2027: €150,000 and a Latvian Residence Permit for Up to 5 Years Without a Company or Job — the New Law Has Been Promulgated

On 1 September 2026, the situation for investors changed materially: President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs promulgated the new Immigration Law. The final law retains a new investment route under which a foreign national may apply for a temporary Latvian residence permit for up to five years after investing at least €150,000 for a minimum of five years and making an additional €10,000 payment to the state budget.

The most attractive feature is the structure of the legal ground. An applicant does not have to establish a Latvian company, take a corporate management position or find an employer merely to create the residence basis. The law ties eligibility to the investment agreement, the transfer of capital and compliance with the statutory requirements.

The President has promulgated the law: the investment route is now written into legislation

This is a fundamental change from the position earlier in the summer. The Saeima first adopted the new law, after which the President returned it for reconsideration, raising questions that included national security, source-of-funds controls and the design of the new investment route. The Saeima adopted the law again on 20 August, and the President promulgated it on 1 September.

The officially published text creates a separate basis for temporary residence. A foreign national may apply for a permit for up to five years if an agreement has been concluded, at least €150,000 has been transferred for investment for no less than five years through a state-established alternative investment fund manager, and €10,000 has been paid into the state budget.

The provision is therefore no longer merely a proposal or a parliamentary discussion point. It forms part of the promulgated law. Investors should nevertheless distinguish between a rule entering into force as a matter of law and the practical infrastructure being ready to accept investments and residence applications.

What 2027 really means for investors

For people planning relocation or residence in 2027, the new route is especially relevant because the legal basis will already exist by then. However, the official text does not set 1 January 2027 as a separate effective date for the €150,000 investment clause. The new Immigration Law as a whole is scheduled to enter into force on 15 September 2026.

The accurate position is therefore this: in 2027 an investor can plan around a promulgated statutory route, but the ability to transfer funds and file a case in practice should be confirmed only once the state-established fund-management mechanism and the relevant immigration procedure are operational. Capital should not be transferred before those practical details have been verified.

€150,000 plus €10,000: the structure of the new investor residence route

The new legal basis contains several elements, each of which matters.

• The investment must be at least €150,000.
• The investment period must be at least five years.
• The funds are transferred under an agreement through a state-established alternative investment fund manager.
• The investor must also pay €10,000 into the state budget.
• A temporary residence permit may be requested for up to five years.
• During the validity of the permit, the investment agreement must remain in force and the investment balance must not fall below €150,000.

The €10,000 state-budget payment is separate from the investment amount. The law treats it as a one-off payment and provides that it is generally non-refundable except in cases to be defined by the applicable regulations.

No company and no employer: why this changes the equation

One of Latvia’s best-known investor routes has historically involved an investment in the share capital of a Latvian company. The nominal threshold can be lower, but that structure depends on a particular company, statutory company criteria, tax-performance requirements and continued compliance with the corporate basis.

The new €150,000 route is structured differently. The residence basis is the investment through the mechanism provided for by law. Under this specific clause, the applicant is not required to establish their own SIA, become a management-board member or sign an employment contract in order to qualify.

For an investor who wants a European base but does not want their immigration status to become a separate operating-business project, that may be the strongest feature of the new regime.

You do not need a job to qualify — but you may work in Latvia

There is another important feature. The new law grants unrestricted employment rights in Latvia to a holder of a residence permit issued under the €150,000 investment ground.

Employment is therefore not a condition for obtaining the residence permit, but the holder is not locked into a purely passive status after approval. They can reside in Latvia, develop their own projects and, if they wish, participate in the Latvian labour market within the rights granted by law.

Can the investor bring family members?

The new Immigration Law allows family members of a foreign national applying for temporary residence under the grounds set out in Section 27 to request residence for the duration of the principal applicant’s permit, subject to the general statutory requirements.

That makes the route relevant not only to an individual investor but also to families considering Latvia for residence, children’s education, business activity and long-term planning. The family composition, documentary requirements and rights of each family member should be reviewed before filing.

What a Latvian residence permit means for the EU and Schengen Area

Latvia is a Member State of the European Union and part of the Schengen Area. A Latvian residence permit allows the holder to reside lawfully in Latvia and travel to other Schengen countries in accordance with the common Schengen rules.

It is important to describe the status accurately: this is a Latvian residence permit, not a blanket “EU-wide residence permit”. A Latvian card does not automatically give the right to live permanently or work in every other EU country. Investors should understand that distinction before designing their relocation strategy.

Why a permit for up to five years is a major advantage

The law expressly allows an application under this new ground for a period of up to five years. That can be particularly attractive compared with residence grounds where the initial term is shorter and the status needs to be renewed more frequently.

However, “up to five years” is not a guarantee that every applicant will automatically receive a document valid for exactly five years. The competent authority decides the case under the law and on the basis of the applicant’s documents and circumstances. The investment condition must also remain in place: the fund manager must confirm that the agreement has not been terminated and that the investment balance has not fallen below €150,000.

Who may find the new route particularly attractive in 2027?

• Investors who do not want to run their own active Latvian company merely to maintain a residence basis.
• Entrepreneurs whose main business remains outside Latvia but who want lawful residence in an EU Member State.
• Families looking for a European base for residence and children’s education.
• People who value the ability to work in Latvia without making a specific employer the legal basis of their residence status.
• Investors who prefer a defined long-term investment horizon to an immigration structure built around an operating company.

The route will not be suitable for everyone. Nationality, source of capital, sanctions exposure, travel and residence history, business reputation and other circumstances may materially affect eligibility and the outcome of the application.

Not every passport will automatically have access

The new law strengthens security controls. It allows the Latvian government to suspend the issuance of investment-based residence permits to nationals of particular third countries for up to five years where this is considered necessary in light of national security or economic-development considerations.

General refusal grounds also remain relevant, including unreliable documents, entry restrictions, risks to national or public security, insufficient means and other statutory circumstances. The investment should therefore never be presented as the purchase of a guaranteed residence permit.

Source of funds will be one of the central issues

Following the debate around the new law, investors should expect source-of-funds review to matter. Applicants should prepare a transparent documentary history showing where the €150,000 comes from: business income, sale of assets, dividends, investment proceeds, inheritance or other lawful sources, depending on the case.

The documents should create a coherent chain from the original source of wealth to the capital that will be transferred into the investment mechanism. The more complex the ownership structure and cross-border transfers, the earlier that preparation should begin.

What an investor planning for 2027 should do now

1. Carry out a preliminary eligibility review covering nationality, residence history, sanctions and compliance factors.
2. Prepare source-of-funds documents for the €150,000 investment as well as evidence of funds for the state payment and related costs.
3. Identify family members who will apply together with the principal investor and collect their documents in advance.
4. Before transferring any money, confirm that the state-established manager and the investment mechanism are operational in practice.
5. Coordinate the timing of the investment and the immigration filing so that capital is not transferred too early or under the wrong procedure.
6. Prepare the complete immigration package and pass the required public-authority checks.

Frequently asked questions about the €150,000 investor residence permit

Do I need to open a Latvian company? Under the new €150,000 investment ground, ownership of a personal Latvian company is not stated as a mandatory condition. The residence basis is tied to the investment agreement and transfer through the mechanism specified by law.

Do I need a job in Latvia? No. Employment is not the legal basis for this residence route. At the same time, the new law provides unrestricted employment rights in Latvia to a holder of a permit issued under this investment ground.

Is €150,000 the entire cost? No. The investment is supplemented by a €10,000 payment to the state budget, while document preparation, public-service fees and other case-specific expenses may also arise.

Can I withdraw the investment before five years? To maintain the residence basis, the investment agreement must remain in force and the investment balance must not fall below €150,000 during the validity of the permit.

Does the investment guarantee approval? No. The competent Latvian authority decides the residence application after reviewing the applicant and the documents.

Do five years automatically lead to permanent residence? No. Permanent status has separate statutory requirements, including conditions related to actual residence and integration. Holding an investment-based temporary permit for five years does not by itself guarantee permanent status.

Want to prepare for Latvia’s new investor residence route before everyone else?

If you are considering Latvia as a European base for yourself and your family, this is a good time to carry out a preliminary review, prepare source-of-funds evidence and determine whether the new route fits your circumstances. NBC.LV supports residence-permit applications in Latvia and can guide the process from the initial assessment through document preparation and filing.

Learn more and request a consultation on our Residence Permit in Latvia page. NBC.LV can verify the current practical procedure before any investment is made, prepare the immigration documentation and support the case at every stage. The final residence decision is always made by the competent public authority.