Do I need a visa for Riga? Latvia is one of the states that are part of the Schengen area. Therefore, in order to enter this country, Russian citizens have to draw up the relevant documents. The exception is persons who have a residence permit in Riga and other cities. In the presented material, we will consider how a visa to Latvia is issued.
Schengen visa
A visa to Riga of the presented plan allows not only to enter the country, but also to move around the territory of the states that are part of the Schengen zone. The document is suitable for visiting the country for tourism purposes and looks like the best solution for a long stay with relatives or friends. There is a single and double version.
Transit visa
A transit visa to Riga for Russians may be required if a visit to Latvia is considered as an intermediate link on the way to the territoryneighboring states. As a rule, it is issued in cases where a foreigner needs to transfer between aircraft that follow separate directions. Such a document makes it possible to stay in the transit area of the airport throughout the day without leaving the city.
Long stay visa
Long-term visa to Riga for Russians exists for those who plan to stay in the republic for a long time. This document is a kind of alternative to a residence permit and makes it possible to stay in the country for 90 days. Moreover, a long-term visa to Riga opens up the possibility to visit other states of the Schengen area, if the document is not initially subject to territorial restrictions.
Visa by invitation
To receive an invitation to Latvia, when filling out a visa application form, you will have to indicate the code of such a request. Legal entities, friends or relatives are obliged to apply in advance with the appropriate intention to the migration authorities in this country to submit a call.
In most cases, issuing an invitation takes about 2 days. Based on the norms of Latvian legislation, citizens of this country, persons who have a residence permit, have the right to submit such a call.
If there is an invitation, a visa to Riga is issued by the consular staff. In particular, the future place of residence, the purpose of the trip are taken into account. An inaccurately indicated address at which it is planned to accommodate in Latvia is oftenbecomes the reason for refusal to confirm the invitation. Therefore, before submitting a request for consideration, it is recommended that you carefully check the data.
Sending an invitation to the Latvian embassy is not required. It is only necessary to mark the request number in the visa application form. The latter is entered into the database of the state institution. The specified numeric code remains valid for six months from the date of sending the invitation.
Tourist visa
Russian citizens who go to Latvia for tourism purposes are required to submit for consideration by the embassy staff a ticket for the Moscow-Riga plane, as well as a printout of a letter confirming the hotel reservation. Refusals to ordinary travelers to enter this country are extremely rare. Often the causes of trouble are:
- lack of a ticket for the Moscow-Riga plane;
- lack of free pages in the passport, its expiration date;
- submit photos that do not meet the requirements;
- Incorrect he alth insurance.
Terms of registration
How long does it take to prepare a visa (Latvia)? The visa center in most cases copes with such a task within 5 working days from the date of application. The procedure can be completed in 3 days if there is a good reason for it. At the request of the embassy, the issuance of a visa in some cases takes up to 30 days. However, this happens very rarely,in particular, if it is necessary to carefully study or verify suspicious data specified in the documentation.
Where is the Latvian Visa Application Center in Moscow? The department can be found at the address: Nizhny Susalny lane, house 5. It is convenient to get here by reaching the Kurskaya metro station.
Cost of a visa to Latvia
How much will the paperwork cost? To obtain a visa, you will have to visit the Latvian embassy to pay the consular fee. Based on the required terms for the preparation of documents, the price will be:
- 35 euros for a regular, non-urgent tourist visa;
- 70 euros for urgent preparation of documents.
When applying for a visa to travel to Latvia for a child, citizens are exempted from paying consular fees.
Visa Application
Visa to Riga requires filling out an appropriate application form. This can be done on the official website of the Latvian consulate. The questionnaire is filled out exclusively in Latin script. Then the document is printed out, after which it is examined at the embassy and signed by representatives of the visa center.
If you plan to travel with minors, parents fill out the questionnaire. The document contains comprehensive and reliable information. Moreover, all the points presented on the form are filled without exception. If the embassy staff finds incorrect data, any false information, the applicant will be immediately deniedobtaining a visa.
Documents required to obtain a visa to Latvia
The majority of Russian citizens who travel to Riga prefer to apply for a Schengen visa. To receive such a document, you will have to send the following papers to the embassy for consideration:
- Questionnaire for each person going on a trip.
- Passport with at least two blank pages. The identity document must remain valid for 3 months after the visa expires.
- Internal Russian passport. It is not necessary to submit the original document for consideration. Enough clear photocopies of spreads, which shows the photograph of the applicant, data on the place of his registration. For minors, a birth certificate is presented as an alternative.
- Photos in a format that meets the standards declared by the visa center. The latter must be done no later than 6 months prior to the visa application. One of the photographs is attached to the completed application form.
- Paper documents confirming the purpose of entry into the territory of Latvia. First of all, these are plane tickets in both directions, forms that confirm registration at the hotel. In cases where it is planned to travel by private car, the employees of the visa center are presented with photocopies of the driver's license, as well as a certificate of registration of the car.
- Insurance valid on the territory of states,which are part of the Schengen area. The amount of coverage of the policy must be 30,000 euros, and in the case of a long-term visa - not less than 42,600 euros.
- Statements confirming the availability of funds required for the trip. When a trip is financed by a third party, the employees of the visa center are presented with the relevant extracts in his name. In order to obtain a visa to Riga, the traveler must have at their disposal an amount of 30 lats per day.
- Receipt confirming payment of mandatory consular fees.
Additional papers
Based on the specific purpose of the trip, Visa Application Center staff may require a range of additional documents from the applicant. In particular, if a person goes to Latvia to conduct business or entrepreneurial activities, an invitation letter drawn up by the host in the republic is mandatory for submission. In addition, in such a situation, you will need a certificate from work, which indicates the position held.
Persons who go to Riga for employment must provide the visa center staff with:
- Certificate of a comprehensive medical examination. The data indicated in the form must confirm the absence of dangerous ailments.
- The original document of the employment contract signed by the employer in Latvia.
- Letter from the host stating that the visa applicant is a future employee.
Design featuresvisas for a child
To issue a document for a child under the age of 14 who does not have his own passport, the following conditions must be met. First of all, such children fit into the passports of their parents. For each of them, a special visa application form is filled out, to which a photo card is attached. If children are over 14 years old, photocopies of the internal Russian passport are attached to the package of papers.
It happens that a child must go on a trip accompanied by only one parent. In such situations, a special permission to leave the country is required, which comes from the father or mother and is notarized. If the other parent is absent, this fact must be confirmed by relevant documents (court decision, death certificate, etc.).
Children have the right to travel to Latvia without being accompanied by adult guardians. To make such a move, you will need permission from the parents, which is the basis for crossing the Russian border. It must be accompanied by a letter containing information about who will take responsibility for the minor during his stay in the territory of Latvia. In the latter case, the presence of a child's passport is a prerequisite for travel.
Summarizing the above, it becomes clear that only those minors who have reached the age of 14 have the right to enter Latvia without parental accompaniment. However, they must have a document signed by the guardians, which allows the childtravel alone.
In conclusion
So we found out if you need a visa to Riga, what documents are required to apply for it. As you can see, with strict observance of the established procedure for submitting papers, as well as the requirements of the consulate, it is not so difficult to obtain a document that gives the right to enter Latvia.
