Latvia has discussed a new residence permit route based on a €150,000 investment. That has already led to offers, summaries and confident claims online.
The short answer is simple: you cannot apply under this proposed route yet.
The Saeima adopted a new Immigration Law on 11 June 2026, but the President returned it for a second review on 19 June. On 23 July, Parliament set 20 August 2026 as the date for reconsidering the law. Until that review is completed and the final law enters into force, the €150,000 route is not an operational residence permit programme.
Current status — checked 30 July 2026
The proposal is still under parliamentary review. The deadline for submitting proposals to the second review closed on 28 July, and the Saeima is scheduled to reconsider the law on 20 August 2026.
There is no official application or reservation process for this route. This page will be reviewed and updated after an official outcome is published.
This article focuses only on the proposed €150,000 route. For the wider picture, including which immigration changes already apply, see our guide to Latvia’s immigration rules in 2026.
At a glance
- The proposed minimum investment is €150,000 for at least five years.
- A separate €10,000 payment to the state budget would be required.
- The investment would have to go through a state-established alternative investment fund manager.
- The proposed temporary residence permit could be issued for up to five years and would remain linked to the investment.
- The final wording may change when the Saeima reconsiders the law on 20 August 2026.
Where the proposal stands now
| Date | What happened | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 11 June 2026 | The Saeima adopted the new Immigration Law in its third reading. | The €150,000 provision was included in the adopted text, but the law had not yet entered into force. |
| 19 June 2026 | The President returned the law to the Saeima for a second review. | The proposed route did not become operational. |
| 23 July 2026 | The Saeima set the timetable for reconsideration. | The five-day proposal period ended on 28 July. Parliamentary review is scheduled for 20 August. |
| 20 August 2026 | The law is scheduled to return to the Saeima. | The provision may be revised, retained or removed. The final result is not known yet. |
The deadline for submitting proposals to the second review has already passed. The proposal has not disappeared, but it has not been approved in a form that applicants can use.
What the €150,000 proposal actually said
According to the provision described in the President’s letter, a foreign national could have applied for a temporary residence permit for up to five years if all of the following conditions were met:
- an investment agreement had been concluded;
- at least €150,000 had been transferred as an investment;
- the investment period was no shorter than five years;
- the investment was made through a state-established alternative investment fund manager;
- €10,000 had been paid into the state budget.
The permit would remain valid only while the fund manager confirmed that the investment agreement had not been terminated and the remaining investment balance was at least €150,000.
In practical terms, this was not a proposal to pay €150,000 for a residence card. The €150,000 was meant to remain invested, while the €10,000 state-budget payment was an additional requirement.
What paying €150,000 would and would not do
The proposed wording said that an investor could apply for a temporary residence permit. Even if the route enters into force, transferring the required amount would not by itself guarantee approval. The application would still be examined under Latvia’s immigration and security rules, while the final law and official procedure would determine the documents, checks and restrictions.
It was also a temporary residence proposal, not a citizenship-by-investment programme. The provision did not itself grant Latvian citizenship or permanent residence.
Why the President sent the provision back
The President’s letter identified practical gaps that could affect how the route works and who can use it.
Which citizenship restrictions would apply?
The President raised the treatment of Russian and Belarusian citizens. The adopted law contained restrictions concerning their access to temporary residence permits, but the new investment provision was not clearly cross-referenced in all the relevant places.
How would the origin of the money be checked?
The returned text did not fully explain how the origin of the invested funds would be verified. For a programme involving large international transfers, that cannot be left vague.
What could the investment money be used for?
The President asked whether the permitted uses of the investment needed to be defined more clearly. An applicant needs to know where the money goes, what it may finance and which rules protect the investment.
Were additional Cabinet rules needed?
The letter questioned whether the law was complete on its own or whether the Cabinet of Ministers needed authority to adopt more detailed implementation rules.
These are not minor drafting details. They affect eligibility, compliance, the safety of the investment and whether the authorities can operate the programme consistently.
How this differs from Latvia’s current investment routes
Latvia already has investment-related grounds for temporary residence permits. The proposed €150,000 fund route is a separate idea and should not be confused with them.
The Immigration Law currently in force lists investment in company share capital, qualifying real estate and subordinated liabilities with a Latvian credit institution. The main financial thresholds in the current law are:
| Current legal basis | Main amount stated in the law | Additional payment stated in the law |
|---|---|---|
| Investment in the share capital of a Latvian company | At least €50,000 or €100,000, depending on the company | €10,000 to the state budget |
| Qualifying real estate | At least €250,000 | 5% of the property’s value to the state budget |
| Subordinated liabilities with a Latvian credit institution | At least €280,000 for at least five years | €25,000 to the state budget |
These figures are not a complete eligibility checklist. Each route has further legal conditions, supporting-document requirements and restrictions. Citizenship can also affect whether a person may apply. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, commonly known as OCMA, should be used for the current application procedure.
Can you reserve a place or submit documents now?
No official reservation or application process exists for the proposed €150,000 route.
OCMA’s current residence-permit information covers the legal grounds that are already in force. It does not provide an application page, document list or payment instructions for this proposed fund route.
If a consultant, fund or intermediary says that places can already be reserved, ask for all of the following before going further:
- A link to the final provision on Likumi.lv showing that it is in force.
- The official OCMA application page and document list for this exact route.
- The legal name and official authority of the state-established fund manager.
- Written terms explaining where the money will be held and what happens if no permit is issued.
- Written confirmation that your citizenship and circumstances are eligible.
If those documents do not exist, marketing language such as “pre-registration”, “priority access” or “programme launch” does not make the route legal or operational.
What should a serious applicant do before 20 August?
At this stage, preparation should mean checking facts, not transferring money.
- Do not send the proposed €150,000 investment or €10,000 state payment to a private intermediary.
- Prepare evidence showing the lawful origin of funds, but wait for the final official requirements.
- Compare the proposal with the investment routes that are already in force.
- Ask OCMA for written clarification if you are considering an existing legal route now.
- For any transaction involving this amount, use an independent Latvian lawyer who is not paid by the seller of the investment product.
The next meaningful checkpoint is 20 August 2026. After the parliamentary review, applicants will still need to check the final text, its entry-into-force date and the procedure published by OCMA.
FAQ
Is Latvia’s €150,000 investment residence permit open?
No. As of 30 July 2026, the provision is still under parliamentary review and there is no official application route.
Was the proposal rejected?
Not finally. The President returned the law for a second review. The Saeima is scheduled to reconsider it on 20 August 2026.
Is the €10,000 included in the €150,000?
No. In the returned version, the €150,000 investment and the €10,000 payment to the state budget were separate requirements.
Could an applicant choose any investment fund?
No. The proposal referred specifically to a state-established alternative investment fund manager. No official application mechanism for that route is currently available.
Does the proposal grant Latvian citizenship?
No. It concerned a temporary residence permit for up to five years. It was not a citizenship-by-investment provision.
What happens to existing investment residence permits?
The parliamentary debate does not by itself replace or cancel a valid permit. Existing permits remain subject to the law and individual conditions that apply to them unless OCMA makes a separate decision.
This guide provides general information and does not replace individual advice from OCMA or a qualified Latvian immigration lawyer.
Official sources
- President of Latvia: Immigration Law submitted to the Saeima for a second review, 19 June 2026
- Saeima: new Immigration Law adopted on 11 June 2026
- Saeima: archived audio and transcript from the 23 July 2026 sitting
- Immigration Law currently in force
- OCMA: residence permit information
Information checked on 30 July 2026.