Latvia residence permit by investment in 2026: what closed and what remains
The new Immigration Law removed the property and bank options. We break down the one investor route that still works, share capital in a company, the transition rules for existing holders and the real alternatives.
Since 15 September 2026 Latvia has a new Immigration Law: buying property or holding subordinated liabilities with a bank no longer leads to a residence permit. The investor path has narrowed to share capital in a company, and the promised $169,000 (150,000 euros) state fund option does not work yet.
Status in September 2026: what closed and what remains
The short answer: Latvia's investor permit survives, but in a much narrower form. The Saeima re-adopted the new Immigration Law (Imigrācijas likums) on 20 August 2026, the President proclaimed it on 1 September, it was published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis and took effect on 15 September 2026, replacing the 2002 law.
The list of grounds for a temporary permit no longer includes buying real estate or subordinated liabilities with a Latvian bank, as the Latvian migration office confirmed in its notice of 15 September 2026. The interest-free government bond option was removed even earlier, by amendments of 23 April 2026 in force from 20 May 2026.
| Option | Before the reform | From 15 September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Buying real estate | from $281,000 (250,000 euros) plus 5% of the property value to the state budget, permit for up to 5 years | closed to new applications |
| Subordinated liabilities with a bank | from $315,000 (280,000 euros) for at least 5 years plus $28,100 (25,000 euros) to the state budget, permit for up to 5 years | closed to new applications |
| Interest-free government bonds | removed from the law from 20 May 2026 | closed |
| Share capital in a company | $56,200 (50,000 euros) or $113,000 (100,000 euros) plus $11,300 (10,000 euros) to the state budget, permit for up to 5 years with annual registration | kept, permit issued for up to 2 years |
| State alternative investment fund | did not exist | in the law: $169,000 (150,000 euros) for 5 years plus $11,300 (10,000 euros), permit for up to 5 years; the fund has not been set up yet |
Applications filed before the new law took effect, that is by 14 September 2026 inclusive, are decided under the old rules. For everyone else, buying a flat or a house in Latvia no longer gives any right to a residence permit, whatever it costs.
If someone offers you Latvian residence for buying property after 15 September 2026, the information is outdated or the sale is dishonest. For whether you have a ground, ask an expert.
Dollar amounts use the market rate of 20 October 2026, 1.1229 dollars per euro, rounded up.
What changed in 2025-2026
For context: Russians and Belarusians have had no access to investor grounds since 24 September 2022, and new migration fees apply since 1 January 2025. The main changes came in 2026.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 20 May 2026 | Amendments of 23 April 2026 took effect: the interest-free government bond option was removed from the law |
| 11 June 2026 | The Saeima adopted the new Immigration Law in its final reading |
| 19 June 2026 | President Edgars Rinkēvičs returned the law for reconsideration, partly over the rules on investor permits |
| 20 August 2026 | The Saeima adopted the law again; proposals to keep residence for property did not pass |
| 1 September 2026 | The law was proclaimed and published |
| 15 September 2026 | The law took effect: property and bank options closed, share capital permits for up to 2 years, annual registration abolished, one type of permanent residence left |
| 31 December 2027 | Article 48 takes effect: holders of permits adding up to 18 months or more must complete the early integration programme (Latvian culture and history course and Latvian at A1 at least). It is not a condition for getting a permit: non-completion carries a fine of up to 168 fine units, and there are exemptions, including permits issued under the old law |
The debate was public. Returning the law, the President asked the Saeima to consider keeping residence for property for citizens of NATO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and European Economic Area countries under strict rules. Economics Minister Viktors Valainis proposed residence for property from $337,000 (300,000 euros), excluding Russians and Belarusians. Neither idea got support. Instead, the Cabinet of Ministers is to add a source-of-funds check for investments in the new state fund.
We will work out online the investment or income your family needs and what the permit costs for each member.
What changed
- Residence through property purchase is closed. Before: Up to 5 years of residence for property or a subordinated investment in a bank. Now: Both routes are closed to new applications. Official source
Existing holders: what happens to property and bank-based permits
Issued permits are not cancelled retroactively, but the extension rules change:
- Current permits stay valid until the end of the registration period or, if none was set, until expiry.
- Property owners and bank liability holders and their families may request a repeat permit for up to 5 years with unrestricted access to work if they apply while the current permit is valid, the investment still meets the old law as worded on 23 April 2026, there are no grounds for refusal, and they pay the state budget $1,130 (1,000 euros) for each year of the previous and the new permit, minus amounts already paid under the old law when the previous permit was issued or registered.
- If the registration period ends before the right of residence, you apply for a repeat permit under the new law. If it gives no ground, the migration office checks the old law and issues a permit for one year, or until the end of the granted right if no more than 15 months remain, or applies the special investor transition rules.
- Share capital holders extending on the same ground pay the $2,250 (2,000 euros) repeat-permit contribution if less than a year of their right of residence remains when the registration period ends; if they already paid $5,620 (5,000 euros) under the old rules and at least a year remains, nothing is due.
- Switching grounds, for example to employment, requires topping up payments to the state Economic Development Programme to $5,620 (5,000 euros) in total.
The takeaway: do not miss deadlines, since property and bank holders can only extend while the current permit is valid. If the property was sold or replaced, extending on this ground is most likely impossible: under the old rules a new investment object meant applying from scratch, and that ground no longer exists. Calculate the payment in advance from your own permit history.
Who the Latvian investor permit suits now
After the reform this is no longer a passive product but a tool for people who genuinely run a business in Latvia.
- It suits an entrepreneur who is setting up or expanding a company in Latvia and accepts that the company must pay at least $45,000 (40,000 euros) in taxes a year.
- It suits an investor in a large Latvian company with more than 50 employees and turnover or balance sheet above $11.3 million (10 million euros).
- It does not suit anyone who wanted to buy a flat in Riga or Jūrmala and get status for it. That route is gone.
- It does not suit anyone wanting a backup permit without living or doing business here: with the tax condition and 2-year renewals, a paper structure gets expensive fast.
- It does not suit citizens of Russia and Belarus: the investor grounds are closed to them. Countries still open to them are in the section on Russian and Belarusian citizens below.
Share capital investment: requirements
This is the only investor route working in 2026. The money goes into the share capital of a Latvian company, through a capital increase or a new company.
| Condition | Smaller company | Larger company |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum investment | $56,200 (50,000 euros) | $113,000 (100,000 euros) |
| Company size | no more than 50 employees, annual turnover or balance sheet no more than $11.3 million (10 million euros) | more than 50 employees, turnover or balance sheet above $11.3 million (10 million euros), may be counted together with Latvian subsidiaries |
| State budget payment for the first permit | $11,300 (10,000 euros) | $11,300 (10,000 euros) |
| Company taxes in each reporting year | at least $45,000 (40,000 euros) | at least $113,000 (100,000 euros), including Latvian subsidiaries |
| Foreigners per company | no more than 10, each invests and pays $11,300 (10,000 euros) separately | the law sets no separate cap |
| Permit term | up to 2 years, then a repeat permit | up to 2 years, then a repeat permit |
| Repeat permit after 5 years on this ground | one-off payment of $2,250 (2,000 euros) | one-off payment of $2,250 (2,000 euros) |
The tax threshold is the condition sellers rarely mention. The permit is valid only if, in each reporting year, the company pays at least $45,000 (40,000 euros) (smaller) or $113,000 (100,000 euros) (larger) in taxes into the state and municipal budgets according to its tax returns. Refunded or refundable taxes do not count.
Three more rules. A company tax debt above $169 (150 euros) means refusal, and an issued permit may be cancelled. Applying for a repeat permit more than 90 days after expiry, or changing the investment object, triggers first-time conditions and another $11,300 (10,000 euros). And the Cabinet of Ministers may suspend investor permits for citizens of specific countries for up to 5 years if their number and concentration affect security or the economy.
Let us check whether you qualify
Describe your situation in the chat and we will tell you right away whether you meet the requirements.
The new state fund route
The new law adds a ground that did not exist before: a permit for up to 5 years if a foreigner has signed an agreement and transferred at least $169,000 (150,000 euros) for at least 5 years to the manager of a state-established alternative investment fund, and has paid $11,300 (10,000 euros) to the state budget. The permit stays valid as long as the manager confirms that the agreement has not been terminated and the invested balance is at least $169,000 (150,000 euros).
The uncomfortable truth: in 2026 this option cannot be used. In its notice of 15 September 2026 the migration office states that the fund has not been set up yet and the provision does not apply for now. No launch date has been given in official notices, and the procedure for the extra source-of-funds check and for how the money will be used is still to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Citizens of Russia and Belarus will not be able to apply on this ground.
It is too early to plan a move around the fund: follow the Cabinet's decisions and keep a backup route.
Government fees and real costs
Only amounts fixed in the law and Cabinet regulations are listed. State fees come from Regulation No. 731 of 26 November 2024, which the new law keeps until new rules are adopted, but no later than 1 December 2027.
| Item | Amount | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Share capital investment | ~$57,000 or ~$120,000 | your company's capital at business risk, not a fee |
| State budget payment for the first permit | ~$12,000 | one-off, refunded only in cases set by the Cabinet |
| Repeat permit after 5 years | ~$2,300 | one-off |
| Processing of a permit application | ~$185 for 30 days, ~$320 for 10 working days, ~$635 for 5 working days | per application, including family members |
| Approval of a sponsor request, if required | ~$20, online ~$15, plus $15 per person included | paid by the inviting party |
| Long-stay visa | ~$105 | if needed for entry |
| Permanent residence application | ~$185 for 30 days or ~$320 for 10 working days | after 5 years on a temporary permit |
| Company taxes | from $45,000 or ~$120,000 a year | a condition of the permit |
| State fund, once it works | ~$170,000 plus $12,000 | not available now |
Everything else depends on your situation: company setup, accounting, legal support, translations and legalisation, health insurance, the card itself and housing. We do not quote market averages; at the first free consultation an expert gives a budget for your case.
The state payment is $11,300, and it is refunded only in narrow cases
After the 2026 reform mistakes cost more than the fees: a company that fails the size or tax threshold, a tax debt above the refusal threshold, an investment not structured as the law requires, expecting that buying property still grants residence. We check the structure before investing, prepare the company and documents and see the application through at the migration service.
The cost of support depends on the company structure and your family; a manager calculates it in the chat.
Step-by-step process and timelines
| Stage | What happens | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Checking the ground | Is the route open for your citizenship, smaller or larger company, how the company reaches the tax threshold | depends on you |
| 2. Capital investment | New company or capital increase, registration in the Register of Enterprises, bank records | depends on the registry and the bank |
| 3. Filing documents | Latvian consulate outside Schengen, a consulate in a Schengen country where you hold a permit, the migration office online with a secure e-signature, or the migration office in person if legally in Latvia | on the day of filing |
| 4. Review | 30 days as standard; for a higher fee you can request 10 or 5 working days; the migration office may extend the term if needed | from 5 working days to 4 months |
| 5. Payment and card | $11,300 (10,000 euros) paid to the details in the decision, biometrics, card production | the card is prepared within 10 working days, or 2 on request |
| 6. Maintenance and renewal | Tax threshold, no tax debts, repeat application before expiry | every 2 years |
The law caps review at four months from receipt of all documents, with no further extension. If the migration office finds gaps, you get 14 days to fix them, extendable on request. Fast-track review exists in the fee rules, but availability depends on the ground and the checks.
Documents you will need
The document list is set by Cabinet regulations. Until new regulations are adopted, and no later than 1 December 2027, the Residence Permit Regulations No. 564 of 21 June 2010 apply insofar as they do not contradict the new law. A typical file includes:
- a copy of a valid passport, the application form and a photo;
- proof of the investment: an extract from the Register of Enterprises on the capital increase or payment, bank records of the transfer;
- proof of sufficient means of subsistence;
- a health insurance policy;
- a receipt for the state fee;
- for family members, marriage and birth certificates;
- extra documents on the migration office's request, for example a criminal record certificate or proof of the source of funds.
A new language rule: first-permit documents may be in Latvian or English, but repeat permit and permanent residence files must be in Latvian. Foreign documents usually need an apostille or legalisation and a translation, and certificates expire quickly, so the order of collection matters.
Family members
Family members receive permits for the same term as the main applicant. The law defines family as the spouse, the minor children of the applicant or the spouse, including children under guardianship, and persons under custody.
- A child who was a minor at the first application can keep getting repeat permits after turning 18.
- Parents are not covered. They need their own ground, such as the permit for pensioners from visa-free countries (closed to Russians and Belarusians).
- Each application pays its own state fee. From 31 December 2027, adult family members aged 18 to 74 whose permits add up to 18 months or more will have to complete the early integration programme.
Taxes for permit holders
A permit alone does not make you a Latvian tax resident. You become one with a declared residence in Latvia or 183 days or more in the country in any 12-month period; see our guide to the 183-day rule.
| Tax | Rate | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Personal income tax on employment income | 25.5% up to $119,000 (105,300 euros) a year, 33% above that | progressive scale |
| Additional personal income tax | 3% | on annual income above $225,000 (200,000 euros), including dividends and capital gains |
| Capital income and capital gains | 25.5% | including interest |
| Dividends from a Latvian company | as a rule, no personal income tax | if the company has already paid corporate income tax |
| Corporate income tax | 20% on distributed profits, with the base divided by 0.8, effectively 25% | retained profits are not taxed |
| New regime from 2026 | 15% with a 0.85 coefficient plus 6% personal income tax withheld on payment | optional, for companies whose shareholders are all individuals |
The link that matters: your company's tax payments count towards the $45,000 (40,000 euros) or $113,000 (100,000 euros) threshold. Deferred corporate tax suits reinvestment, but if taxes fall short, the permit is at risk. Compare Latvia with other countries in our tax overview.
Path to permanent residence and Latvian citizenship
Since 15 September 2026 Latvia has one type of permanent residence, European Union long-term resident status, and nobody can get it without first living at least 5 years on a temporary permit.
| Stage | Conditions | When |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary investor permit | Repeat permits for up to 2 years while the investment and the company tax threshold are maintained | years 1 to 5 |
| Permanent residence, European Union long-term resident status | 5 years of continuous residence on a permit; absences up to 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total; sufficient means; Latvian at A2; a course on Latvian culture and history | no earlier than after 5 years |
| Citizenship | 5 years from the grant of permanent residence, with breaks of up to a year in total but not in the final year; tests in Latvian, the Constitution, the anthem, history and culture; legal income; a pledge of loyalty; giving up the previous citizenship | no earlier than roughly 10 years after the first permit |
The main filter is dual citizenship. On naturalisation, only citizens of European Union, EFTA and NATO countries, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and states that have a dual citizenship agreement with Latvia can keep their previous citizenship. Everyone else has to give up their passport. Descendants of Latvians and Livs have a separate path, citizenship by descent, where dual citizenship is allowed. You can compare passports of different countries in our citizenship catalogue.
The culture and history course is named in the new law's article on permanent residence, while the mandatory integration programme starts on 31 December 2027; for how the course is applied before then, ask an expert. Permanent residence applications filed before 15 September 2026 are decided under the new law.
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Citizens of sanctioned countries
For citizens of Russia and Belarus the investor permit has been closed since 24 September 2022, and the financial intelligence unit and security services had until 1 October 2023 to check whether investor permits already issued to them should be cancelled.
The new law keeps these restrictions and widens them. Citizens of both countries cannot request permits for share capital investment, through the state fund or on the pensioner ground. Russian citizens are additionally barred from the board member ground, the startup ground, permits for regular employment and the long-stay visa for remote work. What remains includes family grounds, Latvian or Liv descent, studies, the EU Blue Card and individual humanitarian cases decided by the Minister of the Interior.
Whether a Russian or Belarusian citizen can extend an investor permit already issued is a matter for individual analysis under the transition rules, and you should not count on it by default. If you have Latvian roots, see our guide to repatriation to Latvia and Lithuania.
If Russian or Belarusian is not your only citizenship, we check before filing whether Latvia's migration service takes all your passports into account. Without a second passport, Hungary issues investor residence to Russian citizens inside the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates does so outside it. Other options are in our residence by investment overview.
What to know before you apply
- Property no longer works. No amount and no region gives residence for a home bought after 15 September 2026, and the Saeima rejected keeping it for friendly countries.
- The business route is not passive. The company must pay at least $45,000 (40,000 euros) in taxes a year with no tax debt above $169 (150 euros), the permit is reconfirmed every 2 years, and the $11,300 (10,000 euros) is not refunded.
- Permanent residence requires living in Latvia. Absences longer than 6 consecutive months or more than 10 months in total over 5 years break continuity. Plus Latvian at A2 level.
- A passport takes at least 10 years and, for most citizens of countries outside the European Union and NATO, means giving up their previous citizenship.
- Compliance is strict. An undocumented source of funds can stop both the bank account and the permit.
- The rules change fast. The programme changed twice in 2026 alone, the fund exists only on paper, and the Cabinet may suspend investor permits for citizens of specific countries for up to 5 years.
Alternatives in Latvia and nearby
Latvia still has other grounds, and its neighbours have different rules. See our residence permits section and the overview of investor residence programmes.
| Option | Who it suits | Main condition | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latvia: company board member | an entrepreneur with a working business | company pays $28,100 (25,000 euros) or more in taxes a year, a limited liability company needs paid-up capital of $3,150 (2,800 euros) or more; up to 2 years; not for Russians | in this section |
| Latvia: startup | a founder of an innovative company | company under a year old, venture funding or a progress report within 12 months; up to 3 years; not for Russians or countries on the additional checks list | talent and startup visas |
| Latvia: long-stay visa for remote work | a remote employee or freelancer | employer or own business registered in an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country; 1 year plus 1 more; not for Russians | digital nomad visas |
| Latvia: Latvian or Liv descent | descendants of Latvians and Livs | permit for up to 6 years, then a path to citizenship | citizenship by repatriation |
| Latvia: pensioners | citizens of visa-free countries of retirement age | sufficient means and Latvian retirement age; up to 2 years; not for Russians or Belarusians | in this section |
| Estonia | entrepreneurs and remote professionals | no property route; business grounds and a digital nomad visa | Estonia |
| Lithuania | people starting a business or moving for work | no property route; restrictions for Russians and Belarusians | Lithuania |
| Greece | people for whom property specifically matters | property route still open, thresholds depend on region and property type | Greek golden visa |
| Portugal | people ready to invest through funds | housing removed in October 2023, funds and other options remain | Portuguese golden visa |
For property-based programmes across Europe, read Residence by real estate in 2026. Latvia overall, including citizenship and taxes, is on the country page.
What the Latvian permit gives an investor now
Life and business in the European Union
The permit lets you live in Latvia and run a business through your own company, and travel around the Schengen area under the general short-stay rules.
The family together
A spouse and minor children receive permits for the same term as the investor.
The money stays in the business
The investment goes into your company's capital. The non-refundable payment to the state is $11,300 (10,000 euros) for the first permit.
A path to European Union resident status
After 5 years of continuous residence on a permit and with Latvian at A2 level, you can apply for European Union long-term resident status.
How to get a Latvian permit through a company investment: step by step
Checking the ground
A Murblz expert checks at a free consultation whether the investor ground is open for your citizenship and helps you choose between a smaller and a larger company.
Capital investment
You found a company or increase the capital of an existing one by $56,200 (50,000 euros) or $113,000 (100,000 euros) and register the change.
Filing documents
The file goes to a Latvian consulate, online to the migration office with a secure electronic signature, or to the migration office if you are legally in the country. Documents for a first permit can be in Latvian or English.
Decision and payment
The standard review is 30 days, 4 months at most. After a positive decision, $11,300 (10,000 euros) is paid to the state budget.
Card and ongoing conditions
You receive a permit for up to 2 years. The company pays the set minimum of taxes every year, and the repeat application is filed before expiry.
FAQ
Can you still get a Latvian residence permit by buying property in 2026?
Does Latvia offer citizenship by investment?
How much does a Latvian residence permit by investment cost in 2026?
What happens to a residence permit obtained for property before 15 September 2026?
Is Latvian investor residence open to all nationalities?
How long is a Latvian investor residence permit issued for?
Does the $169,000 (150,000 euros) fund option work?
How many years until permanent residence and Latvian citizenship?
Does an investor need to learn Latvian?
Services
Murblz services in Latvia
A passport or residence permit opens the door, but life behind it is awkward without a bank account and a roof over your head. Murblz specialists help with the account, property and company in the same country. The quote is fixed in writing before work starts.
See also
Related programs and destinations
All programs - Latvia:
Similar destinations:
The same program in other countries:
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