Latvia’s New Immigration Law: What Changes for Residence-by-Investment Applicants from 15 September 2026

Latvia has adopted a new Immigration Law that will take effect on 15 September 2026. The reform reorganises the country’s immigration framework and introduces stronger compliance and security controls. For international investors, the central point is straightforward: the qualifying company-investment route remains available, but the duration of newly issued permits changes and several passive-investment routes are no longer open to new applicants.

Below is a practical overview of the changes most relevant to investors considering Latvian temporary residence.

What changes on 15 September 2026?

Until 14 September 2026, the previous Immigration Law remains applicable. Under that framework, qualifying investment in the share capital of a Latvian company could support a temporary residence permit for a period of up to five years.

Under the new law, a qualifying investment in a Latvian company continues to provide a lawful basis for temporary residence, but the permit may be issued for a period of up to two years. The route is renewable: an investor may apply again while the investment and the other statutory conditions continue to be met.

This is therefore a change in the validity period of each permit, rather than the closure of the company-investment programme.

The EUR 50,000 company-investment route remains

The new law retains the entry route most relevant to RigaInvest clients. An eligible non-EU national may invest at least EUR 50,000 in the share capital of a Latvian company that:

• employs no more than 50 people; and
• has annual turnover or an annual balance-sheet total not exceeding EUR 10 million.

No more than ten foreign investors may receive residence permits on the basis of investments in the same qualifying company. Each investor must make the statutory investment and, when applying for the first permit under this route, pay EUR 10,000 into the Latvian state budget.

The company must also maintain genuine economic activity. During the validity of the permits, it must pay at least EUR 40,000 per financial year in qualifying Latvian state and municipal taxes. Refunded or refundable tax payments do not count toward this threshold.

The larger-company route also continues

The alternative route for investment in a larger operating company remains available with a minimum share-capital investment of EUR 100,000. It applies where the company, separately or together with one or more Latvian subsidiaries, employs more than 50 people and exceeds EUR 10 million in annual turnover or annual balance-sheet total.

For this route, the relevant company and qualifying Latvian subsidiaries must collectively pay at least EUR 100,000 per financial year in applicable taxes. A first-time applicant must also make the EUR 10,000 state-budget payment.

What is no longer available to new applicants?

The previous law separately allowed certain applicants to qualify through the purchase of Latvian real estate with a minimum value of EUR 250,000 or through qualifying subordinated liabilities with a Latvian credit institution. These grounds are not included among the new residence-permit routes for first-time applicants under the law taking effect on 15 September 2026.

This makes active, properly structured business investment more important for investors seeking a residence-by-investment option in Latvia. A direct acquisition of property alone should no longer be presented as a new Latvian residence-permit route after the new law takes effect.

What happens to applications and permits already in process?

The transitional provisions are important:

• Applications for a visa or temporary residence permit submitted before the new law takes effect are assessed under the previous Immigration Law.
• Temporary residence permits issued before 15 September 2026 remain valid until the relevant registration or validity period ends.
• Existing investors using the former real-estate or bank-liability routes may have rights to apply again under specific transitional conditions.

Investors with an existing permit should therefore review their own dates, investment basis and renewal history before taking action. Transitional eligibility is fact-specific and should not be assumed from the general rules alone.

Stronger emphasis on tax and compliance

The new law places continued compliance at the centre of the investment route. For company investors, the permit depends not only on transferring capital at the beginning, but also on maintaining the investment, the company’s qualifying status and its annual tax contribution.

A tax debt exceeding EUR 150 may create grounds for refusal or cancellation in the circumstances specified by the law, subject to limited exceptions such as an approved payment schedule. Applicants should also expect standard source-of-funds, anti-money-laundering and security reviews by the relevant institutions.

In practical terms, selecting a credible operating company and maintaining clear records are as important as meeting the initial investment threshold.

Can family members still apply?

Yes. The new framework continues to allow eligible family members to apply together with the principal applicant for permits linked to the principal applicant’s residence period. This generally includes the spouse, minor children, including children under guardianship, and persons under custody, subject to the applicable documentation and individual eligibility checks.

What does the new two-year period mean for investors?

The shorter validity period increases the importance of ongoing administration. Before each repeat application, the investor and the Latvian company must be ready to demonstrate that the original investment remains in place and that all applicable company, tax and immigration requirements continue to be satisfied.

For a professionally managed structure, this is an administrative change rather than a change to the underlying investment threshold. However, it should be reflected in the investor’s planning, document calendar and service arrangements from the outset.

How RigaInvest approaches the new framework

RigaInvest focuses on qualifying Latvian company investments built around genuine economic activity. We coordinate the investment structure, investor onboarding, banking and AML preparation, company administration and the residence-permit process together with appropriately qualified legal and immigration professionals.

Our objective is to ensure that investors understand both sides of the arrangement: the residence-permit opportunity and the commercial risk of the underlying investment. A residence permit is issued by the Latvian authorities, and investment performance is never guaranteed.

Key takeaway

From 15 September 2026, Latvia’s residence-by-investment landscape becomes narrower but clearer. The EUR 50,000 and EUR 100,000 qualifying company-investment routes remain, together with the EUR 10,000 first-application state payment and the applicable annual tax requirements. The principal change for new company investors is that permits may be issued for up to two years at a time and must be requested again while the qualifying conditions continue.

The full adopted text is available in the official publication of the new Immigration Law. The Latvian Parliament has also published a summary of the reform and its policy objectives.

If you are considering a Latvian company investment or need to understand how the transitional rules affect an existing permit, contact RigaInvest for an initial case assessment.

 

Photo: Saeima building in Riga by Barnos, Wikimedia Commons. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saeima_in_Riga.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/