About Latvia
Latvia is a European Schengen country strategically located in Northern Europe, providing access to both the EU and Russia. Known for its rich cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes, and low cost of living, Latvia offers an excellent quality of life. Additionally, it has a strong digital infrastructure, an investor-friendly environment, and provides visa-free travel across the Schengen Area for residents, making it a popular choice for business and lifestyle opportunities.
Latvia Overview
Latvia, located in Northern Europe along the Baltic Sea, is celebrated for its rich cultural heritage, delicious local cuisine, and impressive architecture, particularly in its UNESCO-listed capital, Riga, drawing visitors from around the world. While Latvian is the official language, Russian is also widely spoken by a large portion of the population, and English is becoming increasingly common, particularly among the younger generation and in urban areas.
Riga, Latvia’s vibrant capital and largest city, serves as the country’s political, economic, and cultural hub, with over a third of the population living and working there. The city is also known for its thriving startup scene and growing tech industry, which has attracted international investment. Latvia became a member of the United Nations in 1991, and joined both the EU and NATO in 2004. Since 2007, its membership in the Schengen Area has brought additional benefits to both citizens and residents, allowing visa-free travel to many European countries and making it an attractive destination for those looking to settle in the region.
Citizenship in Latvia
After holding a temporary residence permit for five years, an individual can apply for permanent residency. To be eligible, the applicant must have lived in Latvia for at least four of the past five years and pass a state language proficiency test.
Citizenship may be granted after five years of legal residence, provided the person has held permanent residency for the five years prior to applying. To qualify for citizenship, the applicant must have resided in Latvia for at least four of the last five years.
Latvia does not permit dual citizenship.
