Latvia · Startup Visa
Latvia Startup Visa for Non-EU Founders
Latvia's startup visa is a temporary residence permit for founders from outside the EU who are building innovative, scalable businesses. It lasts up to three years, covers up to five founders per startup and continues under the Immigration Law in force since 15 September 2026.
- Startup route
- Startup visa (start-up temporary residence permit)
- Minimum capital
- No fixed minimum; year-one funding or progress report
- Permanent residence
- 5 years of legal residence
- Citizenship
- 5 years after obtaining permanent status
Start-up temporary residence permit (startup visa)
Status: Continued under the Immigration Law in force since 15 September 2026.
Latvia's startup visa is not a visa in the strict sense but a temporary residence permit for foreign founders who want to build an innovative, scalable product in Latvia. It is granted for up to three years to a maximum of five founders of the same startup. LIAA, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, invites founders to email a short description of the idea before applying, an optional check of whether it qualifies. The application itself goes to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Latvia or to the consular section of a Latvian embassy, together with a three-year activity plan and proof of subsistence funds. Under the 2026 Immigration Law, the only nationality restriction covers citizens of countries on a Cabinet of Ministers list for additional checks.
- Validity
- Up to 3 years
- Founders per startup
- Up to 5
- Processing time
- About 30 days at the standard fee; faster tiers cost more
- Government fee
- Varies by processing speed; confirm with OCMA
- Family
- Spouse and children can join the founder
- Leads to
- EU long-term resident status after 5 years
Requirements
- Non-EU citizenship and a nationality that is not on the Cabinet of Ministers list for additional checks.
- A free-form description of an innovative, scalable product or service, plus a detailed three-year commercial activity plan.
- Proof of subsistence funds for twelve months, shown through a bank statement.
- A criminal record statement, a valid passport and a recent photograph.
- A valid Schengen visa covering the whole application period when applying from inside Latvia.
- After approval, annual health insurance, a tuberculosis screening certificate from a Latvian clinic and proof of a Latvian address.
How to apply
- Optionally email a short description of the startup idea to LIAA to check whether it qualifies.
- Book an appointment with an OCMA division in Latvia or the consular section of a Latvian embassy.
- Submit the application in person with the activity plan, funds evidence, criminal record statement and proof of fee payment.
- After approval, provide the insurance, medical and address documents and pay the permit issuance fee.
- Collect the residence permit at OCMA with the decision letter and passport.
Conditions after arrival
Holding the permit comes with obligations. The founder must be registered as a board member of a newly established Latvian company, may own shares, but may not take employment in Latvia or sit on the board of another Latvian company. LIAA's published guidance expects the startup, within its first year, to attract more than EUR 30,000 from a venture capital fund or more than EUR 15,000 from an accelerator or business angel. Where no such investment arrives, the founder files a progress report and a committee decides whether the permit is renewed.
What changed on 15 September 2026
Latvia adopted an entirely new Immigration Law on 20 August 2026, published on 1 September and in force since 15 September 2026. The start-up ground survived the overhaul and was opened to a wider range of nationalities, with restrictions now limited to citizens of countries designated by the Cabinet of Ministers for additional checks. First-time temporary residence applications may be filed in Latvian or English, while renewals must be in Latvian. Fees, subsistence amounts and document lists published under the old law may be revised, so founders should check OCMA's current figures before applying.
Questions and answers
Do I have to contact LIAA before applying?
No. LIAA describes its pre-check as optional: founders may send a free-form description of the startup idea to the agency's startup team to learn whether it qualifies. The residence permit application itself is filed with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs or a Latvian embassy, and OCMA decides on the permit.
Can I work for another company while holding the startup permit?
No. LIAA's guidance states that a startup permit holder may not be employed in Latvia or serve on the board of another Latvian company, although holding shares is allowed. The founder's role is to sit on the board of the newly established startup company to which the permit is tied.
What if the startup raises no investment in its first year?
Raising funds is not the only way to keep the permit. If no venture capital, accelerator or business angel investment arrives within the first year, the founder submits a progress report and a committee decides whether the permit is renewed. The report should show that the company is still developing its innovative product.
Is the Latvian startup visa still available after the 2026 law?
Yes. The Immigration Law that took effect on 15 September 2026 kept a residence ground for startup founders and narrowed the nationality restriction to citizens of countries on a Cabinet of Ministers list. Investment-based routes, by contrast, were cut back, with the real estate and bank liability grounds closed to new applicants.
Official sources
- Start Your Venture in Startup-Friendly Latvia - latvia.euwww.latvia.eu
- Start-up support program - LIAAwww.latvia.eu
- Innovative product creation or development (start-up activities) - OCMAwww.pmlp.gov.lv
- New Immigration Law Takes Effect: Key Changes and Regulations - OCMAwww.pmlp.gov.lv
- Imigracijas likums (Immigration Law) - likumi.lvlikumi.lv
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Latvia.
Startup visa
Residence permit of up to 3 years for up to 5 founders of one startup
02Temporary residence
Yearly progress reporting; investor permits now run up to 2 years
03Permanent residence
EU long-term resident status after 5 years, with Latvian language
04Citizenship
5 years after permanent status; tests on language, history and Satversme