Regulations regarding the Amount of Necessary Financial Means for a Foreigner and Procedures for the Determination of the Existence of Financial Means

Issued pursuant to
Section 4, Paragraph one, Clause 5
of the Immigration Law

I. General Provisions

1. This Regulation prescribes the amount of financial means necessary for a foreigner to enter and reside in the Republic of Latvia or other Schengen Agreement Member States, to return to the country of residence or to depart to a third country, in which he or she has the right to enter, and the procedures by which the existence of such financial means is determined.

2. This Regulation shall not apply to:

2.1. citizens of European Union Member States, States of the European Economic Area and Swiss Confederation and family members thereof

2.2. foreigners who use a diplomatic or a service (official) passport as a travel document;

2.3. foreigners who have received a visa with a note "diplomatic visa" or "service visa";

2.4. foreigners who are members of foreign delegations and enter the Republic of Latvia on an official visit or cross the territory thereof in transit;

2.5. foreigners who enter the Republic of Latvia in accordance with the procedures specified in Section 4, Paragraph two, Clauses 2, 3 or 4 of the Immigration Law;

2.6. foreigners who have a valid permanent residence permit in the Republic of Latvia;

2.7. foreigners who have received a single long-stay visa with a period of validity up to 30 days, on the basis of a decision taken by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereinafter - Office) regarding the granting of a residence permit;

2.8. foreign seafarers who:

2.8.1. enter the Republic of Latvia in order to go to a ship in a port of the Republic of Latvia;

2.8.2. enter the Republic of Latvia in order to transit across the territory of the Republic of Latvia, travelling to a ship in another country or returning to the country of residence;

2.8.3. reside in the Republic of Latvia while the ship on which the seafarer works is in a port of the Republic of Latvia;

2.8.4. signs off from a ship in a port of the Republic of Latvia in order to go to a ship in another port of the Republic of Latvia; and

2.8.5. signs off from a ship in a port of the Republic of Latvia in order to transit across the territory of the Republic of Latvia, going to a ship in another country or returning to the country of residence;

2.9. members of the flight crew of a foreign aircraft who reside in the territory of the Republic of Latvia during the landing of the aircraft; and

2.10. foreigners who ensure the regular international carriage of passengers, cargo or mail.

3. Diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter - mission), the State Border Guard or the Office, in accordance with their competence, shall determine the existence of financial means.

4. Documents, which confirm the existence of the necessary financial means, shall be valid three months after the issuance thereof.

II. Financial Means for a Foreigner who Enters the Republic of Latvia with a Visa or is a Citizen of Such Country to which a Visa is not Necessary

5. The necessary amount of financial means shall be as follows:

5.1. not less than LVL 10 for each day of residence;

5.2. not less than remuneration for work pursuant to the average gross monthly work remuneration of persons working in the Republic of Latvia for the previous year (in accordance with the last information published by the Central Statistics Bureau), if a foreigner wants to receive a visa and work permit in relation to employment;

6. If a foreigner requests a long-stay visa, the Head of the Office, the Director of the Consular Department or officials authorised by them may reduce the amount of financial means referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.1 of this Regulation due to reasons of a humanitarian nature (for example, illness of the foreigner or illness or death of his or her close relatives or if the entering and residence of a foreigner is related to family reunion and there is no reason to assume that he or she will become a burden to the social assistance system).

7. The amount of necessary financial means for a foreigner who enters the Republic of Latvia with a visa or is a citizen of such country to which a visa is not necessary shall be confirmed by:

7.1. documents which confirm the amount of work remuneration or income from commercial activities;

7.2. a confirmation regarding the situation of the bank account of the foreigner during the last three months and an international payment card which is valid for use in the Republic of Latvia and other Schengen Agreement Member States issued by a credit institution ;

7.3. travellers' cheques or cash in lats or convertible currency;

7.4. a submission regarding the covering of the foreigner's residence expenditures, which is notarially confirmed or signed in the presence of an official of the Office or mission, of a citizen of Latvia, a non-citizen of Latvia or a citizen of a European Union Member State, European Economic Area State or Swiss Confederation who resides in the Republic of Latvia with a registration certificate or permanent residence certificate or a foreigner who has a valid temporary residence or permanent residence permit in the Republic of Latvia, and documents referred to in Sub-paragraph 7.1, 7.2 or 7.7 of this Regulation that confirm the ability of covering these expenditures;

7.5. a confirmation by a legal person, registered in accordance with the procedures specified in regulatory enactments of the Republic of Latvia, regarding the covering of residence expenditures of a foreigner;

7.6. a note in the invitation in which it is indicated that the inviter will cover expenditures related to entering and residence of a foreigner; or

7.7. other evidence which attests that the foreigner has the necessary financial means at his or her disposal.

8. If a foreigner must pay for the intended place of residence, he or she shall prove that he or she has the necessary financial means (in addition to the amount of financial means referred to in Paragraph 5 of this Regulation) in order to cover such expenditures, or that the payment for the place of residence has been performed.

9. Financial means or documents attesting the existence thereof, as well as a return ticket or sufficient financial means for the purchase of fuel necessary for the journey (if a foreigner travels with his or her own personal vehicle) shall be presented to the relevant officials upon the request of a visa or to the State Border Guard upon request thereof.

10. If a foreigner requests a visa for multiple entries, he or she shall submit evidence, which confirms the amount of necessary financial means for the first residence, and attach a submission attesting that he or she has been informed regarding the necessity of financial means for the following entry and residence times. If a foreigner has received a visa and work permit, the necessary provision of subsistence shall be necessary for all employment period.

III. Financial Means for a Foreigner who Requests or has Received a Residence Permit in the Republic of Latvia

11. The necessary amount of financial means shall be as follows:

11.1. the work remuneration or income from commercial activities in the Republic of Latvia in accordance with double the average gross monthly work remuneration of working persons for the previous year (in accordance with the last information published by the Central Statistics Bureau) - if foreigners referred to in Section 23, Paragraph one, Clauses 2, 3 and 4 of the Immigration Law request a residence permit and their residence is related to employment or commercial activities;

11.2. work remuneration in the Republic of Latvia in accordance with the average gross monthly work remuneration of working persons for the previous year (in accordance with the last information published by the Central Statistics Bureau) - if a foreigner requests a residence permit due to employment that is not referred to in Sub-paragraph 11.1 of this Regulation;

11.3. work remuneration in the Republic of Latvia in accordance with the average gross monthly work remuneration of working persons for the previous year (in accordance with the last information published by the Central Statistics Bureau) - if a foreigner requests a residence permit in accordance with Section 23, Paragraph one, Clause 28 of the Immigration Law and wants to be employed in the Republic of Latvia, or financial means in accordance with triple amount of the minimum monthly work remuneration - if a foreigner does not want to be employed in the Republic of Latvia;

11.4. financial means in accordance with double the average amount of old-age pensions disbursed to pensioners present in the accounting of the social insurance institutions per month for the previous year (in accordance with the information published by the Central Statistics Bureau) - if a residence permit is requested by a foreigner referred to in Section 23, Paragraph one, Clause 26 of the Immigration Law;

11.5. financial means in accordance with triple amount of the minimum monthly work remuneration - if a residence permit is requested by a foreigner referred to in Section 23, Paragraph one, Clause 29 of the Immigration Law; or

11.6. financial means in accordance with the minimum monthly work remuneration - in the cases not provided for in Sub-paragraphs 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4 and 11.5 of this Regulation.

12. The provision of subsistence necessary for a child shall be 60 per cent of the necessary amount of financial means referred to in Sub-paragraph 11.6 of this Regulation.

13. The following documents shall attest the amount of financial means necessary for a foreigner who requests or has received a residence permit in the Republic of Latvia:

13.1. a document which confirms the amount of work remuneration or income from commercial activities;

13.2. a confirmation issued by the credit institution regarding the situation of the bank account of the foreigner. If the credit institution is not registered in the Republic of Latvia, an international payment card which is valid for use in the Republic of Latvia shall be attached;

13.3. a confirmation regarding the situation of the bank account of another person issued by a credit institution with an indication that a foreigner has the right to operate with the bank account;

13.4. travellers' cheques;

13.5. a submission regarding covering of regular residence expenditures, which is notarially confirmed or signed in the presence of an official of the Office or mission, of a citizen of Latvia, a non-citizen of Latvia or a citizen of a European Union Member State, European Economic Area State or Swiss Confederation who resides in the Republic of Latvia with a registration certificate or permanent residence certificate or a foreigner who has a valid temporary residence or permanent residence permit in the Republic of Latvia, and documents that confirm the ability to cover expenditures;

13.6. a confirmation by a legal person, registered in accordance with the procedures specified in regulatory enactments of the Republic of Latvia, regarding the covering of residence expenditures of a foreigner in the Republic of Latvia; or

13.7. documents regarding the amount of a pension.

IV. Closing Provisions

14. The Cabinet Regulation No. 515 of 12 July 2005, Regulation regarding the Amount of Necessary Financial Means of Aliens and Procedures for the Determination of the Existence of Financial Means (Latvijas Vēstnesis [the Official Gazette of the Government of Latvia], 2005, No.112) is repealed.

15. This Regulation shall come into force on 1 July 2010.

Prime Minister V. Dombrovskis

Minister for the Interior L. Mūrniece

Translation © 2010 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)