What are the main immigration pathways to Latvia?

Latvia is an EU and Schengen member, and its residence system is run by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP). A defining feature is that Latvia issues no separate work permit: where a non-EU national is allowed to work, the right is written directly into their temporary residence permit, which functions as the EU single permit.

The main routes are the temporary residence permit for employment (usually with a labour-market test), the EU Blue Card for highly qualified workers, the Startup Visa for innovative founders, a self-employment / individual merchant permit, and several distinct investment-based routes (real estate, company share capital, government bonds, or subordinated bank liabilities, each with an added one-off payment to the state budget). There are also student, researcher and family reunification permits, plus a separate Digital Nomad long-stay visa for remote workers tied to an employer or business registered in an OECD member state. For settlement, non-EU nationals can apply after five years for a permanent residence permit and EU Long-Term Resident status.

From 2026 the settlement conditions tighten, including a higher (B1) language level and tests on the constitution and history. Fees, salary thresholds and investment amounts are set in regulation and change periodically, so always confirm current figures on pmlp.gov.lv. ACME can help you map your situation to the right route from the start.