What makes me eligible for Latvian citizenship?

Your parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent was a Latvian citizen before the year 1940 They left Latvia (or were exiled) between the years 1940-1990 The application procedure requires having documents that prove your connection to the family member with Latvian heritage and proof that they withdrew or were exiled. Write to us today and tell us about your ancestors— we can help you determine if you are eligible for Latvian citizenship.

What information do I need to share to evaluate my eligibility?

To determine if you’re eligible, you’ll need to provide us with some of the following information: Your ancestor’s full name Your ancestor’s date of birth Your ancestor’s place of birth (or residence) in Latvia: name of the village or town The date when your ancestor left Latvia.

How long does it take to complete the citizenship restoration process?

From the moment you submit the application to the restoration of citizenship, the average time for our clients is under 6 months. Before submission, it takes about 1-3 months to prepare the required information. The exact time depends on how fast you can collect the necessary documents from your country of residence. After submitting the application, the Migration Department reviews it. While this stage is the longest, we follow up periodically to ensure no information is missing for the swiftest successful outcome. We’re proud to say that since 2013, we’ve maintained a success rate of over 99% restoring citizenship to our clients around the world.

What are the steps in the citizenship restoration process?

1. Assessing if you’re eligible To evaluate your eligibility, send us the details about your Latvian ancestor. We’ll do an eligibility assessment for free. 2. Finding proof of Citizenship We conduct a thorough search in the archives to find the documents proving your ancestor’s Latvian citizenship. 3. Providing thorough guidance We’ll give you step-by-step instructions regarding the documents you need to get from your home country and guide you as you move forward. 4. Preparing the application We’ll put together your application, making sure all document details are correct with no information missing. 5. Submitting the application Your application will be submitted to the Latvian Migration Department by a dedicated lawyer. 6. Following up Our team will check in on your case periodically. If any extra information is required, we’ll provide it to ensure a fast turnaround. 7. Receiving your Latvian citizenship! You’ll have your Latvian (and EU) citizenship within 6 months of the initial submission.

Can I keep my current citizenship?

Latvia allows you to keep your original nationality when you restore citizenship by descent. You don’t need to give up your current citizenship.

If I’m a Latvian citizen, am I an EU citizen too?

Latvia has been a member state of the EU since 2004. This means that, as a Latvian citizen, you get all the benefits of an EU passport: live, work, do business, study, or retire in any EU country. These advantages include Social Security that grants you excellent, free or subsidised healthcare in most countries of the EU. Furthermore, children born to a person with Latvian citizenship will automatically get EU citizenship, as well as their children and their children. So this is an investment for generations.

Can my spouse become a Latvian citizen?

After you’re granted Latvian citizenship by descent, your spouse (who is not a descendant) doesn’t automatically become a Latvian citizen. But if you use your EU passport benefits to move to Latvia or any other EU country, your spouse will be allowed to live with you and apply for a residence and work permit. If they reside in the EU for a set time, they'll get a permanent residence and citizenship. The rules for permanent residence and citizenship may differ from one country to another, but one of you having an EU passport makes all the difference for life, work, and study. Restoring your Latvian citizenship is the big first step.

Can my children become Latvian citizens?

If your children are born after you restore your Latvian citizenship, they’ll automatically be Latvian citizens. If you have children before you restore your Latvian citizenship, they don’t become citizens automatically. However, they may still be able to go through the restoration process independently depending on the Three-Generations rule. You can access your Latvian citizenship by descent if one of your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents (three generations of ancestors) were citizens before 1940 and left the country from 1940 to 1990. If your claim to Latvian citizenship stems from your Latvian parent or grandparent, your children will still be able to become citizens. However, if your claim is based on a Latvian great-grandparent, any children you already have will not be able to reinstate their citizenship. Because life circumstances and laws are always changing, we encourage our clients to restore their Latvian citizenship as soon as possible— it’s a life-changing opportunity.

What documents do I need to provide for the application?

You need to provide proof of your direct connection to your Latvian ancestor as well as of their exit from Latvia in the period from 1940 to 1990. We usually need copies of: the applicant’s birth certificate and passport as well as one of the ancestors’ passports or birth certificates. Sometimes, we also need marriage certificates (if the last name was changed) and certificates of naturalisation (if other documents are missing or we need proof of any name changes). Every case and application is different. We’ll assess your case and give you an exact list of the documents you need to provide. We work to minimise requirements on your side and search the archives for your ancestor’s documents ourselves.

Are there any other conditions (ie. language, residence) for restoring citizenship?

No! If you meet the eligibility criteria of descent, you don’t need to speak Latvian, take any tests, or live in Latvia to access your citizenship. With your Latvian passport, you’ll receive all the mobility, advantages, and freedom of an EU national.

Are there any additional requirements like knowledge of the Lithuanian language or residing in Lithuania?

There are no additional requirements after you have restored your Lithuanian citizenship. There’s no language requirement, i.e. no tests or exams, as well as you do not need to reside in Lithuania for a certain period after your citizenship has been granted. With the reinstatement of your Lithuanian citizenship come all the incredible benefits of an EU national. You will have full and immediate access to all of them once you receive your Lithuanian passport.

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Live in EU with Latvian citizenship

By Elze

July 28, 2016

Latvia has been a part of the European Union for over a decade already and one of the immense advantages of being a Latvian citizen is the freedom to travel and work in the European Union and live anywhere in the EU.

The possession of a Latvian passport is like having a passport to any EU country, which gives you a right to live in one of the 32 countries of EU and EFTA. Under the terms of Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union, any person holding the nationality of a member state is a citizen of the Union. EU citizenship, which supplements national citizenship without replacing it, grants citizens the right to move freely and to reside on the territory of the EU member states.

The countries where you can move freely and live with Latvian citizenship: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Lichtenstein.

This right is one of the greatest benefits of the European Union citizenship for individual citizens. With a Latvian passport, you will be able to take advantage of this right and live in another EU country. As most of the people who already have EU passport, you will be able to travel regularly to other EU countries for business or as tourists without checks within the Schengen area or enjoy fast-track checks at the borders.

Nowadays only EU citizens have the right to live in European Union without restriction and the easiest way to livе in EU is to claim European citizenship through descent should you have an ancestor born in Latvia. Your family members, irrespective of their citizenship, have the right to accompany or join you in an EU country where you decide to live.

Latvian citizenship can provide a number of other advantages and if you have Latvian ancestors, you might qualify for Latvian (EU) citizenship.

We are ready to guide you through the application process and help you getting Latvian citizenship.

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