LV
Latvia · Latvijas Pilsonība pēc Izcelsmes · Citizenship by Descent
Latvian citizens on 17 June 1940 and qualifying descendants may register as citizens if they or the relevant ancestor fled Soviet or German occupation or were deported between 17 June 1940 and 4 May 1990 and did not return to Latvia for permanent residence by 4 May 1990. Further descendants must have been born before 1 October 2014. Applicants retain their current citizenship; no residence or language test is specified for this route.
The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs requires applications to be sent by post. Its current guidance gives a decision period of four months after receipt of all required documents. Applicants must document the qualifying exile or deportation and the family relationship to a Latvian citizen on 17 June 1940. Foreign public documents generally require legalization and Latvian translation; exemptions apply to specified European jurisdictions. The 1 October 2014 birth cutoff applies to descendants registering under Section 8¹(2). Latvian passports are valid for different periods by age; the recorded 10 years is the term for adults over 20. The passport fee is the standard adult fee, converted from EUR 50 at the ECB reference rate of EUR 1 = USD 1.1269 on 6 October 2026 and rounded to the nearest dollar; reduced fees and expedited service differ.
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Last changed Oct 9, 2026 Source
removed dependent-child age representation and marked revocation possible based on the Citizenship Law's false-information ground Source
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