On Thursday, 27 May, the Cabinet of Ministers supported the draft law "Amendments to the Personal Identification Documents Law", which provides for registration of foreigners in the Register of Natural Persons and issue of the personal identity card of the new type - foreigner’s personal identity card or foreigner’s eID card that will facilitate identification of foreigners in Latvia in the digital environment.
Register of Natural Persons will include data about foreigners, who have legal relation with the Republic of Latvia, on the basis of which mutual rights and obligations are being established or has established in the field of immovable property, commercial activity, health, taxes, benefits, asylum and education and who wish to receive the Latvian personal identity card in order to facilitate the development of economics, science, education or culture relations.
When registering in the Register of Natural Persons, the Latvian personal identity number is allocated to a foreigner, as well as the right to arrange a personal identity card or eID card, thus receiving the certification tool of the electronic identity, in order to receive the services offered by Latvia electronically, acquire the official e-address and electronically sign documents.
Unlike other types of personal identity cards, the foreigners eID card will not be a mandatory personal identification documents. Besides, the foreigner’s eID card will not be a travel document and will not confirm the right of stay of a person in Latvia. It will be prepared and issued to the foreigner, who has showed a wish to be available in the electronic environment. A foreigner’s eID card will be issued in order to grant the electronical identification tools.
The electronic identification tools integrated into the foreigner’s eID card will provide a possibility for a foreigner to use the public administration e-services, to use e-address, electronically identify and sign documents, thus using the wide range of services provided by the state in general.
Currently it is planned that applications for foreigner’s eID card will be accepted only in Latvia, however, in the future, it is planned that applications for issue of a foreigner’s eID card abroad of Latvia will be accepted also in the representative offices of Latvia, located outside of the Schengen area. The person will have to pay the state fee 80 euros for issue of the foreigner’s eID card, besides it should be taken into account that the relevant payments will have to be made for receipt of consular services, if the person will prepare the submission in the representative office of Latvia.
In order the amendments to the Law enter into force, they still need to be approved by the Saeima, while the Law on the Register of Natural Persons will enter into force as of 28 June 2021.
Prepared by:
Ministry of the Interior Communication Department
E-mail: kn@iem.gov.lv