Today, we will talk about the country of beautiful and tall women, Latvia. Latvia is one of the lovely places that everyone should visit. It has a rich history, beaches, lakes, forests, and more. More than 2.9 million people visit this mesmerizing land per year, and we guess that some readers have such a desire, too. So, we considered talking about the Latvia visa appointment and process. In this blog, you will get answers to these questions: how much is Latvia visa, what are the Latvia visa types, what is Latvia national visa, what is Latvia Schengen visa, what are the Latvia visa free countries, and more.
Latvia visa types
There are some points that you should take into consideration before applying for a visa. First of all, you should get information about the visa types of that country. Depending on your purpose of the visit (work, education, tourism, residency, and so on), there are several Latvia visa types. We can divide Latvia visa into two main groups:
- Short-stay (for stays up to 90 days)
- Long-stay (for stays more than 90 days)
Also, each of these categories has subcategories depending on the purpose of the visit.
Latvia national visa
Let's first talk about the long-term visa. It is for people who want to live in Latvia for more than 90 days. There are two main reasons to apply for Latvia national visa:
- Study
- Work
We know that international students are essential for all countries. We can say that Latvia is good at attracting international students. Some of the most popular universities in Latvia are the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, Riga Stradins University, and so on. When it comes to working, high-income workers in Latvia are doctors, judges, bank managers, chief executive officers, professors, etc.
Work visa
After getting the permit to work, foreigners can apply to reside in Latvia. The duration of it can be up to one month. Of course, you will need to provide some documents for the Latvia visa appointment. Those documents are:
- Application Form. The applicant must fill it entirely and sign
- Photo. One passport photo not older than six months, size 3,5x4,5, on the white background
- Travel Document (Foreign Passport). Valid for at least three months after the planned date of (last) departure from the Schengen area. The travel document must issue in the previous ten years and have at least two free pages
- Old/expired or another valid foreign passport. If the applicant has previous Schengen visas in an already expired foreign passport, he(she) must bring it, too.
- National Identity Card and Resident Permit/Visa Copy (if your resistance and citizenship are different). Also, the applicant must provide copies of the documents, and the validity period for these documents must be three months beyond the date of your travel to Latvia
- Medical travel insurance. The insurance should cover a minimum of 30,000 EUR, and the validity region should include all Schengen countries. Besides, policies should cover the entire validity period of the visa and all the programmed days of stay.
- Air ticket reservation
- Proof of labor validity. Diploma, recommendation letters from previous employers, and copy of the employment contract
- Means of Subsistence. Documentary evidence of means of subsistence in Latvia
- Work experience. Documentary evidence of work experience
- Documents that prove professional skill
- Some additional documents
Study visa
Today more than 10000 international students continue their education in the Republic of Latvia, and according to records, the number of students increases each year. It makes the student visa one of the most popular types for Latvia. How does the process work? First of all, you should get an acceptance letter from one of the Latvian universities, and after that, you can begin the main part. As an applicant, you will need to collect some documents and provide details about yourself. Most of the papers are the same as other Latvia visa types. The different ones are:
- Confirmation/invitation to studies. The acceptance letter from any of the universities in the Republic of Latvia
- Payment proof of university application fees, tuition fees
- Security Deposit. The student must deposit 500 or 720 USD as a security amount to the university. Do not worry, It is refundable, and you will get it back after finishing the program
- Police clearance certificate. Must be apostilled by Ministry of External Affairs
- Documents that students give in admission. They are the papers that students give in registration, such as diplomas, CVs, recommendation letters, and so on. The Highest Degree needs to be apostilled from the Ministry of External Affairs
- Some additional documents
Where to apply for a work and study visa?
Let's imagine that you collect all the necessary documents. What is the next step? Next, you should go to the Latvia visa application centre. Depending on the country, it may vary. It means instead of the Latvia visa application centre, you may go to the embassies, or consulates, whichever accepts visa applications in your country of residence. If there are not any of them in your country, you must apply to the nearest embassy or consulate to your location.
How much is Latvia visa? (long-term: work and study visa)
Another popular question that we will answer: How much is Latvia visa? When we talk about Latvia visa fees, we should mention that there are various kinds of visas, and now we will mention only Latvia visa fees for the long term. The charge for a long duration (both for study and work) visa is 120 EURO. The processing time changes between 10-30 working days. Of course, it is the average time and price for the visa. The fee and processing time may differ depending on your nationality or your country of submission.
Latvia visa free countries
What about the countries that can visit Latvia without applying for any visa? Citizens of 104 countries must get a visa to visit the Republic of Latvia. But there are some more lucky residents. There is a list of Latvia visa free countries, and citizens of these countries can visit this mesmerizing land freely without any visa. Most of the countries on that list are European countries. There are 93 countries on that list, and some of them are:
Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Latvia visa interview
After giving your documents to the embassy or other organization that is responsible for this, you should wait for an interview invitation. They will reach you via connection details that you will provide in the applying process. It can be by email or phone. During the Latvia visa interview, you will need to answer some questions. There will be various kinds of questions. Some of them will be about your life and personal details, such as family, friends, hobbies, and more. Also, they can ask you to talk about Latvia, why you decide to visit that country, and more. So, do not be nervous during the interview and answer the questions without any hesitation. If it is your first visa interview, we recommend a little bit of practice at home.
Latvia Schengen visa
As a part of the Schengen area, Latvia issues uniform Schengen visas for short stay visits. It is also known as a Type C visa. The applicant can apply for the visa for various reasons. These reasons are:
- Business
- Tourist
- Visiting family or friends
- Taking part in cultural, sports events and conferences
- Erasmus, other Training, and EU Research programs
Depending on the type and frequency of the visit, a Latvia Schengen visa can be single-entry, double-entry, and multi-entry. The duration of a single entry visa covers the travel period defined in the Latvian visa application form. If you travel often, you can apply for a one, two, three, and five-year multi-entry Schengen visa. Keep in mind that this visa allows you to stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days. Holders of multi-entry long-term Schengen visas can remain in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days every 180 days.
Latvia visa fees for Schengen visa
During the application process, you will need to pay a fee. Regardless of the result, all applicants should pay it. It means that it is a non-refundable charge. In general, you will pay the fees below:
- For people over 12: 80 EURO
- For children 6-12 years: 40 EURO
- Children under six: Free
But, there are some exceptions. Schengen visa fee for citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia is currently 35 EUR. These three countries profit from decreased visa costs under an arrangement with the Schengen countries. Moreover, these people are free from visa fee:
- People who have a close relative in the Schengen area
- Pensioners
- Members of official organizations
- Pupils, students, graduate students, and pedagogical staff traveling with them for research and educational purposes
- People with disabilities and accompanying persons
- Participants of international sports events and persons accompanying them
- Official visits of journalists and technical staff
If you want to get information about the necessary documents for a Latvia visa you can check the visa policy section on our website.
