issued to those who are going to take a tourist trip or go to visit relatives. Schengen is issued to citizens coming to the country for business purposes or to participate in cultural, scientific and sporting events. A category C permit is obtained by persons who decide to undergo training on short-term courses.

Schengen allows you to stay in Latvia for up to 90 days over a 6-month period. With this permit you can enter other countries in the Schengen area.

An entry permit of category C can be single-entry, i.e. it can be used only 1 time, or double-entry - valid for crossing the border 2 times. Citizens of the Russian Federation who often travel to Latvia are issued a multiple visa, which allows them to visit the country multiple times. But it will also be valid for no more than 90 days.

The national Latvian visa category D allows its holder to stay in the country for more than 90 days. This is an annual visa, i.e. it is valid for this time. The need to obtain it arises, for example, among those Russians who decide to study at a university or stay longer with friends or relatives living in the Republic of Latvia. However, with a category D permit you cannot move freely throughout the Schengen area.

Self-application of a visa to Riga

To obtain a visa to Riga, you must follow a certain sequence of actions:

Register on the official website of the Latvian Embassy.
Fill out the questionnaire online. Information can be entered in Russian.
Make a printout of the form and sign each page.
Collect the required papers.
Sign up to have your fingerprints taken and submit your documentation package to the Embassy.
Submit biometrics and submit papers to the Consulate representatives.
Pay the visa fee (online or at the Embassy terminals).
Wait for a decision.

It is noteworthy that Latvian officers very rarely call candidates for interviews. They are usually limited to studying the submitted papers.

What documents are needed for a visa to Latvia?

To go on a trip, prepare documents for a Latvian visa.

Tourist visa

List of required documents for obtaining a Schengen visa to Latvia:

A foreign passport issued a maximum of 9 years ago, with 2 blank pages. Validity period – valid 3 months from the date of return from the Baltic region,
internal passport , photocopy of completed pages,
2 photographs 3.5x4.5 cm , one photograph must be glued to the application form,
printed air or train tickets and vouchers confirming hotel reservations,
confirmation of payment of state duty ,
a correctly completed visa application form ,
medical insurance for 30 thousand €;
proof of solvency.

It is important to know! For each day of stay in the Republic of Latvia, you need to have about $60 daily if the tourist lives independently and pays for housing. When a traveler arrives by invitation, this amount is $20 for each day.

National visa

For a national visa, in addition to the main document package, you will need others:

Visa by invitation

When applying for a visa by invitation, you must provide a health certificate for the tourist .

Work Visa

The working type of the document requires the original of the employment contract with the Latvian company, as well as a letter from the future employer .

Sample documents:

List of documents for a Schengen visa, complete list (8900 Downloads) Itinerary sheet for a Schengen visa (One Download) Sample sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa in English (1462 Downloads) Certificate of employment for a Schengen visa, sample (2076 Downloads)

Detailed information about documents for a Schengen visa ->

Visa for a child

Children under 6 years old receive a visa free of charge.
To apply for a child visa, bring:

application form,
photos ,
his birth certificate ,
insurance policy for the same amount as for adults.

When a minor travels unaccompanied by parents, they must provide a power of attorney (notarized) indicating who is responsible for the young tourist. But traveling without parents is only possible if you have your own passport (from 14 years of age).

Sample consent for a child to travel abroad for one of the parents (890 Downloads) Sample consent for a parent to travel abroad for a child accompanied by a third party (764 Downloads)

Read more about the Schengen visa for a child ->

Photo requirements

There are several requirements for photographs. They must be in color and made a maximum of six months ago.

Images that have been damaged or processed in Photoshop cannot be submitted. There is a restriction for women - they should not wear clothes that do not cover their shoulders.

Photo requirements for a Schengen visa (1109 Downloads)

Read more about the photo for a Schengen visa ->

Application form for a visa to Latvia

To obtain permission to enter the Baltic region, you must fill out a visa application form for Latvia.

The form contains only truthful information, it is entered in legible handwriting, or the application is filled out online in printed form on the website epak.pmlp.gov.lv.

Each item in the questionnaire indicates a specific answer to the question posed. Upon completion of the form, you must sign it and attach photographs there.

Application form for a Schengen visa to Latvia (154 Downloads) Sample of filling out an application form for a Schengen visa to Latvia (138 Downloads) How to convey Russian letters using the Latin alphabet (944 Downloads) Instructions for filling out an application form for a Schengen visa (2336 Downloads)

Read more about filling out the Schengen visa application ->

Medical insurance

It is very important to have insurance for a Latvia visa. It is issued for 30 thousand € and is valid throughout the tourist’s entire stay on the Baltic coast.

It is important that the policy has no deductible. Insurance must be obtained no later than 5 days before the planned departure.

To obtain medical insurance in Latvia, we recommend using the service cherehapa.ru

You can find out prices for travel insurance in Latvia for 2 people using the form below:

Complete list of requirements for a health insurance policy for a Schengen visa (1097 Downloads)

Read more about health insurance for a Schengen visa ->

Applying for a visa yourself

Documents for obtaining a visa are accepted at the Embassy and Consulates of Latvia in the Russian Federation, as well as at Visa Centers and offices of Pony Express (office site) - the official service provider of the Embassy of Latvia, represented in 83 Russian cities.

You must make an appointment by phone to submit documents to the Embassy. The waiting period is usually 1-2 weeks. Visa centers and Pony Express offices can be contacted on weekdays without an appointment. An application for a Latvian visa can be submitted 90 days before the start of the trip.

Documents are reviewed within 5-10 working days. At the Embassy and Consulates of Latvia, as well as the Visa Application Center in Moscow, urgent visa processing is possible within 3 days.

Prepare documents for a visa to Latvia

Representatives of the Latvian Consulate carefully examine each applicant for a permit. That is why it is better to clarify the list in advance and prepare documents for a visa to Latvia.

Applicants must present:

Color photo (one) size 3.5x4.5 cm.
Application form for a visa to Latvia (type E), signed in your own hand.
Health insurance policy. Must be valid for the entire duration of the trip to the Schengen countries.
International passport. Requirements - issued within the last 10 years, the validity period is three months longer than the validity of a Schengen visa to Latvia. Two or more pages must be free.
Receipt for payment of state duty.

If a foreign citizen applies for a transit permit, he must have a valid visa to another Schengen country.

Supporting Documentation

To obtain a visa to Latvia, you must submit a number of supporting documents. The list includes papers indicating:

purposes of travel to the country (tourism, business, visiting relatives, work, etc.);
place of residence in Latvia or the required amount of funds for housing;
the amount at your disposal necessary for travel and return to Russia.

Before applying for a visa to Latvia in Moscow or another city, you should contact the nearest Consulate to clarify the list of documents.

Visa application for children

Children under 14 years of age who do not have a foreign passport are issued a visa provided that their details and photograph are in the passport of one of the parents. At the same time, they fill out a separate form. A child over 14 years old must have his own passport. The form for minors is signed by parents or guardians.

A child under 18 years of age entering Latvia without parents, accompanied by a third party, must have a foreign passport and a notarized permission from both parents to leave, indicating the passport details of the person responsible for the child. If traveling with one of the parents, a notarized permission to travel from the other is required.