Latvian citizenship by descent: Latvian roots and keeping your passport

In brief

• There are two descent routes: one for Latvians and Livs, and one for descendants of people who were Latvian citizens on 17 June 1940.
• A Latvian or Liv registers as a citizen if an ancestor lived in Latvia at any time between 1881 and 17 June 1940, if they are Latvian or Liv by ethnicity themselves and speak Latvian fluently.
• Latvians and Livs can keep any previous citizenship. Descendants of pre-war citizens keep EU, EFTA, NATO, Australian, Brazilian and New Zealand citizenship, and exiles and their descendants keep any.
• The language test is taken in Latvia. Those who received more than half of their primary education in Latvian are exempt.
• For Latvians and Livs a decision is due within one year of the Office receiving all documents; for descendants of 1940 citizens, within one month.

Two descent routes

Latvia's Citizenship Law rests on the idea of restored statehood. Latvia sees itself as the continuation of the republic that existed until 17 June 1940, so citizenship is recognised for pre-war citizens and their descendants. Separately, the law protects the constituent nation, the Latvians, and the indigenous people, the Livs. Hence two different routes, which should not be confused because their documents and requirements differ.

The first route suits people with Latvians in their family, even if their ancestors were never citizens of independent Latvia. What matters is that the ancestor lived in its territory for at least some time between 1881 and 17 June 1940. The second route suits those whose ancestor was a Latvian citizen on 17 June 1940, regardless of ethnicity. This could be, for example, a descendant of a Russian, Jewish or German resident of pre-war Riga who held Latvian citizenship.

What this means for you. First work out what you can prove: your ancestor's ethnicity and life in Latvia, or their citizenship in 1940. That decides which route to take and whether you need the language exam.

The route for Latvians and Livs

To register as a citizen as a Latvian or Liv, three conditions must all be met. First, you have an ancestor who lived in the territory of Latvia at any time between 1881 and 17 June 1940. Second, you yourself belong to the Latvians or the Livs. Third, you speak Latvian fluently. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs describes this as being able to fully understand everyday and official information, speak freely and answer questions on common topics.

Ethnicity is often the hardest point. In Soviet documents it was recorded in passports and civil registration records, and the Office accepts these entries. If there is no document on a parent's or grandparent's ethnicity, you can attach a USSR passport, civil records, a court ruling or a written explanation with confirmation that you belong to the Latvian community where you live abroad. Such confirmation is issued, for example, by Latvian parishes and diaspora organisations.

Children under 15 can acquire citizenship at the same time as a parent. A legal representative signs the application for them, and there are separate forms for children and for applicants over 15.

This is repatriation in its pure form: citizenship is recognised by descent rather than granted for years of residence, as with naturalisation. You do not need to live in Latvia before applying, but you will need to really know the language.

The Latvian language test

Fluency is confirmed by a test. It is taken in Latvia: after the documents are reviewed, a regional division or the Persons Status Control Division sets a date and time. The Office publishes a description of the test separately. The description of the route for Latvians and Livs does not state a level on the European scale, and the word "fluent" means preparation must be serious.

There are two exemptions from the test. If you received more than half of your primary education in Latvian. And if you have already confirmed fluency in Latvian within five years before applying. Everyone else will have to come to Latvia for the exam.

What this means for you. If you do not know the language, allow a year or more to prepare. Without the test or grounds for exemption this route cannot be completed, even if every archive document has been found.

The route for descendants of 1940 citizens

The second route requires neither ethnicity nor language. You need to prove that you or your ancestor were a Latvian citizen on 17 June 1940 and confirm your kinship. Suitable documents include civil registration records, 1935 census materials, tax and military records from the State Historical Archives and a pre-war Latvian citizen's passport.

A decision on this route is quick: within one month of the Office receiving the documents. But the dual citizenship restriction is stricter here than for Latvians and Livs. You can keep your previous passport if it is the citizenship of an EU, EFTA or NATO country, Australia, Brazil or New Zealand. Exiles and their descendants, meaning those who left Latvia during the occupation as refugees or were deported, can keep any citizenship. Others holding citizenship of another country will have to attach a document renouncing it.

What this means for you. For citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other countries outside this list, the second route usually means a choice between a Latvian passport and the previous one. The exceptions are exiles and their descendants, and the route for Latvians and Livs, where the previous citizenship is kept.

Which documents to gather

For the route for Latvians and Livs, the Office lists the application, an identity document, a birth certificate and documents proving the right to citizenship. If your surname changed, you will need marriage, divorce or name-change certificates. For children under 18 acquiring citizenship with you, their birth certificates.

The archives people usually start with. The Civil Registry Department of the Latvian Ministry of Justice issues records of birth, marriage and other events. The State Historical Archives hold 1935 census materials, tax, military and other records. If your roots run through the Soviet part of your family history, you will also need civil registry and archive records from the country where your parents and grandparents lived. Our archive search service helps with the search, and civil records can be ordered through our civil records service.

Foreign documents are translated into Latvian, except identity documents. Birth, marriage and name-change certificates must be legalised with an apostille or consular legalisation. The exception is public documents from EU and EEA countries, the UK excluding its overseas territories, and Switzerland. Our sworn translation service handles translation, our apostille service the apostille, and for countries outside the Hague Convention there is consular legalisation. If a document is lost, document recovery can help.

How to apply and how long it takes

Documents are sent by post to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, Persons Status Control Division, in Riga. You submit notarised and legalised copies or legalised originals. The original is legalised first, then a notarised copy is made from it. Some Latvian diplomatic and consular missions abroad accept documents; check this on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

If you sent originals, they can be returned by post. The Office lists a fee of 12.15 euros plus postage. For the route for Latvians and Livs, a decision is made within one year of the Office receiving all required documents. If something is missing, the clock starts later, so a complete package the first time saves months.

What this means for you. Send the complete package at once. The one-year period only runs from when the Office has all documents, and follow-up requests push it back.

Dual citizenship and notifications

Latvia does not allow dual citizenship for everyone. Latvian citizenship is kept by those who acquired the citizenship of another EU or EFTA country, another NATO country, Australia, Brazil or New Zealand. People registering as Latvians, Livs or exiles can keep any other citizenship. Children under 18 can hold dual citizenship with any country.

Keeping your previous passport under Latvian law is not the same as complying with your own country's rules. For example, a Russian citizen who acquires a second citizenship must notify the Russian Interior Ministry within 60 days. What this second citizenship notice is and what missing the deadline means is explained in our glossary. Another country's rules may be stricter: some states themselves withdraw citizenship when a second one is acquired.

What a Latvian passport gives you for travel is shown in the Latvia passport index, and which visas you need to enter Latvia now is in our section on visas for Latvia.

If citizenship does not fit

Not everyone with Latvian ancestors will be able to prove ethnicity or pass the language test. For descendants of Latvians and Livs from third countries there is another option: a residence permit. In its list of documents the Office names a document on the Latvian or Liv origin of a relative in the direct ascending line, a criminal record certificate, a plan of residence in Latvia and proof of means: the page states 500 euros a month for an adult and 150 euros for a child. The page was published in 2020, so check the amount before applying.

Other routes to Latvia are now stricter than a few years ago. Residence through property purchase has closed, as covered in our news on the closure of residence for property, and permits issued to investors are being checked; details in our news on the investor residence permit review. For business, registering a company in Latvia remains an option, and changes for Ukrainians are described in our news on permanent residence for Ukrainians.

If Latvian roots cannot be proven, look at other EU countries with a descent route: Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and Austria. We compared Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria by documents and timelines. Common applicant mistakes are collected in our article on mistakes in EU citizenship by descent, popular misconceptions in our article on myths, and reasons for refusal in our piece on descent refusals.

Where to start

All second citizenship programmes are on our citizenship page, and documents for the application are in our documents section. You can discuss your situation in an online consultation.

How this article was prepared

Sources: the Citizenship Law of Latvia as amended with effect from 1 October 2013; official guidance of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia (pmlp.gov.lv) for Latvians and Livs, for persons who were Latvian citizens on 17 June 1940 and their descendants, on dual citizenship and on residence permits for descendants of Latvians and Livs from third countries; Cabinet Regulation of 24 September 2013 on the procedure for registering a person as a Latvian citizen. Information as of 31 October 2026. Check requirements and fees on the Office's website before applying. This article is not a substitute for legal advice on your situation.