Procedures by which Persons Give and Sign the Pledge of Loyalty to the Republic of Latvia in a Solemn Ceremony

Issued pursuant to
Section 18, Paragraph three of the Citizenship Law

1. This Regulation prescribes the procedures by which the persons which are being admitted to Latvian citizenship in accordance with the naturalisation procedures (hereinafter - the person) give and sign the pledge of loyalty to the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter - the pledge) in a solemn ceremony.

2. The solemn ceremony (hereinafter - the ceremony) shall be provided by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereinafter - the Office).

3. The Office shall invite the person to the ceremony within a month after it is established that there are no obstacles for his or her admission to Latvian citizenship in accordance with the naturalisation procedures.

4. The ceremony shall take place in a room where the national symbols are placed - the national flag of Latvia and supplemented lesser State coat of arms of Latvia.

5. Before the ceremony the Office shall prepare the pledge form (Annex) in which the given name, surname, and date of birth of the person, as well as the text of the pledge shall be included.

6. The pledge shall be accepted by the official of the Office.

7. Before the ceremony the person shall present a personal identification document to the official of the Office.

8. The national anthem of Latvia shall be played in the beginning of the ceremony.

9. While standing, the person shall read the text of the pledge in the Latvian language.

10. The following persons shall be exempted from reading the pledge upon the request of the person:

10.1. the persons with Group I disability;

10.2. the persons with Group II disability which is determined due to a progressive mental disease;

10.3. the persons with Group II and III disability which is determined due to deafmutism or bilateral hearing loss;

10.4. the persons with Group II and III visual disability.

11. After reading the pledge, the person shall sign the pledge with his or her own hand and give it to the official of the Office.

12. If the person cannot sign the pledge due to a physical deficiency, he or she shall orally certify that he or she has given the pledge and agrees to it. The oral certification of the person shall be verified by the official of the Office with a signature on the pledge form.

13. After giving the pledge and signing thereof the official of the Office shall inform the person of the further course of naturalisation procedures.

Acting for the Prime Minister -
Minister for Defence Artis Pabriks

Minister for the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis

Annex
Cabinet Regulation No. 1315
12 November 2013

REPUBLIC OF LATVIA

Pledge of Loyalty to the Republic of Latvia

upon becoming a citizen of Latvia, pledge that I will be loyal to the Republic of Latvia.

I undertake to be devoted to Latvia and fulfil the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Latvia in good faith.

I undertake to defend the independence of the State of Latvia, to strengthen the Latvian language as the only official language, to live and work in good faith, in order to increase the prosperity of the State and people of Latvia.

I certify that my actions will never be directed against Latvia as an independent and democratic State.

Minister for the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis

Translation © 2018 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)