A permanent residence permit is issued to a refugee, while a temporary residence permit shall be issued to a person, who has acquired alternative status.
A refugee shall register their permanent residence permit once every five years. To extend the period of their stay in Latvia, a person, who has acquired alternative status, must apply to the Office of Citizenship and Migration affairs every year one month prior to the expiry of their residence permit with an application to extend their period of their residence.
Refugees and persons, who have acquired alternative status, are freed from the payment of the state fee, if the travel document or the residence permit is issued for the first time.
Persons, who have acquired alternative status are freed from the payment of the state fee for the examination of documents with the purpose of granting or registering of the residence permit.
In accordance with section 16.5. of Cabinet Regulation No. 133 Adopted 21 February 2012 Regulations Regarding the State Fee for the Issuance of Personal Identification Documents.
Family reunification:
A person, who has acquired a refugee status, shall be entitled to the reunification with their family members residing abroad, meanwhile a person, who has acquired alternative status, shall have such rights only after residing in Latvia for at least two years.
The family members of a refugee shall be entitled to receive a permanent residence permit, while the family members of a person, who has acquired alternative status, shall be entitled to receive a temporary residence permit for the same time period as the residence permit that has been issued to the person, who has acquired alternative status.
To initiate a family reunification procedure, a refugee or a person, who acquired alternative status, must apply to any territorial unit of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs and draw up a sponsorship application for the receipt of residence permit, meanwhile the relatives living abroad must apply to the diplomatic or consular representative office of the Republic of Latvia and submit the documents for the request of a residence permit.
The list of documents required for the receipt of a residence permit and the procedure for the receipt of a residence permit has been provided for by Cabinet Regulation No. 564 adopted 21 June 2010 Regulations Regarding Residence Permits.
The entry and stay of foreigners in Latvia is regulated by the Immigrations Law.
Single financial support and benefit:
If the person, who has acquired refugee or alternative status does not have sufficient means, they are entitled to request a single financial support and benefit:
Single financial support is granted and paid by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, while the benefit - by State Social Insurance Agency and the requesting persons should apply to these institutions respectively.
To request a single financial support, a refugee or a person, who has acquired alternative status must personally apply to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs with an application no later than within one month after the decision on the granting of a refugee or alternative status is made. The following data must be indicated in the application:
- name and surname;
- personal ID number;
- telephone number and contact information for the receipt of a decision;
- justification for the receipt of a single financial support;
- personal account number opened with any credit institution of the Republic of Latvia or Postal payment system;
- if single financial support is requested for a minor person, the name, surname and personal ID number of the minor person;
- a confirmation that the monetary funds at the disposal of the person do not exceed the amount of minimum monthly salary provided for by the regulatory enactments per each person, for which the single financial support is requested.
A decision on the granting of a single financial support or the refusal to grant it must be made within one week after the receipt of the application by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
If a single financial support is granted, it shall be transferred within 5 business days to the account number indicated by the person.
The amount of a single financial support for an adult is EUR 278,00 and the amount for a minor person is EUR 194,00, however, if two adults are a husband and a wife, the support in the amount of EUR 278,00 shall be due to one spouse and EUR 194,00 - to the other. The benefit for an adult is EUR 139,00 per months, for a minor person - EUR 97,00 per month, but if two adult persons are a husband and a wife, the amount of the benefit for one spouse shall be EUR 139,00 per month and for the other spouse - EUR 97,00 per month.
Single financial support shall not be granted, if a person is an inmate of a prison, except for the persons detained and serving a sentence at an open prison, if they are receiving services at a long-term social care or social rehabilitation institutions, the services of which are funded from the state or municipal budgets.
Cabinet Regulation No. 302 Adopted 6 June 2017 Regulations Regarding Single Financial Support and Benefit for the Coverage of Residence Costs for Refugees and Persons, who have Acquired Alternative Status provides for the amount of single financial support and benefit for the coverage of residence costs, the conditions and procedures for granting, payments, suspension of payments and termination of payments thereof.
To process the travel documents and residence permit and to receive more extensive information on the possibilities of family reunification, as well as on the requesting of single financial support after the acquiring of the status, address the Asylum Affairs Department of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs by calling on +371 67219678 or +371 67219667.
Initial personal identification documents are processed by Riga 1st Division of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
