Who can apply for the Latvia digital nomad visa?

Third-country nationals employed by an employer registered in an OECD member state, or registered as self-employed in one, who have held that employment or business for at least six months and can do the work remotely from Latvia. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa. Russian citizens cannot use the self-employed route and face extra restrictions. Latvia's remote-work long-stay visa lets non-EU nationals employed by, or self-employed in, an OECD member state live in Latvia for a year while working remotely. You need six months with that employer or business, income of at least 2.5 times the Latvian average gross salary (EUR 4,213 a month in 2026) and EUR 42,600 of health cover; the state fee is EUR 90 and OCMA decides within 15 days.

How much does the Digital nomad long-stay visa (remote work D visa) cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $101 (EUR 90 state fee for a national long-stay (D) visa (EUR 180 if filed in Latvia less than three working days before your stay expires)); OCMA's visa fee table sets EUR 90 for requesting a category D visa; embassies and VFS centres charge the same EUR 90 plus any courier or service charge. The fee is paid before submission and is not refunded on refusal. Processing time: 2 weeks to 9 weeks. OCMA examines a D-visa request within 15 days, or within 60 days when additional information or checks are needed; consular applications and prior-consultation nationalities can take longer.

Does my employer have to be in Latvia or the EU for the Latvia digital nomad visa?

Neither. The employer, or your self-employed business, must be registered in any OECD member state, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico and most of Europe, and you must have worked there for at least six months. Employers outside the OECD do not qualify.

Can I work for a Latvian company on the remote-work visa?

No. OCMA states that recipients of the remote-work visa have no right to employment in Latvia; the visa covers only remote work for the foreign employer or business named in the application.

Digital nomad visa · Europe

Latvia digital nomad visa 2026: requirements and cost

Latvia's remote-work long-stay visa lets non-EU nationals employed by, or self-employed in, an OECD member state live in Latvia for a year while working remotely. You need six months with that employer or business, income of at least 2.5 times the Latvian average gross salary (EUR 4,213 a month in 2026) and EUR 42,600 of health cover; the state fee is EUR 90 and OCMA decides within 15 days.

Official name: Ilgtermiņa vīza attālinātā darba veikšanai (long-stay visa for remote work, Immigration Law). Facts updated 2026-10-04 · Not yet reviewed by a person · Dataset 2026.10.7.

Who can apply: Non-EU/EEA citizens; Third-country nationals employed by an employer registered in an OECD member state, or registered as self-employed in one, who have held that employment or business for at least six months and can do the work remotely from Latvia. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa. Russian citizens cannot use the self-employed route and face extra restrictions.
Minimum income: $4,729/month; EUR 4,213/month (2.5x the average monthly gross salary of employees in the previous year, per the Central Statistical Bureau)
Fee: about $101; EUR 90 state fee for a national long-stay (D) visa (EUR 180 if filed in Latvia less than three working days before your stay expires)
Processing time: 2 weeks to 9 weeks
Initial stay: 1 year, renewable
Where to apply: Consulate, then in the country; Latvian embassy or consulate (often via a VFS visa centre) in your country of residence, or by post or in person to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA/PMLP) Migration Division in Riga if you are already lawfully in Latvia.

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Compiled from the official pages listed below, last read on 2026-10-04. A named person has not yet re-checked it; treat it as a starting point and confirm with the source before you apply.

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Who can apply

Third-country nationals employed by an employer registered in an OECD member state, or registered as self-employed in one, who have held that employment or business for at least six months and can do the work remotely from Latvia. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa. Russian citizens cannot use the self-employed route and face extra restrictions.

What you need

Completed and signed visa application (e-form), with one photograph not older than six months
Valid passport, issued within the last ten years with at least two blank pages (a copy if applying by post)
Health insurance policy valid in Latvia and the Schengen area with a liability limit of at least EUR 42,600
Documents confirming your expected place of residence in Latvia (lease, property deed, hotel booking or host statement with address and period)
Employees: certificate of current employment issued by the tax administration or social-insurance institution of the OECD member state
Employees: employer's statement confirming at least six months' employment, the salary (at least EUR 4,213 a month) and that the duties can be performed remotely
Self-employed: OECD-country tax-authority document certifying at least six months of self-employed income at or above EUR 4,213 a month
Proof of payment of the EUR 90 state fee

Income proof: Employees must show a salary, and self-employed people six months of income, of at least the previous year's average monthly gross salary multiplied by 2.5; OCMA's page updated 11 February 2026 puts this at EUR 4,213 (it was EUR 3,192.50 in 2022). Converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).

Family: The remote-work visa has no family category; a spouse who is also a remote worker for an OECD-registered employer can apply for their own visa, and other family members would need a visa or residence permit on a separate basis.

Cost and timeline

Minimum income	$4,729/monthEUR 4,213/month (2.5x the average monthly gross salary of employees in the previous year, per the Central Statistical Bureau)
Fee	about $101OCMA's visa fee table sets EUR 90 for requesting a category D visa; embassies and VFS centres charge the same EUR 90 plus any courier or service charge. The fee is paid before submission and is not refunded on refusal.
Processing time	2 weeks to 9 weeksOCMA examines a D-visa request within 15 days, or within 60 days when additional information or checks are needed; consular applications and prior-consultation nationalities can take longer.
Stay	1 year, renewable

How to apply

Consulate, then in the country. Latvian embassy or consulate (often via a VFS visa centre) in your country of residence, or by post or in person to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA/PMLP) Migration Division in Riga if you are already lawfully in Latvia.

Confirm your employer or self-employment is registered in an OECD country and has existed for at least six months, and that your pay or income reaches EUR 4,213 a month.
Obtain the OECD-country documents: a tax or social-insurance certificate of current employment plus an employer statement on tenure, pay and remote work (employees), or a tax-authority certificate of six months of self-employed income (self-employed).
Buy health insurance valid in Latvia and the Schengen area with cover of at least EUR 42,600, and secure proof of accommodation in Latvia.
Complete the e-visa questionnaire, pay the EUR 90 state fee and submit the file with passport and photo at the Latvian embassy or VFS centre, or to OCMA in Riga if you are lawfully in Latvia.
Receive the one-year D visa within about 15 days; before it expires you may request a repeat remote-work visa or, without leaving, a residence permit on another basis.

After you arrive

Renewal: A long-stay (D) visa is issued for up to one year. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs states that a repeat remote-work visa for another year can be requested; the pages read set no overall cap, though the visa itself never becomes a residence permit.

Residence: A visa is not a residence permit. Time on the remote-work visa does not build toward Latvian permanent residence or EU long-term resident status, which require five years on residence permits; you would need to switch to a residence permit on another basis.

Taxes

You become a Latvian tax resident after 183 days in any 12-month period and are then taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates (25.5% and 33% in 2026); the visa gives no right to work for Latvian employers and does not bring Latvian social insurance or benefits.

In practice

The route is dedicated and in force since 29 June 2022 (Immigration Law amendments), so the dataset's old 'no nomad visa' entry was wrong; the limitation is that only OECD-country employers and self-employment count.
Russian citizens may only use the employee route and face extra scrutiny; Latvian missions accept Russian and Belarusian applications only in limited family or humanitarian cases.
Latvian embassies abroad outsource intake to VFS Global in many countries; the state fee stays EUR 90 but VFS adds a service charge and courier fees.
Riga hosts almost all of Latvia's remote-work community; the visa is a Schengen D visa, so you can spend 90 in 180 days elsewhere in Schengen.

For your passport

Choose your passport in the ranker and the notes that apply to you move to the top.

EU, EEA, CH:You do not need a visa. Register with OCMA for a registration certificate after 90 days in Latvia.
US, GB, CA, AU, NZ, JP:Visa-free for 90 days in Schengen; you can apply at the Latvian embassy or VFS centre in your home country before travelling, or, if lawfully in Latvia, by post to OCMA at least three working days before your visa-free stay ends.
RU, BY:Latvian missions accept visa applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens only in narrow family or humanitarian cases, and Russian citizens are excluded from the self-employed remote-work route.
All other passports:Apply at the Latvian diplomatic mission responsible for your country; some nationalities are subject to prior consultation and must complete an extra questionnaire, which lengthens processing.

Cities in Latvia on Nostos

Riga
Balanced score 67 · $1,793/month

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Frequently asked

Who can apply for the Latvia digital nomad visa?: Third-country nationals employed by an employer registered in an OECD member state, or registered as self-employed in one, who have held that employment or business for at least six months and can do the work remotely from Latvia. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa. Russian citizens cannot use the self-employed route and face extra restrictions. Latvia's remote-work long-stay visa lets non-EU nationals employed by, or self-employed in, an OECD member state live in Latvia for a year while working remotely. You need six months with that employer or business, income of at least 2.5 times the Latvian average gross salary (EUR 4,213 a month in 2026) and EUR 42,600 of health cover; the state fee is EUR 90 and OCMA decides within 15 days.
How much income do you need for the Digital nomad long-stay visa (remote work D visa)?: About $4,729 per month (EUR 4,213/month (2.5x the average monthly gross salary of employees in the previous year, per the Central Statistical Bureau)). Employees must show a salary, and self-employed people six months of income, of at least the previous year's average monthly gross salary multiplied by 2.5; OCMA's page updated 11 February 2026 puts this at EUR 4,213 (it was EUR 3,192.50 in 2022). Converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).
How much does the Digital nomad long-stay visa (remote work D visa) cost and how long does it take?: The fee is about $101 (EUR 90 state fee for a national long-stay (D) visa (EUR 180 if filed in Latvia less than three working days before your stay expires)); OCMA's visa fee table sets EUR 90 for requesting a category D visa; embassies and VFS centres charge the same EUR 90 plus any courier or service charge. The fee is paid before submission and is not refunded on refusal. Processing time: 2 weeks to 9 weeks. OCMA examines a D-visa request within 15 days, or within 60 days when additional information or checks are needed; consular applications and prior-consultation nationalities can take longer.
How long can you stay in Latvia on the Digital nomad long-stay visa (remote work D visa), and can it be renewed?: 1 year, renewable. A long-stay (D) visa is issued for up to one year. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs states that a repeat remote-work visa for another year can be requested; the pages read set no overall cap, though the visa itself never becomes a residence permit.
Does the Digital nomad long-stay visa (remote work D visa) lead to permanent residence in Latvia?: Not by itself. A visa is not a residence permit. Time on the remote-work visa does not build toward Latvian permanent residence or EU long-term resident status, which require five years on residence permits; you would need to switch to a residence permit on another basis.
Can family members come with you on the Digital nomad long-stay visa (remote work D visa)?: The remote-work visa has no family category; a spouse who is also a remote worker for an OECD-registered employer can apply for their own visa, and other family members would need a visa or residence permit on a separate basis.
Do you pay tax in Latvia on the Digital nomad long-stay visa (remote work D visa)?: You become a Latvian tax resident after 183 days in any 12-month period and are then taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates (25.5% and 33% in 2026); the visa gives no right to work for Latvian employers and does not bring Latvian social insurance or benefits.
Where do you apply for the Digital nomad long-stay visa (remote work D visa)?: Consulate, then in the country: Latvian embassy or consulate (often via a VFS visa centre) in your country of residence, or by post or in person to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA/PMLP) Migration Division in Riga if you are already lawfully in Latvia.
Does my employer have to be in Latvia or the EU for the Latvia digital nomad visa?: Neither. The employer, or your self-employed business, must be registered in any OECD member state, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico and most of Europe, and you must have worked there for at least six months. Employers outside the OECD do not qualify.
Can I work for a Latvian company on the remote-work visa?: No. OCMA states that recipients of the remote-work visa have no right to employment in Latvia; the visa covers only remote work for the foreign employer or business named in the application.

Sources

Obtaining a long-stay visa for remote work, Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvalde, Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (pmlp.gov.lv) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · OECD-employer rule, one-year visa, document list, 2.5x average gross salary = EUR 4,213 (updated 11 February 2026), EUR 42,600 insurance, no right to employment in Latvia
State fees for the issuance of a visa and services related thereto, Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (pmlp.gov.lv) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · EUR 90 state fee for a national long-stay (D) visa, EUR 180 for late filing
Extension of visa: receipt of D visa, Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (pmlp.gov.lv) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · D visa valid up to one year, 15-day examination (60 days with checks), filing by post to OCMA three working days before expiry, switching to a residence permit without leaving
The government approves the regulation of the remote work visas, Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (pmlp.gov.lv) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Six-month employment requirement, 2.5 average salaries, no employment or social-insurance rights in Latvia, repeat visa for another year
Application for a national long-stay visa (D-type) at the OCMA, Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, visa guide (vizucelvedis.pmlp.gov.lv) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Remote-work purposes for employees and self-employed (Russian citizens excluded from the latter), accepted proofs of accommodation
Applying for a long-stay (D) visa, Embassy of Latvia to the USA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.gov.lv) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Consular intake through VFS centres, EUR 90 fee, passport and photo rules, prior-consultation questionnaire, restrictions for Russian and Belarusian citizens

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