Latvia Imposes Restrictions on Residency and Visas for Russians

Latvia will not extend the validity of residence permits previously granted to Russian citizens. In the future, residence permits will largely not be extended, except in rare cases, said Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, as reported by Delfi.

Specific decisions regarding this matter will be made in the coming weeks, the Prime Minister stated. Karins emphasized that currently, visas are not being issued to Russian citizens, except in exceptional cases, and, in practice, residence permits are not being granted.

Earlier, Latvia's President Egils Levits also called for a review of the regulations. According to senior government officials, Russian citizens will no longer have a renewable residence permit, apart from specific cases. Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zanda Kalnina-Lukasevicha stated this morning that marriages could be classified among exceptional cases. If a citizen of Russia or Belarus is married to a Latvian citizen, it will be considered sufficient grounds for obtaining a residence permit.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Kristaps Eklons indicated that applicants for permanent residence permits will be required to pass a state language examination.