Latvia residence permit by investment under the Immigration Law in force from 15 September 2026
Latvia's new Immigration Law closed the €250,000 real-estate and €280,000 bank-deposit routes to new applicants on 15 September 2026. Two investment routes remain open: company share capital and a new €150,000 state alternative-investment-fund option. For most of our clients, the Hungary Guest Investor Programme or the Greece golden visa is now the more suitable option.
Figures verified 27 September 2026 · Licensed CICC consultant, Toronto
Latvia's residence-by-investment scheme began in 2010 and was, for a decade, the lowest-cost property-based golden visa in Schengen. The property threshold rose to €250,000 in 2014, and the route was suspended for Russian and Belarusian nationals after 2022. The new Immigration Law that entered into force on 15 September 2026 removed the real-estate purchase and the €280,000 bank-deposit routes for anyone who had not already filed. If you bought a Riga apartment for €250,000 in 2019 and hold a permit on it, nothing changes for you: the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) continues to renew existing permits while the investment is held. For prospective buyers the route has closed; a sale that completes now does not qualify.
We publish this page because much of the information still circulating on the Latvia golden visa is out of date. In summary: Latvia is no longer a passive-investment residence programme. It remains open to people who will run a Latvian company or who accept a five-year commitment to a state-approved fund.
Both routes lead to a five-year temporary residence permit for you, your spouse, minor children and dependent parents, renewable while the investment is kept.
€150,000
The fund is state-approved and invests in Latvia. Terms, fees and the list of eligible funds are still being settled; we confirm them before you commit.
€50,000
Renewal depends on the company's tax and employment record, so the company must carry on genuine business activity.
€100,000
Turnover and headcount thresholds apply; we confirm the current figures.
Government fees and thresholds are set by the 2026 law and PMLP; we quote them in writing. Figures verified 27 September 2026.
For a passive investor who wants an EU permit without running a business, these are the two programmes we most often recommend to former Latvia applicants.
| Programme | Minimum | Permit and stay | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latvia fund route | €150,000 plus €10,000, held 5 years | 5-year temporary residence; no stated stay, tied to investment | Newly introduced; expect a few months |
| Latvia company route | €50,000 plus €10,000; company must employ and pay tax | 5-year temporary residence; renewal depends on the business | 1–3 months once the company operates |
| Hungary Guest Investor Programme | €250,000 in real-estate fund units, held 5 years | 10-year permit, renewable once; no minimum stay | 2–4 months |
| Greece golden visa | €250,000 conversions; €400,000–€800,000 for ordinary property | 5-year permit, renewable while property is held; no minimum stay | Roughly 6–12 months |
Jane Katkova has advised on citizenship and residence by investment since 1998. We confirm eligibility, the complete fee schedule and the realistic processing time before you pay anything, and we advise against a programme when it does not fit your circumstances.
Photo: Darya Tryfanava / Unsplash
Photo: Tom Podmore / Unsplash
Photo: Raimond Klavins / Unsplash
Photo: Gints Gailis / UnsplashIf you planned to use Latvia as a low-cost Schengen foothold with an apartment in Riga, that option ended on 15 September 2026. What remains is a business or a fund commitment, and for a passive investor the Hungarian permit at €250,000 with ten years' validity, or a Greek property you can actually live in, now requires a similar outlay with fewer obligations. Tax is unchanged by any of these: you become Latvian tax resident only if you spend 183 or more days there or make it your centre of vital interests. The US–Latvia and Canada–Latvia treaties prevent most double taxation; Americans keep filing US returns, FBAR and FATCA regardless, and Canadians who sever ties face departure tax. One point in Latvia's favour: because the US and Canada are NATO members, Latvia lets their citizens keep their original passport if they ever naturalise.
The company route can work if you genuinely intend to run a Baltic business; a permit that depends on a company paying tax and employing staff is at risk if the business has no genuine activity. Russian and Belarusian nationals are not accepted. Nationals of India, China, Nigeria, Vietnam or Pakistan are eligible but should know that Latvia does not permit dual citizenship for their nationalities on naturalisation, so citizenship would mean renouncing your own. For an EU foothold with visa-free Schengen travel and no business to run, Hungary is the simpler file.
Thirty minutes with Jane Katkova, licensed CICC consultant, in Toronto. If Latvia's company or fund route fits, we say so; if Hungary or Greece meets your objective at a similar cost with less risk, we recommend that instead.
Only in part. The €250,000 real-estate and €280,000 bank-deposit routes closed to new applicants when the new Immigration Law took effect on 15 September 2026. The company share-capital route (€50,000 or €100,000 plus a €10,000 state fee) and a new €150,000 state alternative-investment-fund route with a €10,000 budget payment remain open.
No. A property purchase, at any price, no longer qualifies a new applicant for a residence permit. You may buy property in Latvia as a foreigner, but it does not carry a permit. People who obtained permits on property before 15 September 2026 keep renewing them while they hold the property.
They continue. PMLP renews permits based on the €250,000 property or the €280,000 deposit as long as the qualifying investment is maintained and the holder meets the ordinary conditions. Selling the property or withdrawing the deposit ends the basis for renewal, so we advise existing holders to plan a sale only after they have secured another status.
After about ten years: five on the temporary permit, then permanent residence, then naturalisation with a Latvian language test and a history and anthem test. Latvia allows dual citizenship on naturalisation only for citizens of EU, EFTA and NATO countries plus Australia, Brazil and New Zealand, so Americans and Canadians may keep their passport but most other nationalities must renounce.
For a passive EU permit with no minimum stay, Hungary's Guest Investor Programme (€250,000 in fund units, ten-year permit, two to four months) or Greece's golden visa (property from €250,000 for conversions) are the closest substitutes. Portugal costs more and takes longer but has the strongest citizenship path. We compare all three on the European residence page.
Compare them side by side: residence by investment programmes and European golden visas still open. Looking for a passport rather than a permit? See Grenada CBI programme or our childbirth in Canada service.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Programme rules change; we confirm every figure before you commit.
A confidential consultation with a licensed CICC consultant. We assess eligibility and total cost before you commit to any programme.