Citizenship Network is expanding client support for the Latvia Golden Visa with three core routes: real estate purchase, company setup (including self-employment or management roles), and the €50,000 share-capital investment into a Latvian company. This guide explains eligibility, documents, costs, and key compliance notes so your team and your readers can navigate Latvia’s rules without guesswork.

Quick note on naming: Latvia’s program isn’t officially called “Golden Visa,” but the term is widely used to describe temporary residence permits (TRP) issued on investment grounds by Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA/PMLP). We’ll use both for clarity.

Why Latvia, and why now?

• EU base + Schengen mobility: A Latvian TRP allows residence in Latvia and short-stay travel across the Schengen Area within the 90/180-day rules. Final decisions and validity length always sit with Latvian authorities. 

• Multiple investment routes: Latvia offers several investment grounds. This article focuses on three that Citizenship Network clients ask about most: real estate, company setup/self-employment, and €50,000 company investment. 

• Transparent thresholds: The official pages lay out amounts and documents in unusual detail, which is exactly how Citizenship Network likes to run engagements: precise, auditable, compliant. 

Route 1: Latvia Golden Visa by Real Estate Investment

Baseline rule: buy qualifying real estate worth €250,000 and, upon receiving the first TRP decision, pay an additional 5% of the purchase price to the state budget. There are cadastral-value checks, a non-cash payment requirement, and disallowed land types (e.g., agricultural, wooded). Latvia also limits eligible locations and allows two properties only outside certain municipalities. Subsistence thresholds apply at filing. 

Core compliance points (official):

• €250,000 minimum total value (single property in Riga/Jūrmala/specified municipalities; or up to two properties outside those areas). 

• 5% state-budget payment due once you receive the first TRP decision. 

• Non-cash settlement, no real estate tax debts if you’ve owned over one year, and property must meet cadastral value or market appraisal rules. 

Practical note from Citizenship Network: we verify seller eligibility (EU/EEA-registered taxpayer or eligible natural person) and line up appraisal and sworn translations before OCMA filing. It saves clients weeks. 

Important restriction (2025): Latvia passed a law banning citizens of Russia and Belarus, and entities they control, from acquiring real estate in Latvia (limited exceptions, e.g., certain inheritances). This affects property purchases after the law’s entry into force. Citizenship Network screens nationality/ownership early so clients avoid dead ends. 

Route 2: Latvia Golden Visa by Company Setup (Self-Employment or Management Role)

Two frequent patterns our clients pursue with Citizenship Network:

1. Self-employed path with a business plan approved by a sworn auditor, proof of funds to start activities, state-duty payment, and monthly subsistence. OCMA lists a detailed document set and a subsistence requirement of €2,554/month for the main applicant under this ground. 

2. Board member/management path with company activity, remuneration, and tax contributions. Requirements vary by case; reputable Latvian law resources summarize typical thresholds for salary and annual taxes when applying as a board member. Citizenship Network coordinates with Latvian counsel to confirm current metrics before filing. 

For EU-level context, the EU Immigration Portal also outlines Latvia’s self-employment rules, fee tiers for processing speed, and ongoing income/tax expectations. We still anchor advice to OCMA’s pages, but this portal is a useful checklist for clients. 

Route 3: Latvia Golden Visa by Latvian Company Investment (€50,000)

The share-capital investor article on OCMA’s site is the source of truth: invest €50,000 in a qualifying small company or €100,000 in larger companies, plus pay a €10,000 one-time state-budget contribution. A single company can host up to 10 foreign investors if each meets the rule. OCMA also lists subsistence requirements and standard documents. Citizenship Network structures these cases with licensed Latvian partners so the company criteria and investor cap are crystal-clear before you wire a cent. 

Documents and timelines at a glance

Common documents across the three routes include passport copies, application form, photo, proof of subsistence, and state-duty payment confirmation. Each ground then adds its own extras (e.g., notarized business plan for self-employed; non-cash proof and appraisal for real estate; share-capital proof and €10,000 receipt for investors). Citizenship Network runs a pre-screen so OCMA doesn’t bounce your file for omissions. 

Processing speed: Latvia publishes fee tiers for standard vs. expedited examination. Clients choose cost vs. speed, and Citizenship Network sequences notarizations and translations accordingly. 

How long is the residence permit valid?

Validity depends on the ground and case specifics; OCMA indicates up to five years for some investment grounds, with renewals tied to continued eligibility. Citizenship Network sets compliance reminders for renewals and helps clients keep documents, taxes, and insurance current. 

Key compliance notes for 2025 applicants

• Nationality-specific restrictions: Since 2022, first-time TRPs for Russian and Belarusian citizens have faced suspensions and added checks; in 2025 a law bans those citizens (and certain entities) from purchasing real estate in Latvia. We run nationality and sanctions screening at the start. 

• Real estate conditions are precise: eligible locations, cadastral values, non-cash settlement, and the 5% state-budget payment are not negotiable. Citizenship Network ensures contract and payments align with OCMA requirements before submission. 

• Company investment rules are capped: max 10 foreign investors per company, each meeting the €50,000 + €10,000 requirement. We confirm share issuance and state-budget payment evidence in the file. 

Step-by-step with Citizenship Network

1. KYC and feasibility: identity, source of funds, nationality screening, sanctions checks, route selection.

2. Investment prep: property due diligence and contract review, or company-side documentation, or share-capital increase mechanics.

3. File build: sworn translations, notarizations, business plan audit if self-employed, subsistence and insurance.

4. OCMA submission and responses to queries.

5. Decision and post-approval: real estate route pays 5% state-budget fee at first TRP decision; company-investment route documents the €10,000 state-budget payment. Citizenship Network handles couriering, card issuance logistics, and renewal calendar. 

FAQs

Is the €50,000 route “passive” or “active”?

It’s a share-capital investment in a Latvian commercial company. Expect corporate substance and ongoing compliance; OCMA also limits the number of foreign investors per company to 10. Citizenship Network verifies structure and filings with local counsel. 

Can I include family members?

Family reunification is possible under standard Latvian rules; your file needs added kinship documents and subsistence for dependents. Citizenship Network bundles this into the initial dossier. See OCMA’s document lists on each route’s page. 

How fast is it?

Latvia offers different examination fee tiers for 30 days, 10 working days, and 5 working days. We plan document prep to match your chosen tier. Final timelines are set by OCMA. 

Can Russian or Belarusian citizens use the real estate route?

Under the law adopted 19 June 2025, they cannot acquire real estate in Latvia, with limited exceptions. This blocks new property purchases for that route. Citizenship Network will evaluate alternative legal grounds if available under current rules. 

Why work with Citizenship Network

Professional immigration is 20% paperwork and 80% preventing mistakes before they happen. Citizenship Network builds Latvia files on the regulator’s own checklists, not hearsay, and we coordinate with licensed Latvian partners so you get precise, defensible filings. That saves clients money and time, which beats drama every time.

• Document packs mapped to OCMA pages for each route. 

• Property/legal coordination so the sale contract, appraisals, and payments meet non-cash and cadastral rules. 

• Company structuring that respects the 10-investor cap and state-budget contributions. 

Talk to Citizenship Network to structure your Latvia plan: property, company setup, or the €50,000 investment. We’ll tell you exactly what’s doable, what’s efficient, and what to skip.