If you are a refugee from Ukraine in Latvia, please visit the website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia, which contains practical information in Ukrainian and English, as well as the website ‘Ukraine to Latvia’ with information for Ukrainians coming to Latvia, available in Ukrainian, English, Russian and Latvian. You can also contact the helpline of the Society Integration Fund at 📞 +371 27 380 380 (open 24/7: all hours of the day, all days of the week).
If you are in Poland, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Romania, or Bulgaria, please find on the Digital Blue Dot information about rights and services and where to find help. The site is also available in Ukrainian and Russian.
People arriving from Ukraine may be entitled to Temporary Protection in Latvia. You may be eligible for temporary protection in Latvia if you are a:
- citizen of Ukraine who used to live in Ukraine and had to flee the country either before, on or after 24 February 2022
- foreigner or stateless person in Ukraine who had refugee or other international protection status or a permanent residence permit in Ukraine
- a family member of any of the above
Under Latvian rules, the following are considered “family members”:
- a spouse or partner
- underage unmarried child
- other close relatives who lived in the same household and were dependent on the Ukrainian citizen
- a foreigner or stateless person who had refugee status or another international protection status in Ukraine
If you want information about the rights and entitlements of people with Temporary Protection in Latvia, please visit the official website ‘Ukraine to Latvia’, available in Ukrainian, English, Russian and Latvian.
You can easily apply for Temporary Protection when you arrive in Latvia through one of the following options:
- In person at the Central Support Center for the Residents of Ukraine, which operates as a one-stop service point, 📍at Kalku Street 1, Riga (office hours are 9.00 am-6.00 pm)
- In person at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) office in Riga (📍Čiekurkalnas 1. line 1, k-3, LV-1026) or at OCMA territorial offices (if you are outside Riga).
- By post or courier, send your documents to ✉️ OCMA Migration Division in Riga, Čiekurkalna 1. line 1, k-3, LV-1026 or any territorial division (if you are outside Riga).
In most cases, the decision is made immediately after the application. In that case, you will be issued the decision to grant temporary protection, which you can use to prove your status. This process takes about 10 business days and will be issued at the place where the request was made. The residence permit based on temporary protection lasts for one year.
Can I apply for a long-term visa?
The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs website includes information on how to apply for long-term visas for Ukrainians seeking protection in Latvia, either in person or by post (available in Ukrainian, English and Latvian).
You will need the following documents to apply for a long-term visa in Latvia:
- Copy of your passport (the page with your personal data and the pages with visas and/or border crossing marks related to your journey from Ukraine to Latvia).
- If you send documents by post, you need to include a 35mm x 45mm photo. You do not need a photo if you are submitting the documents in person.
- Long-term visa application form. For questions related to this form, please contact OCMA.
People who are not eligible for Temporary Protection
If you do not qualify for temporary protection, it may be possible for you to apply for asylum or remain in Latvia on other grounds, even if your visa waiver or visa has expired.
