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LATVIA – Updates on immigration regulations and fees.
January 20, 2025
By: Charlotte Branigan, Associate, Newland Chase Advisory.
Effective January 1st, 2025, new amendments to Latvia’s Regulations on the Employment of Foreigners introduced additional requirements for job vacancy publications. Additionally, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers has approved new regulations on state fees for migration services, increased state fees for the issuance of identification documents, and implemented a 25% increase in consular fees at diplomatic representations abroad, all effective January 1, 2025.
Updates to Regulations on the Employment of Foreigners.
As of January 1st, 2025, new amendments to the Regulations on the Employment of Foreigners in Latvia have introduced additional requirements for publishing job vacancies. Previously, employers were required to publish a vacancy on the State Employment Agency’s portal for 10 working days before submitting a job offer. However, under the new regulations, employers must now comply with additional steps:
- Employers must justify the number of vacancies and provide reasons for rejecting candidates within 10 days.
- Before submitting a job offer, employers must obtain an opinion from the State Employment Agency.
These changes aim to increase transparency, ensure fair evaluation of candidates, and ensure that the vacancy and foreign worker’s skills align with the submitted documents.
Updates to immigration fees.
The Latvian Cabinet of Ministers has also approved new regulations that will increase consular fees by 25% at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ diplomatic representations abroad, effective January 1, 2025.
- The fee for forwarding and scanning documents for submission to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs for residence permit applications will increase from €40 to €50.
- The fee for accepting and forwarding documents through diplomatic missions for work-related residence permit applications will rise from €110 to €140.
These changes apply exclusively to consular fees at embassies. Additional adjustments related to fees for invitations and foreign nationals’ applications were outlined in a previous announcement.
Finally, there has also been new regulations on state fees for migration services and issuance of identification documents, effective January 1, 2025. These changes will increase the costs for the following: invitations, long-term visas, residence permits and EU permanent resident status applications.
Newland Chase insights.
While these measures aim to enhance transparency and ensure a fairer hiring process, they also increase administrative burdens on employers seeking to hire foreign talent. For multinational corporations and businesses relying on international expertise, these added layers of compliance will necessitate more robust documentation and process management, potentially elongating hiring timelines. Companies operating in Latvia must adapt quickly by revisiting their hiring workflows and collaborating with immigration consultants to mitigate delays and maintain compliance.
Organizations must account for these additional consular costs and fees in their global mobility budgets. While this could discourage small enterprises from expanding operations or hiring foreign talent, larger firms with established mobility programs might absorb these costs more effectively. For all stakeholders, these changes underscore the growing importance of strategic travel and immigration management, particularly in light of global trends highlighting increased risk prioritization and cost control in corporate travel programs. Contact Newland Chase today for expert support and advice.
This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.