The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereinafter – the OCMA) informs that on 4 March 2025, the residence period of several thousand Ukrainian civilians who were previously granted temporary protection status in Latvia will expire, and the period in whose visa or residence permit will expire. In order to continue to reside in Latvia after 4 March 2025 as beneficiaries of temporary protection, Ukrainian civilians need to obtain a residence permit in timely manner for the extension of their temporary protection status.
"I urge Ukrainian civilians not to postpone the re-registration of their documents and to apply for a residence permit already this year in order to avoid long queues next year," says Maira Roze, Head of the OCMA.
In particular, the OCMA points out that the processing of an application for a new temporary residence permit can take up to three months, so it is essential for Ukrainian civilians who do not have a valid residence permit to apply for one already this year.
If a residence permit has been issued to you before, you must submit to the OCMA a copy of your travel document and a completed free-form application form. However, if you have been issued a visa that has expired, you will need to submit a copy of your travel document and the residence permit application form.
It is important to note that if the Ukrainian civilian also holds citizenship of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, an additional questionnaire must be submitted to the competent national authorities at the same time as the above documents.
Documents can be submitted in three ways:
- Electronically, confirming each document by a secure electronic signature and by sending it to the following e-mail address: pasts@pmlp.gov.lv.
- By post to the address of any territorial office, stating your e-mail address and a telephone number for contact.
- In state and municipal single customer service centres: https://www.pakalpojumucentri.lv/vpvkac.
After receiving a positive decision, Ukrainian civilians will have to go to the nearest territorial OCMA division to get a new eID card for their residence permit, which will be issued within 10 days after the visit to the office.
More information on the extension of temporary protection status in Latvian and Ukrainian is available on the website of the OCMA: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/extension-temporary-protection-status
At the same time, the OCMA reminds that Ukrainian civilians fleeing the war in their country must apply for the first-time temporary protection status upon arrival in Latvia. For more information on applying for the first-time temporary protection status, click here: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/requiring-temporary-protection-status
According to the amendments of 21 November 2024 to the Law on Assistance to Ukrainian Civilians, both in the case of a first-time application for temporary protection status and in the case of an extension of the status, a temporary residence permit is issued for a period of three years.
Ukrainian civilians who already have a valid residence permit should have their temporary protection status extended as the expiry date of the permit approaches.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the OCMA's advice line: +371 67209400
Information prepared by:
Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs
Public Relations Division
prese@pmlp.gov.lv, +371 67219185