EU residence in the Baltics through investment — with Schengen travel as a residence permit. A clear, honest read on what is open, what changed, and what is under review in 2026.
Last updated: 12 June 2026 — reviewed against Latvian law and official sources (LSM, the national public broadcaster).
Free Latvia Residence Assessment — real estate (from EUR 250,000), company share capital (from EUR 50,000), or a subordinated bank deposit (from EUR 280,000). EU residence, not citizenship.
Get Assessment| Latvia Golden Visa — Residence by Investment (RBI) | |
|---|---|
| Governing authority | Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, Republic of Latvia |
| Real estate route | From EUR 250,000 (constructed property in Riga or within ~30 km; plus ~5% state duty) |
| Company route | From EUR 50,000 share capital (plus ~EUR 10,000 state fee on approval) |
| Bank-deposit route | From EUR 280,000 subordinated deposit, 5-year term (plus ~EUR 25,000 state fee) |
| Result | 5-year temporary residence permit · Schengen 90/180 travel · PR eligibility after 5 years |
| Status | Open but CHANGED — under active parliamentary review |
| As of | 12 June 2026 |
Cosmos services have no published price on this page; any Cosmos fee is confirmed only after assessment. Program thresholds and state duties above are set by Latvian authorities and are subject to change.
We work with investors based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, and across India. Latvia's program offers a relatively accessible entry point into EU residence, with the practical benefit of Schengen travel that comes with a residence permit.
It is also the most politically exposed program in the EU residence set right now. Our job is to give you the honest picture — what is open today, what is genuinely at risk, and which route fits your file — before you move any money.
Program under active parliamentary review — read this first.
As of June 2026, a Saeima investigation commission is actively pushing for the program's complete closure, driven by a roughly EUR 10 million fraud probe involving shell companies and around 200 investors. The government-securities route has already been removed. The real-estate route's survival is unresolved in an immigration bill in its third reading (amendment deadline 9 April 2026), and the company route's permit validity may be cut from five years to two. Routes, fees and validity may change in 2026 — we confirm the live position at your assessment, and we will not promise that any single route stays open.
The Latvia Golden Visa is a residence-by-investment program that grants a five-year EU temporary residence permit — it is residence, not citizenship, and not a visa-free passport. The permit lets you live in Latvia and travel within the Schengen area on the standard 90/180 basis. Citizenship is a separate, far longer path.
In practice, the first residence card is issued for two years, after which you re-register annually up to year five. There is no statutory minimum stay, though roughly one visit a year is expected to keep the permit live. After five continuous years you may become eligible for permanent residence; a citizenship pathway sits at around ten years. If EU residence with Baltic access is your goal, this can fit — but frame it as residence from day one. Find out whether it fits your profile — free assessment.
Three investment routes remain open in 2026: real estate from around EUR 250,000, company share capital from around EUR 50,000, or a subordinated bank deposit from around EUR 280,000. Each carries a separate state fee or duty on top of the investment, and the figures here are ranges — the exact numbers for your case are confirmed after assessment.
The real-estate route needs a single, already-constructed property in Riga or within about 30 km, plus a state duty of roughly 5% of the purchase price. The company route asks for share capital from about EUR 50,000 plus a state fee of around EUR 10,000 on approval. The deposit route is a five-year subordinated bank deposit from about EUR 280,000 with a state fee near EUR 25,000. The bonds route that older guides mention has been removed — ignore it.
No. Russian and Belarusian nationals are excluded from the program, under entry and visa restrictions that Latvia has extended through the end of 2026. This is a firm eligibility bar, not a processing delay.
For most UAE- and India-based investors this restriction is not a factor, but it matters for mixed-nationality families and for anyone holding one of those passports. We screen nationality eligibility at the very first step, so no one builds a plan on a route they cannot use. Message us on WhatsApp if you want a quick read on your situation.
The Latvia residence permit grants Schengen travel on the standard 90/180 basis — you may move within the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This is the mobility that comes with an EU residence permit; it is not the unlimited free movement that EU citizenship would give, and it is not a visa-free passport.
That distinction matters. Schengen rules and the 90/180 limit can be tightened or adjusted by EU and member-state policy, and a residence permit does not give you the right to work or settle freely in other EU countries. Treat the travel benefit as a real but bounded convenience tied to your Latvian residence — not as a second passport.
Cosmos Immigration holds no Latvian or EU immigration licence. For Latvia we work to a facilitator model: we handle eligibility review, documentation preparation and case management, while the application itself is prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network. Canadian (CICC), Australian (MARA) and New Zealand (IAA) registrations do not cover EU residence, so we are clear about who does what.
Because Latvia's program grants residence, not citizenship, India's bar on dual citizenship, passport surrender and OCI rules do not apply — you keep your Indian passport and status. What does apply is the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS): the Reserve Bank of India currently caps outward remittance at USD 250,000 per person per financial year (as of June 2026), which is relevant when moving a EUR 250,000-plus investment abroad. Timing and the documentation your authorised dealer bank requires need to be planned in advance.
This is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.
Criteria and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.
Yes, it is open as of June 2026, but it has changed and is under active parliamentary review. The government-securities route has been removed, the real-estate route's future is unresolved in a third-reading immigration bill, and the company route's validity may be shortened. Confirm the live position at assessment before committing.
No. It grants a five-year EU temporary residence permit with Schengen 90/180 travel — residence, not citizenship, and not a visa-free passport. Permanent residence eligibility comes after five continuous years, and a citizenship pathway sits at around ten years.
Three routes remain: real estate from around EUR 250,000, company share capital from around EUR 50,000, or a subordinated bank deposit from around EUR 280,000. Each has a separate state fee or duty on top, and these are ranges — the exact figures for your case are confirmed after assessment.
There is no statutory minimum stay, but roughly one visit a year is expected to keep the permit live, with the first card issued for two years and annual re-registration up to year five. Requirements can change while the program is under review, so we confirm the current rules at assessment.
No — Cosmos holds no Latvian or EU licence. We handle eligibility, documentation and case management, while the application is prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network. We are clear about who does what at every step.
Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014, working through CICC-, MARA- and IAA-registered professionals, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Oakville. For EU residence programs such as Latvia, where we hold no local licence, applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network — and you can verify our registered credentials yourself. Verify Our Credentials
Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body, and is not affiliated with any government. Program criteria, fees and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.
Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether Latvia fits — even if the answer is no.
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