Residence permit is a document that gives a foreign citizen the right to stay in the Republic of Latvia for a certain time (temporary residence permit) or permanently (permanent residence permit).
A residence permit is required if you wish to stay in the Republic of Latvia for more than 90 days within half a year, counting from the first day of entry.
✓ With a residence permit in Latvia, you can work, study or open a business in the country.
✓ ONLY the owners of the Latvian residence permit themselves can work in Latvia. They cannot work in other countries of the European Union (EU) and the Schengen Agreement. Their relatives cannot work in Latvia.
✓ The children of residence permit owners obtain the right to receive free medical treatment, attend kindergartens and study in schools.
✓ In all countries of the European Union where a Schengen visa is valid, one can travel without a visa, as well as stay in any country of the Schengen zone up to 90 days per half a year.
✓ Obtain driver’s license valid in all EU countries.
✓ Buy and register cars in Latvia and operate them on the territories of other countries of the European Union without the need to pay customs duties.
After 5 years, a temporary residence permit can be exchanged for a permanent residence permit in Latvia.
During these 5 years, one cannot be absent in Latvia for more than 6 months in a row, or not more than 1 year in total for the entire term!
To obtain a permanent residence permit, a foreigner must submit a certificate of knowledge of the state language, which confirms the knowledge of the state language, at least at level A2.
If a foreigner willing to obtain a residence permit is a citizen of a country with which Latvia has a visa regime, then documents must be submitted to the Latvian Consulate in their own country. There are a number of exceptions, according to which you can apply for a residence permit in Latvia.
For example, among such persons are foreigners who already have a residence permit in one of the EU states, foreigners with work permits, teachers from an accredited educational institution, etc.
You can find more informatin and consult here – https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/ru/home-ru/uslugi/vid-na-zhitelstvo/
A car registered in another country may stay in Latvia for less than 6 months. Staying in the country for more than 6 months, it must be re-registered by changing the old numbers to new Latvian ones.
There is a regular registration and temporary for up to 3 years, if you do not plan to stay longer in the territory of Latvia. In the second case, documents and old numbers are returned when a car is deregistered.
For rental issues, it is recommended to refer to the ads on the portal ss.com, where the largest percentage of information on the proposed housing is placed.
It is recommended to carefully review the information and not enter into a contract, either not to transfer the security deposit amount BEFORE inspecting the apartment.
The main mobile services providers in Latvia are Tele2, LMT, Bite.
Prepaid phone cards do not require monthly payments, but have slightly higher per-minute rates, and you can buy them at all gas stations, in supermarkets and in newsstands. The most popular packages are Zelta Zivtiņa and Amigo.
All mobile phone numbers in Latvia consist of 8 digits. If you call from abroad, dial 00, then the country code and phone number.
Latvia country code: +371
Hotline number – 1188
Latvia has a highly developed public Wi-Fi network and mobile Internet.
You can purchase internet for your home from every mobile provider at a bargain price of 10 euros per month, depending on your needs.
Useful links –
https://www.lmt.lv/ru/glavnaya
Latvijas pasts – the official postal service of Latvia. https://www.pasts.lv/
Mailboxes can be found in every post office. Stamps can be purchased at post offices, kiosks and most grocery stores. When writing the address on the envelope, use the zip code (the zip code can be found on the website of the post office).
Omniva – courier postal service operating on the principle of “parcel machine”. You can leave your package in a special locker, and a courier picks it up. https://www.omniva.lv/rus
DPD – courier postal service operating on the principle of “parcel machine”. You can leave your package in a special locker, and a courier picks it up. https://eserviss.dpd.lv/offer/list
EMS is the most famous postal service in the world, providing for the receipt and hand-to-hand delivery of express mail parcels to the addressee around the world. https://www.expresspasts.lv/ru/uslugi/mir/express-mail-service-ems/
