Where you can travel visa-free with a Latvian passport in 2026
183 destinations without a prior visa and life anywhere in the EU. But for a Russian citizen a Latvian passport usually costs the Russian one: we cover the destinations, EU citizen rights and who keeps both passports.
In short
A Latvian passport gives entry without a prior visa to 183 of 227 countries and territories: the EU and Schengen are open for living and working, Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and all of Latin America are visa-free, and the USA, the UK, Canada and South Korea need an electronic travel authorisation. Russia requires an e-visa.
| Without a prior visa | 183 of 227: 139 visa-free, 28 on arrival, 16 with an electronic travel authorisation |
|---|---|
| Visa needed in advance | 43, of which 29 by e-visa |
| Schengen and the UK | Schengen area - free movement, United Kingdom - electronic travel authorisation |
| USA and Canada | USA - electronic travel authorisation, Canada - electronic travel authorisation |
| How to get it | by Latvian descent or by naturalisation after at least 10 years, giving up the Russian passport |
| Checked | October 2026 |
A Latvian passport opens 183 of 227 destinations without a prior visa: 139 fully visa-free, 28 with a visa on arrival and 16 with an electronic travel authorisation. That is 69 more than the Russian passport. A visa in advance is needed for 43 countries, and 29 of those issue it online.
The key value of a Latvian passport is EU citizenship: living, working, studying and doing business in any of the 27 EU countries, as well as in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, without visas or permits. But there is an important caveat: Latvia allows dual citizenship only with EU and NATO countries and a few others, and Russia is not on that list.
We will work out online when you can apply and what fees and documents will cost for your family.
Where you can go visa-free with a Latvian passport
Entry regimes differ in how much preparation the trip needs. Visa-free means the passport is enough and the permitted stay is set at the border. A visa on arrival means a fee and a stamp at the airport or checkpoint. An electronic travel authorisation is a short online form and fee before departure. An e-visa is also online but involves a check and a consular decision. A regular visa means a form, documents, often a personal visit to the consulate and waiting for a decision.
| Region | Visa-free or with an electronic authorisation | Visa on arrival or e-visa | Visa needed in advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Schengen area (live and work), United Kingdom (online authorisation), Ireland (live and work), Cyprus (live and work), Belarus, Moldova, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia | Russia | - |
| Caucasus and Central Asia | Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan | Azerbaijan | - |
| Asia | China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea (online authorisation), Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines | Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Maldives | - |
| Middle East and Africa | UAE, Israel (online authorisation), Oman, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya (online authorisation) | Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Tanzania | - |
| Americas | USA (online authorisation), Canada (online authorisation), Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Uruguay | - | - |
| Oceania | New Zealand (online authorisation) | Australia | - |
The Latvian passport is visa-free for the Balkans, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, the UAE, Oman, Morocco, South Africa and all of Latin America - from Mexico to Argentina and Chile. An electronic travel authorisation is needed for the USA, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Israel, South Korea and Kenya. A visa on arrival is issued in Indonesia, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Tanzania. An e-visa is needed for Russia, Australia, India, Vietnam and Azerbaijan.
The table shows the main destinations for travel, living and business, not all 227 countries and territories. An electronic travel authorisation is issued online within minutes or days; an e-visa is also applied for online, but it is a separate consular decision. Entry rules change several times a year: check with an expert for your trip.
Schengen, the UK, the USA and Canada
The EU and Schengen. A Latvian citizen needs neither a visa nor a travel authorisation: they live in any EU country indefinitely, work without a work permit and register as residents under the general rules for EU citizens.
United Kingdom. No visa is needed, but since April 2025 EU citizens need an electronic travel authorisation before the trip: an online form and fee, usually decided within a few days.
USA. Latvia has been in the Visa Waiver Program since 2008: tourist and business trips of up to 90 days with an electronic travel authorisation. Anyone who has visited certain countries or was previously refused needs a regular visa.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Canada and New Zealand require an electronic travel authorisation, Australia a tourist e-visa, also obtained online before departure.
Asia. Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong are visa-free, and China temporarily admits Latvian citizens without a visa for up to 30 days. South Korea requires an electronic travel authorisation, and Vietnam and India an e-visa.
What else a Latvian passport gives
EU citizen rights. Freedom to live and work in the 27 EU countries and the European Economic Area, university study on EU citizen terms and the right to vote in local elections in the country of residence. Where Latvia has no embassy in the country of travel, any other EU country's embassy provides protection.
Dual citizenship. The Latvian Citizenship Law allows a second passport only from EU, European Free Trade Association and NATO countries, as well as Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and countries with an agreement. So a Russian citizen gives up Russian citizenship on naturalisation. Both passports are kept by ethnic Latvians and Livs fluent in Latvian, and by exiles of 1940-1990 and their descendants.
Taxes. The passport does not make you a Latvian tax resident: residence starts after 183 days in the country within 12 months. Income tax in 2026 is 25.5% on income up to 105,300 euros a year and 33% above that.
Children. A child of a Latvian citizen is Latvian by birth, and if the other parent is a Russian citizen, the child has two passports from birth.
How to get a Latvian passport
Ordinary naturalisation requires at least 5 years in Latvia with a permanent residence permit, fluent Latvian, knowledge of the Constitution, the anthem, basic history and culture, lawful income and an oath of loyalty. The application fee is 28.46 euros, about $35. A Russian citizen gets permanent residence no earlier than after 5 years on a temporary permit and with basic Latvian, so the whole path takes at least 10 years.
Since 15 September 2026 a new immigration law applies: property and deposits no longer give residence, and all investment grounds are closed to Russian citizens. The path can now start through work, study, family or Latvian descent. Descendants of Latvian citizens as of 17 June 1940 register citizenship without an exam, but must give up Russian citizenship unless they descend from exiles.
Requirements, timelines and documents are on the page Latvian citizenship by repatriation.
For a Russian, a Latvian passport starts with checking the grounds
The law does not forbid applying for Latvian citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: registration by descent without proof of the ancestor's citizenship in 1940, giving up the Russian passport where it could have been kept, a Latvian exam without preparation, a break in residence. Murblz specialists check the grounds and archives, choose a route that keeps the Russian passport where possible and see the application through to a decision.
The cost of support depends on the grounds and the archive search; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
This topic in other countries
Visa-free travel with other passports:
- Visa-free countries with a Turkish passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Serbian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Romanian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Bulgarian passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a Moldovan passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with an Armenian passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with an Israeli passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with an Italian passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a Greek passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a Lithuanian passport in 2026
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- Visa-free countries with a Nauru passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with an Egyptian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Jordanian passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a German passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Mexican passport in 2026
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- Visa-free countries with a Brazilian passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a Kazakh passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a St Kitts and Nevis passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a Dominica passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with an Antigua and Barbuda passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Grenadian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Saint Lucian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Kyrgyz passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Sierra Leonean passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a North Macedonian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a US passport in 2026
- What an Argentine passport gives
- What a Vanuatu passport gives
More on this country:
- How much Latvian citizenship costs
- Latvia and Russia dual citizenship
- Latvian residence for Russians in 2026
- Taxes in Latvia
- Riga city guide
- Moving to Latvia
Compare passports of different countries in our 2026 passport overview.
FAQ
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