The Saeima¹ has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following law:

Law on the Change of a Given Name, Surname and Nationality Record

Section 1. Purpose of the Law

The Law shall regulate the lawful basis for the change of the given name, surname and nationality record of a person.

Section 2. Reasons for the Change of a Given Name or Surname

(1) A person who is a citizen or non-citizen of Latvia or who has been granted the status of a stateless person in the Republic of Latvia may change the given name or surname (the given name and surname) if he or she has reached 15 years of age and if one of the following reasons exists:

1) the given name or surname encumbers the integration of the person in society;

2) the person wishes to add a second name to the name recorded in the Birth Register. The name that has been entered in the Register first, shall be considered the primary name;

3) the person wishes to acquire or add the surname of the spouse to his or her surname;

4) the person wishes to acquire his or her historic family name in the direct ascending line;

5) the person wishes to regain his or her family name or premarital surname;

6) the gender of the person has changed;

7) one of the parents or both parents of a minor have been convicted of committing a deliberate, serious or especially serious crime;

8) the person wishes to acquire the surname of the mother or father.

(2) In the case referred to in Paragraph one, Clause 7 of this Section, the given name or surname (given name and surname) may also be changed by a minor who has not reached 15 years of age.

[6 July 2021]

Section 3. Reasons for the Change of a Nationality Record

(1) A person who is a citizen or non-citizen of Latvia or who has been granted the status of a stateless person in the Republic of Latvia is entitled to change the nationality record once to the direct ascending line thereof within the limits of two generations if he or she has reached 15 years of age and can prove the kinship with the persons referred to.

(2) A person whose nationality record has been changed prior to reaching legal age is also entitled to change the nationality record after reaching legal age in accordance with the conditions of Paragraph one of this Section.

(3) A person who stays in Latvia with a valid residence permit, registration certificate or a permanent residence certification is entitled to change the nationality record to "Latvian" or "Livonian (Liv)" in accordance with the conditions of Paragraphs one and two of this Section.

[15 September 2016]

Section 4. Submission for a Change of the Given Name, Surname or Nationality Record

(1) A person who wishes to change his or her given name or surname (given name and surname) or nationality record shall submit a relevant written submission to the General Registry Office (hereinafter - the Office) or to the General Registry Department of the Ministry of Justice (hereinafter - the Department) in which the reason for the change of the given name or surname (the given name and surname) or nationality record is indicated (hereinafter - the submission).

(2) A minor between the ages of 15 and 18 years shall submit the submission with the consent of parents or guardians.

(3) If a minor has not reached 15 years of age, the submission shall be submitted by his or her father or mother, or guardian in the case referred to in Section 2, Paragraph one, Clause 7 of this Law.

(4) [22 January 2015]

(5) A person who stays in a foreign country shall submit the submission to the diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Latvia for it to be forwarded to the Department.

(6) The Cabinet shall determine the sample of the submission form.

[22 January 2015; 6 July 2021]

Section 5. Documents Necessary for the Change of a Given Name and Surname

(1) A person who wishes to change his or her given name or surname (given name and surname) shall submit the submission in person at the Office or the diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Latvia by presenting a personal identification document or submit the submission to the Department by sending it by post or electronically.

(2) The following shall be appended to the submission:

1) in the case referred to in Section 4, Paragraph two of this Law - a written consent of parents of a minor for the change of the given name or surname (the given name and surname) or, if the minor is in guardianship - a written consent of the guardian and a decision of the Orphan's and Custody Court on the conformity of the change of the given name or surname (the given name and surname) with the interests of the minor;

2) in the case referred to in Section 4, Paragraph three of this Law - accordingly the decision of the Orphan's and Custody Court on the conformity of the change of the given name or surname (the given name and surname) with the interests of a minor being under custody;

3) [6 July 2021].

(3) The Office or the Department shall request the following documents from other General Registry Offices necessary for the examination of the submission:

1) a printout from the Birth Register on the birth of the person;

2) a printout from the Marriage Register if the person is married;

3) a printout from the Marriage Register which confirms the fact of the dissolution of marriage or the recognition of marriage as annulled (a printout or statement from the Register of Dissolution of Marriage, a printout from the Marriage Register with a note on the dissolution of marriage or the judgment on the dissolution of marriage or the recognition thereof as annulled that has come into effect, or a divorce certificate prepared by a sworn notary);

4) a printout from the Birth Register on the birth of the child if the person has a minor child;

5) other documents necessary for the change of the given name or surname.

(4) The Office or the Department shall request information from the Punishment Register about the criminal record of the person.

[28 October 2010; 22 January 2015; 6 July 2021]

Section 6. Documents Necessary for the Change of Nationality Record

(1) A person who wishes to change his or her nationality record shall submit the submission in person at the Office or the diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Latvia by presenting a personal identification document or submit the submission to the Department by sending it by post or electronically.

(2) The following shall be appended to the submission:

1) the birth certificate of the father or mother or a statement regarding registration of birth or a copy of an entry in the Birth Register which proves the kinship of the person with the relatives of the direct ascending line, and the documents which confirm the nationality of such persons;

2) in the case referred to in Section 4, Paragraph two of this Law - a written consent of parents of a minor for the change of the nationality record or, if the minor is in guardianship - a written consent of the guardian and the decision of the Orphan's and Custody Court on the conformity of the change of the nationality record with the interests of the minor;

3) [22 January 2015];

4) an opinion of a Livonian (Liv) organisation specified by the Cabinet regarding the ethnic origin of a person if the person wishes to change the current nationality record for the nationality record "Livonian (Liv)" and it is not possible to prove the ethnic origin with the documents referred to in Paragraph two, Clause 1 of this Section;

5) an education document or another document which confirms the conformity of the person with the highest (third) level of proficiency in the official language, but in cases if the person is a disabled person of Group 1 to whom the disability has been declared for an unlimited period of time, a visually-impaired, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired person of Group 2 or 3 or a person older than 75 years of age - an education document or another document which confirms the conformity of the person with the average (second) level of proficiency in the official language if the person wishes to change the current nationality record to the nationality "Latvian".

(3) The Office or the Department shall request the following documents from other General Registry Offices necessary for the examination of the submission:

1) a printout from the Birth Register on the birth of the person;

2) a printout from the Marriage Register if the person is married;

3) a printout from the Marriage Register which confirms the fact of the dissolution of marriage or the recognition of marriage as annulled (a printout or statement from the Register of Dissolution of Marriage, a printout from the Marriage Register with a note on the dissolution of marriage or the judgment on the dissolution of marriage or the recognition thereof as annulled that has come into effect, or a divorce certificate prepared by a sworn notary);

4) a printout from the Birth Register on the birth of the child if the person has a minor child;

5) other documents necessary for the change of the nationality record.

(4) [6 July 2021]

[28 October 2010; 22 January 2015; 6 July 2021]

Section 7. Decision on the Permission to Change a Given Name or Surname (Given Name and Surname) or Nationality Record or on the Refusal to Change a Given Name or Surname (Given Name and Surname) or Nationality Record

(1) The documents necessary for the change of a given name or surname (given name and surname) or nationality record shall be sent by the Office to the Department, the Director of the Department shall examine the submission and take the decision on the permission to change the given name or surname (the given name and surname) or nationality record or the refusal to change the given name or surname (given name and surname) or nationality record in accordance with the procedures specified in the Administrative Procedure Law.

(2) The decision on the permission to change a given name or surname (given name and surname) or nationality record or on the refusal to change a given name or surname (given name and surname) or nationality record shall be notified to a person in accordance with the procedures specified in the Administrative Procedure Law.

(3) The decision on the permission to change a given name or surname (given name and surname) or nationality record or on the refusal to change a given name or surname (given name and surname) or nationality record shall come into effect in accordance with the procedures specified in the Administrative Procedure Law.

(4) From the time when the decision on the permission to change a given name or surname (given name and surname) comes into effect, the given name or surname (given name and surname) of the person is changed. The decision on the permission to change the nationality record shall certify the lawfulness of the change of the nationality record.

Section 8. Decision on the Refusal to Change a Given Name or Surname (Given Name and Surname) or Nationality Record

(1) The decision on the refusal to change a given name or surname (given name and surname) shall be taken if:

1) the person has been convicted of committing a crime and the conviction has not been set aside or extinguished;

2) the reason for the change of the given name or surname (the given name and surname) of the person does not conform with the reasons referred to in Section 2 of this Law;

3) the person has not submitted all the documents specified in Section 5, Paragraph two of this Law;

4) the person has not paid the State fee.

(2) The decision on the refusal to change nationality record shall be taken if:

1) the person has already changed the nationality record after reaching the legal age;

2) the documents referred to in Section 6 of this Law do not prove the kinship of the person and the degree of kinship with the person whose nationality he or she wishes to acquire;

3) the person has not submitted all the documents specified in Section 6, Paragraph two of this Law;

4) the person has not paid the State fee.

[6 July 2021]

Section 9. State Fee

(1) The State fee for the change of a given name, surname or nationality record shall be EUR 71.

(2) The following persons shall be exempted from the State fee for the change of a given name, surname or nationality record:

1) the person who is changing the given name or surname (the given name and surname) in the case referred to in Section 2, Paragraph one, Clause 7 of this Law;

2) the person who wishes to change the current nationality record to nationality record "Livonian (Liv)".

[12 September 2013; 6 July 2021]

Section 10. Change of a Personal Identification Document

In order to receive a new personal identification document, a person shall, within 30 days after coming into effect of the decision on the permission to change the given name or surname (the given name and surname), submit this decision to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

Section 11. Supplementation of Civil Status Registers and Other Registers

[6 July 2021]

Transitional Provisions

1. With the coming into force of this Law, the Law on the Change of a Given Name, Surname and Ethnicity Record (Latvijas Republikas Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta Ziņotājs, 1994, No. 14; 1996, No. 14; 1997, No. 4; 1998, No. 24; 1999, No. 5; 2003, No. 14) is repealed.

2. The Cabinet shall issue the regulations referred to in Section 4, Paragraph six of this Law by 1 July 2009.

The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 8 April 2009.

President V. Zatlers

Rīga, 29 April 2009

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2022 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)