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

Population Register Law

Chapter I
General Provisions

Section 1.

The purpose of this Law is to prescribe how the unified system of population registration shall function - the Population Register (hereinafter - the Register) and how the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereinafter - the Office) will be provided with the information to be included in the Register and how the information which is in the Register shall be used.

Section 2.

(1) Within the scope of their competence, the Office, the respective local government, and foreign diplomatic and consular representations of Latvia shall be responsible for the inclusion of information and updating of the information included in the Register.

(2) The Register is a State information system, the administrator of which is the Office.

[21 June 2007; 6 May 2010]

Section 2.¹

The methodological management over inclusion and updating of information in the Register, as well as issuance of the information from the Register shall be ensured by the Office.

[6 May 2010; 9 May 2013]

Section 3.

The following information shall be included and updated in the Register:

1) regarding citizens of Latvia and non-citizens of Latvia;

2) regarding persons who have received a residence permit, registration certificate or permanent residence certificate in Latvia;

3) regarding persons who have been granted the status of a stateless person, refugee or alternative status or temporary protection in Latvia;

4) regarding persons in relation to whom a decision to issue a residence permit, registration certificate or permanent residence certificate has been taken.

[9 May 2013]

Section 4.

(1) Inclusion of information in the Register is:

1) filling in of a pre-registration form in the Register;

2) making of an entry in the Information System for Registration of Civil Status Documents.

(2) Updating of the information is the amendment of the information included in the Register by specifying the date, legal basis for making the amendments and the number, date of issue, issuing country and issuing authority of the document attesting to such amendments.

(3) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures by which information regarding documents attesting information to be included and updated in the Register shall be stored and used.

[20 December 2012; 17 October 2013; 17 December 2015]

Chapter II
Registration of Persons

Section 5.

(1) An individual personal identity number shall be allocated to a person upon inclusion of information in the Register regarding this person.

(2) Only the Office shall allocate a personal identity number. This shall be permanent, except in cases where the date of birth of a person is being corrected or the person has been adopted.

[21 February 2002]

Section 6.

Sample pre-registration form shall be approved and the procedures for filling in thereof shall be determined by the Cabinet.

[21 July 2007; 20 December 2012; 17 October 2013]

Section 7.

(1) The Office shall include and update information in the Register regarding the persons referred to in Section 3 of this Law.

(2) [17 October 2013]

(3) A local government shall include information in the Register regarding a child up to three months of age, except the case when at the time of birth of the child one of parents is a non-citizen of Latvia and the other - a citizen of another state, or both parents are foreigners, as well as shall update the information included in the Register regarding the declared or registered place of residence of the person.

(4) The Ministry of Justice shall include information in the Register regarding an adopted child.

[6 May 2010; 20 December 2012; 9 May 2013; 17 October 2013]

Section 7.¹

The following information regarding a person shall be indicated in the Register:

1) that he or she has active status, if information regarding the persons referred to in Section 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of this Law is included in the Register;

2) that he or she has passive status if:

a) information regarding the persons referred to in Section 3, Clauses 3 and 4 of this Law is included in the Register,

b) the person has lost legal status in Latvia and new status has not been determined,

c) after adoption or its revocation the given name, surname or personal identity number of the person has been changed.

[9 May 2013]

Section 8.

(1) An employee who includes information regarding a person in the Register has a duty to check the conformity of such information with the supporting documents, which have legal force in Latvia.

(2) [17 October 2013]

(3) [17 October 2013]

(4) A foreigner's pre-registration form shall be filled in according to the information provided by the foreigner or his or her legal representative in requesting a residence permit, registration certificate or permanent residence certificate.

[21 June 2007; 6 May 2010; 9 May 2013; 17 October 2013]

Section 9.

Information in the Register shall be entered in Latvian, except the given name, surname of the foreigner and the address of the person in the foreign state. The given name and surname of the foreigner shall be entered in transliteration of the Latin alphabet according to the travel document issued by the foreign state. Information regarding the address of the person in the foreign state shall be entered in transliteration of the Latin alphabet and the state shall be indicated according to the classification of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

[6 May 2010]

Chapter III
Information to be Included in the Register

Section 10.

(1) The Register shall include the following information regarding a person:

1) personal identity number;

2) given name (names);

3) surname;

4) family surname;

5) the historical form of the personal name or family surname and the original form of a personal name of another language in transliteration of the Latin alphabet, if the person wishes so and is able to certify this form with documentary evidence, as well as the reproduction of the personal name of the foreigner in Latvian;

6) information regarding birth;

7) gender;

8) nationality and type thereof;

9) ethnicity;

10) address of the declared place of residence, registered or indicated by the person. The address of the place of residence indicated by the person shall be of informative nature;

11) information regarding a personal identification document;

12) information regarding a residence document received in Latvia - a residence permit, registration certificate or permanent residence certificate;

13) information regarding marital status:

14) information regarding marriage;

15) information regarding children up to 18 years of age;

16) information regarding the father and mother;

17) information regarding restricting the capacity to act of the person or reviewing the restriction of capacity to act;

18) information regarding death of the person;

19) information regarding the permission or prohibition of a person to utilise the body, tissue and organs thereof after death;

20) information regarding establishing or termination out-of-family care or custody or discontinuing or removing, or renewing custody rights;

21) information regarding the guardians, trustees or foster family of the person;

22) information regarding a childcare institution;

23) information regarding an adjudication regarding establishment or revocation of adoption;

24) information regarding the status of a politically repressed person or participant of the national resistance movement;

25) information regarding a document certifying a prohibition to issue a personal identification document to a child who is less than 14 years of age, or a prohibition to leave the state to a child who is less than 18 years of age;

26) information regarding a person who is prohibited to issue a personal identification document of a child who is less than 14 years of age, or to bring out from the state to a child who is less than 18 years of age.

(1¹) The Cabinet shall determine the amount of the information to be included in the Register.

(2) The nationality referred to in this Law shall be the person's association with the state, which has issued or will issue to the person, in accordance with the procedures laid down in law, a passport or substitute document thereof. The types of nationality within the meaning of this Law shall be:

1) citizen;

2) non-citizen;

3) stateless person;

4) refugee;

5) alternative status;

6) temporary protection;

7) unspecified.

(3) [9 May 2013]

(4) Information regarding a child who is more than 18 years of age shall be included in the Register upon wish of the person.

[21 February 2002; 26 September 2002; 21 June 2007; 6 May 2010; 20 January 2011; 20 December 2012; 9 May 2013]

Section 11.

[21 June 2007]

Section 12.

The Register shall not include the following information regarding a person:

1) race or skin colour;

2) religious beliefs or belonging to some denomination;

3) political conviction, affiliation with some political party or movement, as well as information regarding political opinions;

4) sexual inclination or disease;

5) other information provided for in Section 10 of this Law.

Section 13.

If any of the information included in the Register has been amended the new information must be entered without destroying the previous information.

Section 14.

In the case of a person's death, being missing or change of a legal status, the information included in the Register regarding this person shall be preserved.

[21 February 2002; 6 May 2010]

Chapter IV
Rights and Duties of Providers and Users of Information

Section 15.

(1) The duty of the persons referred to in Section 3 of this Law shall be to provide the Office with information regarding the person for inclusion in the Register. Information regarding persons who are under the age of 18 or are under out-of-family care or trusteeship shall be provided to the Office by the legal representatives of the respective persons. Persons whose capacity to act has been restricted have the right to provide information regarding themselves to the Office for inclusion in the Register.

(2) If a person who has Latvian nationality resides outside Latvia for a period exceeding six months, the person has a duty to notify the Office of the address of the place of residence thereof in the foreign state, as well as of other changes in the information included in the Register regarding himself or herself, his or her children who are under the age of 18 and regarding persons who are subject to the guardianship or trusteeship thereof (through the diplomatic or consular representation of Latvia), if these changes have been made in foreign institutions. Persons whose capacity to act has been restricted have the right to provide the abovementioned information to the Office.

(3) Information regarding newborn, stillborn children and children who have died at birth, which conforms to the requirements of Paragraph one of this Section, shall be provided within two months after the birth of the child.

[21 February 2002; 21 June 2007; 6 May 2010; 9 May 2013]

Section 16.

(1) The Cabinet shall determine the amount of the information to be submitted for updating the information included in the Register and the procedures by which they shall be provided to the Office by:

1) State authorities;

2) State administration institutions;

3) local governments and institutions thereof;

4) courts;

5) sworn notaries;

6) the persons referred to in Section 3 of this Law.

(2) Providers of information shall be responsible for the timely provision of information to the Office and for the conformity of such information with the documents certifying thereof.

(3) [6 May 2010]

(4) [6 May 2010]

[21 February 2002; 26 September 2002; 6 May 2010; 20 January 2011]

Section 17.

The Cabinet shall determine the procedures, by which the Office, respective local governments and diplomatic and consular representations of Latvia abroad shall issue the information included in the Register within their competence.

[20 January 2011]

Section 17.¹

A State fee shall be paid for the receipt of information from the Register. The Cabinet shall determine the amount and payment procedures of the State fee, as well as reliefs in payment of the State fee and exemptions from payment of the State fee.

[21 June 2007]

Section 18.

(1) A person is entitled to request, twice a calendar year, and receive free of charge all information regarding himself or herself and his or her children who are under 18 years of age from the Register.

(2) The legal representatives of persons who are under out-of-family care or trusteeship are entitled to request, twice a calendar year, and receive free of charge information of the Register regarding the persons who are under their out-of-family care or trusteeship.

(3) [21 June 2007]

[21 June 2007; 6 May 2010]

Section 19.

Natural and legal persons may receive the information of the Register regarding another based on a reasoned submission. Motivation need not be indicated in the submission, if information regarding the capacity to act of another person is requested.

[9 May 2013]

Section 19.¹

The information referred to in Section 10, Paragraph one, Clause 23 of this Law may be requested and received only by the adopted person after attaining legal age. Only adopters are entitled to request and receive such information until the adopted person attains legal age.

[6 May 2010; 9 May 2013]

Section 19.²

A person who has attained 15 years of age or a legal representative of such person is entitled to request and receive the information referred to in Section 10, Paragraph one, Clause 10 of this Law regarding himself or herself.

[17 December 2015]

Section 20.

If a registered person detects a mistake or the inclusion of information that has been prohibited by this Law in the information included in the Register regarding himself or herself, his or her children who are under 18 years of age, as well as regarding persons who are under the trusteeship or guardianship thereof, such a person has the right to request that the mistake be corrected and the prohibited information excluded from the Register. Also legal representative of the child, if the child is at a childcare institution or foster family, and the persons whose capacity to act has been restricted have such rights.

[21 June 2007; 6 May 2010; 20 January 2011; 9 May 2013]

Section 21.

Institutions, merchants and organisations, as well as natural persons have the right to receive statistical information from the Register. The Office may also provide other information of a general character, which does not allow the identification of a particular person.

[13 October 2005]

Section 22.

State authorities and administration institutions, local governments and their institutions, organisations and merchants, to which State administration functions have been delegated, as well as courts and the Office of the Prosecutor have the right to receive the information referred to in Section 10 of this Law from the Register within the scope of the competence of the abovementioned institutions.

[13 October 2005]

Section 23.

The Office shall, in accordance with the international agreements entered into by the Republic of Latvia or in special cases where such agreements have not been entered into - in accordance with the procedures mutually co-ordinated by the Foreign Minister and Minister of the Interior, provide the information included in the Register to foreign governments, as well as international governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations.

Transitional Provisions

1. With the coming into force of this Law, the Law On Population Register (Latvijas Republikas Augstākās Padomes un Valdības Ziņotājs, No. 2/3, 46/47/48; Latvijas Republikas Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta Ziņotājs, No. 4, 1997), is repealed.

2. The Cabinet shall issue by 1 January 2008 the regulations referred to in Section 6 of this Law.

[21 June 2007]

3. The Cabinet shall issue by 1 January 2008 the regulations referred to in Section 17.¹ of this Law.

[21 June 2007]

4. Until coming into force of the regulations referred to in Section 17.¹ of this Law, but not longer than until 1 January 2008 Cabinet Regulation No. 119 of 23 March 1999, Regulations Regarding the State Fee for Receipt of Information from the Population Register, shall be applicable.

[21 June 2007]

5. Information regarding decisions to grant the status of a politically repressed person and a participant of the national resistance movement, which have been taken by 1 July 2010, in the Register shall be updated by the Office.

[6 May 2010]

6. Amendments to this Law regarding exclusion of Section 5, Paragraph two and its supplementation with Paragraphs three and four and supplementation of Section 10, Paragraph one with Clauses 10.¹ and 10.² shall come into force on 1 July 2017.

[17 December 2015 / The abovementioned amendments shall be included in the wording of the Law on 1 July 2017]

7. Until 30 June 2017 a person shall be assigned a personal identity number which consists of eleven digits, from which the first six digits indicate the date, month, year of birth of the person, and the seventh digit indicates the century: digit "0" indicates the 19th century, digit "1" - the 20th century, digit "2" - the 21st century. The first six digits may be separated from other digits with a hyphen.

[17 December 2015]

8. A person who has been assigned a personal identity number until 30 June 2017, starting from 1 July 2017, is entitled to request once, by submitting an application to the Office in person, that the personal identity number assigned to him or her is changed to such personal identity number in which the date of birth is not indicated.

[17 December 2015]

9. The person referred to in Section 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of this Law shall, by 1 January 2020, provide information regarding the identity code which has been assigned to him or her in a foreign country by 30 June 2017 and which has been recorded in a document issued by the competent authority permitting the person to stay in the foreign country.

[17 December 2015]

This Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 27 August 1998.

President G. Ulmanis

Rīga, 10 September 1998

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2016 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)