A Latvian citizen is a person at whose time of birth both parents are Latvian citizens or one of parents is a Latvian citizen.
Along with an adult, their children up to age of 15 may acquire the Latvian citizenship.
If the adult is a national of a country with which dual citizenship is not allowed (see list of admissible countries), a document renouncing the citizenship of the existing country will have to be submitted during the process of acquiring Latvian citizenship.
Procedure for the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs to accept and examine an application and register a person as a citizen of Latvia in accordance with conditions of Section 2(1)(2) of the Citizenship Law shall be determined by the Cabinet Regulation No. 974 of 24 September 2013 "Procedures for Registering a Person as a Latvian Citizen".
Documents required:
- Application.
The application must include your personal name in Latvian, your date of birth or personal identification number, your place of residence (preferably in block capitals) and contact details (e-mail, phone).
The application may be signed by a person aged 15 or over.
The application for a child under 15 years of age must be signed by one or both parents.
Application forms:
If an adult is a citizen of a country with which dual citizenship is admissible, the person must certify in the application that he or she does not hold the citizenship of the inadmissible country.
If an adult is a national of a country with which dual citizenship is not allowed, the person must certify in the application that he or she will renounce his or her current non-permissible citizenship and does not have another non-permissible citizenship.
Application for a person aged 15 or over
Application for a child under 15
- Personal identification document (passport, ID card)
(when sending documents by post, ONLY A COPY of the identification document must be sent).
- Proof of birth (a birth certificate or an extract from the birth register).
- in case of marriage or divorce, a marriage certificate or divorce certificate should be provided;
- in case of a changed personal name (first name, surname), a document proving the change of a personal name should be provided (except if the change is the result of marriage or divorce);
- if there are children under 18 years of age, the child's birth certificate should be provided.
Birth, marriage and personal name change documents must be legalised in accordance with the procedure set out in the legislation and translated into Latvian.
No legalisation required in Member States of the European Union, Member States of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (except its overseas territories) or the Swiss Confederation for public documents issued for use in Latvia.
- identification documents of both parents (when sending documents by post, ONLY A COPY of the identification document must be sent).
- if the person is an adult and has a legal link with the country with which creation of a dual citizenship is admissible (see the list of admissible countries), documentary proof must be submitted that the person is not a citizen of the respective country (the competent authority of the foreign country will take into account the country of birth, current residence and, based on the nationality of relatives, the country of which the person might be a national).
The document certifying that the person is not a citizen of another country must be legalised in accordance with the procedure laid down by the laws and regulations and translated into Latvian.
No legalisation required in Member States of the European Union, Member States of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (except its overseas territories) or the Swiss Confederation for public documents issued for use in Latvia. As well as for documents issued by Russian, Moldovan, Turkish or Ukrainian consular authorities in Latvia or abroad.
Where to submit documents?
Documents must be sent by post to the Persons Status Control Division of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs at: Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 1, k-3, Riga, LV-1026, Latvia.
Copies of documents must be certified by a notary and legalised, except for a copy of an identification document. However, if the original documents are sent by post, they will be returned to the correspondence address indicated in the person's application, together with the decision.
For information on how to submit documents to a Latvian diplomatic or consular mission abroad, please contact your nearest mission or see on the website.
What is the deadline for examining the documents submitted?
The decision is taken within one month from the date of receipt of the documents at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
Where can I receive additional information?
In case of questions or uncertainties, please contact us by e-mail: pskn@pmlp.gov.lv or on weekdays by calling +371 67209400.
To check the Latvian rendering of your personal name, please contact the Latvian Language Agency: www.valoda.lv, phone +371 67225879, e-mail: konsultacija@valoda.lv
For information on legalising documents, see: