Temporary protection: Latvia
🛰️ Varta monitors 11 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: Law on Support for Civilians of Ukraine (Ukrainas civiliedzīvotāju atbalsta likums) + EU Directive 2001/55/EC; under the 21.11.2024 amendments the status is granted as a 3-year temporary residence permit • status valid until 04/03/2027 • already extended until 04/03/2028
Steps
- 1
Contact a support centre after arrival
In Riga, primary services (document checks, initial housing, declaring your place of residence, visas and permits, social assistance, school and kindergarten enrolment) are provided at the support centres for Ukrainian residents at Eduarda Smiļģa iela 46 and Daugavpils iela 31.
📍 Riga support centre or your local municipality⏰ As soon as possible after arrival💳 Free - 2
Apply for temporary protection status
The status is granted as a 3-year temporary residence permit. You can submit: 1) in person at a support centre or at state/municipal customer service centres (pakalpojumucentri.lv); 2) by mail to a territorial PMLP office; 3) electronically with a secure e-signature to pasts@pmlp.gov.lv.
▸ More details›
Processing can take up to 3 months.📍 PMLP (Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs)⏰ Before your current document expires (apply in advance)💳 Free (confirm with PMLP) - 3
Collect your eID card
Once approved, visit the nearest territorial PMLP office to have the residence permit eID card issued. The card is produced within 10 working days after the visit.
📍 Territorial PMLP office⏰ After the approval notification💳 Free (confirm with PMLP) - 4
Apply for social assistance
At the municipal social service you can receive the one-time crisis benefit (EUR 425 per adult, EUR 298 per child), housing benefit and the guaranteed minimum income. For the first 3 months — no means assessment. Child benefits are granted by VSAA.
📍 Municipal social service / VSAA⏰ After receiving the status💳 Free - 5
Housing and school
If needed, the state provides accommodation for up to 60 days and meals for up to 30 days (vulnerable groups — up to 180 days, extendable); this support runs until 31.12.2026. Enrol children in school or kindergarten — in Riga this can be done at the support centre.
📍 Municipality / support centre⏰ Immediately after arrival💳 Free - 6
Extend your status on time
Track the validity of your visa or permit: after 04.03.2025 a valid residence permit is required for lawful stay. PMLP continues to accept status extension applications; processing takes up to 3 months, so apply early to avoid losing access to benefits and services.
📍 PMLP (in person, by mail or with e-signature)⏰ Before your current document expires💳 Free (confirm with PMLP)
Documents
Copy of the travel document (foreign passport)
requiredIf you only have an internal passport or expired documents — contact PMLP and the Embassy of Ukraine in Riga about the procedure.
Application (free-form or questionnaire — depending on your previous status)
requiredForms are available at pmlp.gov.lv in Latvian and Ukrainian. Include your contact e-mail and phone.
Additional questionnaire for the competent state authorities
if availableMandatory only for this category of applicants.
Children’s birth certificates
if availableNeeded for the child’s status and VSAA child benefits.
Documents for benefits (bank account, certificates)
if availableFor VSAA and municipal social service payments provide a Latvian bank account.
Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
In Latin letters exactly as in your travel document.
Latvian personal code (if already assigned) or date of birth DD.MM.YYYY.
Attach a copy of the photo/data page of your foreign passport.
Provide e-mail, phone and actual address — PMLP will send the decision notification.
In person, by mail to a territorial PMLP office, or electronically with a secure e-signature to pasts@pmlp.gov.lv (a plain scan without e-signature is not accepted).
❌ Applying at the last moment (processing takes up to 3 months, causing a status gap) ❌ Travel document copy missing ❌ E-mail submission without a secure e-signature ❌ Russian/Belarusian citizens omitting the additional questionnaire
Name, surname, Latvian personal code, contacts — in PRINTED letters.
Name, surname, personal code and date of birth of each child.
Tick the ones you need: birth allowance (for children born in Latvia since 24.02.2022), childcare allowance, state family benefit.
Complete the second parent/guardian details where applicable.
Provide a Latvian account (IBAN starting with LV) — payments will be made to it.
❌ Not filled in printed letters ❌ Latvian bank account missing ❌ Second parent details omitted ❌ Submitted before the visa/permit was issued (benefits are only paid for the document’s validity period)
Benefits
One-time crisis benefit
Ukrainian civilians after applying for temporary protection.
How to apply: Apply to the municipal social service where you stay
Guaranteed minimum income (GMI)
Low-income households; first 3 months — without a means assessment.
How to apply: Municipal social service (which also grants the housing benefit: rent and utilities)
VSAA child benefits
Ukrainian civilians with children; paid for the period covered by the visa or permit.
How to apply: Form “Iesniegums pabalstiem par bērnu Ukrainas civiliedzīvotājam” (available in Ukrainian) — at VSAA customer centres
State accommodation and meals
Ukrainian civilians without housing; host households can receive EUR 100/month for the first person and EUR 50/month for each additional person (up to EUR 300/month).
How to apply: Via the municipality / support centre
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Where to apply
PMLP — Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (head office)
Riga support centre for Ukrainian residents
State and municipal unified customer service centres (VPVKAC)
Contacts
What happens after protection ends
The status is issued as a 3-year residence permit, so it may formally run beyond the end of the EU regime (04.03.2027) — follow government decisions. In parallel, build grounds for ordinary permits: employment, study, family ties. Note that time under temporary protection is generally not automatically counted towards permanent residence — check transition conditions with PMLP.
What happens when protection ends
These are options for the future — you will need to choose ONE, and not now.
These routes are available outside temporary protection — work, study, family, business, etc.
The description below is a general scheme, similar across countries. Check exact requirements, fees and timelines via the official link in each card — they differ by country and change over time.
💼 Work-based residence — Latvia
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: PMLP — Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (head office).
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
PMLP — Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (head office)
The employer or the applicant files; the immigration authority decides.
Before the current status or permit expires.
- Collect the card/decision
- Register address and social number
Renewable together with the contract.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🎓 Study — Latvia
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
PMLP — Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (head office)
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — Latvia
Spouse, children or relatives of a resident or citizen.
Marriage/birth certificates; housing; sponsor income.
- Foreign passport
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Sponsor income proof
- Proof of residence
PMLP — Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (head office)
The sponsor or family files; documents need apostille and translation.
Before the current status expires.
- Collect the family member card
Renewable; a path to permanent residence.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏢 Self-employment/business — Latvia
Company or self-employment registration; business plan or contracts.
Registration documents; tax number; funds; housing.
- Foreign passport
- Company/self-employment registration
- Business plan or contracts (optional)
- Proof of residence
PMLP — Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (head office)
Register the business, then apply for residence as an entrepreneur.
Before the current status expires.
- Tax registration and bank account
Tied to the company activity.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏠 Permanent residence — Latvia
Usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
Stable income; housing; integration/language per national rules.
- Foreign passport
- Income proof
- Proof of residence
- Language/integration certificate (optional)
PMLP — Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (head office)
Apply once the required residence period is met.
After the required residence period is met.
- Obtain permanent resident status
Permanent status; card replaced periodically.
Temporary protection time often counts towards the period (per national rules).
Opportunities: housing, jobs, grants
7 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
Do I need to do anything to keep my protection after the current period?
Latvia has no common 4 March 2027 cut-off: residence permits are issued for three years, so your personal deadline is the date printed on your eID card — check it. Nothing renews automatically; you must apply for a new permit yourself at the OCMA (e-mail with a secure e-signature to pasts@pmlp.gov.lv, by post to any territorial division, or at a VPVKAC one-stop service centre) well in advance, since processing takes up to three months. Where: Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvalde (PMLP / OCMA), Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 1, k-3, Riga; tel. +371 67209400. Procedure page: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/lv/pagaidu-aizsardzibas-statusa-pagarinasana. You can submit documents without a visit: (1) by e-mail to pasts@pmlp.gov.lv, signing each document with a secure e-signature; (2) by ordinary post to the address of any territorial division. All submission options are on the procedure page. Important: The absence of dates is deliberate, and it is the key point of the Latvian answer. Latvia has decoupled its national deadline from the EU date: under Art. 3(2) of the law the permit is issued for three years from the date of issue, so everyone's end date is their own and is printed on their eID card (for most people who re-registered during the wave from late 2024 to March 2025 it falls somewhere between late 2027 and early 2028). The OCMA does not announce an official "application window": the only guidance is to apply as early as possible, because decisions take up to three months. Source: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/es-pagarina-pagaidu-aizsardzibu-lidz-2028-gadam-ieviesot-jaunas-prasibas-karaklausibas-pieradisanai (checked 03.09.2026).
How do I extend my temporary protection status?
Submit to PMLP a copy of your travel document and an application (Russian/Belarusian citizens — also the additional questionnaire): in person at a service centre, by mail, or e-signed to pasts@pmlp.gov.lv. Processing takes up to 3 months, so apply early. Once approved, collect the eID card at a territorial PMLP office (production takes 10 working days). The new status is valid for 3 years.
I only have an internal or non-biometric passport. What should I do?
A copy of your travel document is attached to the application. If you have no foreign passport or it has expired, contact PMLP (+371 6720 9400) about possible alternatives and the Embassy of Ukraine in Riga (Kalpaka bulvāris 3) to obtain or renew a passport.
Can I work in Latvia?
Yes, Ukrainian civilians with temporary protection status have the right to work. The State Employment Agency (NVA) provides free job placement help, career counselling and Latvian language courses.
What benefits are available in 2026?
One-time crisis benefit — EUR 425 per adult and EUR 298 per child (municipal social service); GMI — EUR 187/month for the first person and EUR 131 for the next; housing benefit; VSAA child benefits; food and hygiene packages (ESF+). Accommodation up to 60 days and meals up to 30 days — until 31.12.2026. Increasingly, support is provided through the general system available to all Latvian residents.
Can I visit Ukraine without losing my status?
There are no clear published rules on short trips. The residence permit formally remains valid, but a lasting return to Ukraine may affect your status and benefits. Before travelling, check the consequences with PMLP (+371 6720 9400) and inform the social service if you receive payments.
- PMLP — Продовження статусу тимчасового захисту ✓
- Labklājības ministrija — Про підтримку цивільних мешканців України ✓
- VSAA — Допомоги цивільним мешканцям України ✓
- Rīga — Послуги громадянам України ✓
- ukraine-latvia.com — довідник НУО «Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem»
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.