Latvia student visa: Complete guide 2026

What Is the Latvia Student Visa?

The Latvia Student Visa refers to two different documents used at different stages. The temporary residence permit is decided first by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA). The long-stay visa, also called the D-type visa, is applied for only after that decision; it is what you use to travel to Latvia and collect the permit.

Most applicants submit their application at a Latvian embassy or consulate abroad. Applicants who can enter Latvia without a visa, or who hold a valid Schengen visa or a residence permit from another Schengen country, may instead apply directly at OCMA once in Latvia.

Who Is It For?

• Nationality: Non-EU/EEA nationals.

  
  

• Study program: Full-time enrollment at an accredited Latvian higher education institution.

  
  

• Financial means: At least EUR 780 a month, equal to Latvia's minimum monthly wage.

What the Visa Allows

• Residency: The permit is issued for the length of the academic year or study program, typically up to 1 year at a time, and renewed annually until your studies are complete.

  
  

• Work: If you are studying for a bachelor's degree, you can work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full-time during holidays. If you are studying for a master's degree or a doctorate, you can work without restriction.

  
  

• Family: Your spouse and children can apply alongside you. Financial means of at least EUR 740 a month must be shown for each accompanying adult, and EUR 234 a month for each accompanying minor child, on top of your own EUR 780.

  
  

• Travel: The permit allows you to travel within the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

  
  

• After graduation: You receive an automatic 4-month extension on your existing permit, regardless of degree level, carrying the same work rights you had as a student. If you graduated with a master's degree or a doctorate, you can additionally request a further 9-month extension specifically to look for a job; this is not automatic, OCMA reviews each request, and you must apply before the 4-month extension runs out. The 9-month extension does not itself include the right to work: once you have a job offer, you need a separate work-based permit through that employer.

Documents You'll Need to Prepare

Documents issued abroad need to be legalized or apostilled. They can be submitted in Latvian, English, French, Russian, or German; other languages need translation into one of these.

• Application form: The official residence permit application form, completed and signed.

  
  

• Passport: A travel document valid for at least 3 months longer than your intended stay.

  
  

• Passport photo: One recent color photo.

  
  

• Proof of financial means: A bank statement or other document confirming the required amount. Issued no earlier than 3 months before your application.

  
  

• Study agreement: The contract for your studies, provided by your institution.

  
  

• Proof of tuition payment: Confirmation that you have paid your tuition fee for the first semester.

  
  

• Proof of health insurance: Coverage of at least EUR 42,600, valid in Latvia and across the Schengen area.

  
  

• Proof of accommodation: A university dormitory confirmation, a rental agreement, a property deed, or a notarized consent from the property owner along with a land registry statement proving their ownership. Issued no earlier than 3 months before your application.

  
  

• Criminal record certificate: Required if you are over 14, from your country of citizenship. If you have also lived in another country for more than 12 months, you need a certificate from there too. Valid for 6 months from the date of issue.

  
  

• Proof of state fee payment: Confirmation that you have paid the application fee.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Secure admission

Apply to a Latvian higher education institution. Once admitted, the institution submits an invitation to OCMA, which must be approved before you can apply for your own residence permit.

Step 2: Submit your residence permit application

Book an appointment and submit your application at a Latvian embassy or consulate. If you are a visa-exempt national, or already hold a valid Schengen visa or a residence permit from another Schengen country, you can instead apply directly at OCMA once in Latvia.

Step 3: Wait for the OCMA decision

OCMA offers three processing speeds, each at a different fee, chosen when you submit your application: 30 days, 10 working days, or 5 working days. The decision is sent to your email address and to your inviting institution. If you applied abroad, it also goes to the embassy where you submitted your application.

Step 4: Apply for your long-stay visa

Once your application is approved, apply for the long-stay visa (D-type). It is single-entry, valid for 30 days, and lets you travel to Latvia to collect your permit. This does not apply if you applied from within Latvia.

Step 5: Travel to Latvia and provide biometric data

If you applied from abroad, enter Latvia within your visa's validity and provide your biometric data at OCMA or a regional division; no appointment is required, though you can book one in advance. If you applied from within Latvia, you provide your biometric data when you submit your application instead.

Step 6: Collect your residence permit card

Collect the card at OCMA or a regional division once it has been issued.

Step 7: Declare your address

Once you hold the residence permit, declare your place of residence in Latvia, either online through the latvija.lv e-service or in person at OCMA.

Costs and Fees

Reviewing a study-purpose application costs EUR 160 within 30 days, EUR 280 within 10 working days, or EUR 560 within 5 working days. If you applied from abroad and were approved, the long-stay visa itself costs an additional EUR 90. Issuing the residence permit card costs a further EUR 45 within 10 working days, or EUR 80 within 2 working days. Fees are non-refundable.

Good to Know

The institution's invitation expires after 6 months: Once OCMA approves it, you have 6 months to submit your own application before the invitation itself expires.

Your permit is at risk if your studies run significantly over time: If your studies take more than a year beyond the length stated in your study agreement, OCMA can refuse to extend your permit, or revoke it. Programs of 3 years or longer get 2 years of overrun before this applies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I apply for the visa and the residence permit at the same time?

No. OCMA decides the residence permit first. Only after approval can you apply for the long-stay visa used to travel to Latvia.

How many hours can I work as a student?

If you are studying for a bachelor's degree, you can work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full-time during holidays. If you are studying for a master's degree or a doctorate, you can work without restriction.

Can my family join me?

Yes, your spouse and children can apply alongside you. Financial means of at least EUR 740 a month must be shown for each accompanying adult, and EUR 234 a month for each accompanying minor child, on top of your own EUR 780.

What happens after I graduate?

Your permit is automatically extended by 4 months, regardless of degree level, keeping the same work rights you had as a student. If you graduated with a master's degree or a doctorate, you can additionally request up to 9 more months to look for a job, though OCMA reviews this case by case, and this further extension does not itself include the right to work.