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My Descent Passport
Latvia · Any generation

Latvian citizenship by descent

If you descend from someone who was a Latvian citizen on June 17, 1940, the day Soviet forces occupied Latvia, you can register as a Latvian citizen, however many generations back. There’s no language test, and descendants of those who fled or were deported can keep any other citizenship.

Last checked against Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

How far back
A parent at birth, and any generation from someone who was a Latvian citizen on June 17, 1940.
Keep your current passport?
Yes for exiles’ descendants born before October 1, 2014. Others can keep citizenship of EU and NATO countries, Australia, New Zealand and a few others.
Language test
No, not for registration as a descendant.

Do I qualify? All quick facts

Quick check: could you be Latvian?

Who in your family was Latvian? Pick one and answer a few yes-or-no questions.

A parentA grandparentA great-grandparentFurther back

Who qualifies

  • Can registerA parent who was Latvian when you were born
  • Can registerDescendants of Latvian exilesYour ancestor was a citizen on June 17, 1940, fled or was deported during the occupations between 1940 and 1990, and couldn’t return to live before May 4, 1990. If you were born before October 1, 2014, you keep any other citizenship.
  • Can registerOther descendants of 1940 citizensYou can keep a citizenship Latvia accepts, which includes the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

How to apply

  1. Find proof your ancestor was a citizen in 1940Pre-war civil records, the 1935 census, tax or military files, or a pre-war Latvian passport. Through a parent, you instead show your parent was Latvian when you were born.
  2. Prove your line to themBirth and marriage certificates for each generation.
  3. Send the application to the Office of Citizenship and Migration AffairsFor descendants of 1940 citizens and exiles, by mail to Riga, with notarized and legalized copies (a plain copy of your passport is fine), or legalized originals. To register a child of a Latvian parent, you can also use an e-address or e-signature, or a Latvian embassy. Ask your nearest embassy whether it accepts documents. Foreign documents need translating into Latvian.
  4. Wait for the decisionWithin a month, or four months for exiles’ descendants.

Documents

  • The application form, giving your name in Latvian
  • A copy of your passport or ID card
  • Your birth certificate, and marriage or name-change documents
  • Proof your ancestor was a Latvian citizen on June 17, 1940, or, through a parent, proof your parent was Latvian when you were born
  • Apostilles or legalization on birth, marriage and name-change documents, except those from the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland. US documents need an apostille
  • Documents proving your relationship to that ancestor
  • For exiles’ descendants, proof they fled or were deported

For UK, Irish and US certificates, see where to order certificates.

Common questions

Can I keep my other passport?

Exiles’ descendants born before October 1, 2014 can keep any citizenship. Other descendants can keep citizenship of EU, EFTA and NATO countries, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and a few others, which covers the UK, US and Canada.

Do I need to speak Latvian?

No, not to register as a descendant. Your foreign documents need translating into Latvian.

Is there a generation limit for descendants of 1940 citizens?

No. There’s no generation limit for descendants of 1940 citizens.

What a Latvian passport gives you

The right to live, work, study and retire across all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. See what an EU passport lets you do.

Living there

A Latvian passport lets you live and work in any EU country, and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Time difference Local time in Riga
LanguagesLatvian
CurrencyEuro (€)

Not eligible? The long way round

If descent doesn’t work for you, you can still become a citizen by living in Latvia and applying to naturalize. It takes longer, but it’s open to anyone who meets the conditions.

Time living there first
5 years with permanent residence.
Language and tests
A Latvian language test, and a test on the national anthem, history, culture and constitution.
Keep your current passport?
Yes, if your other citizenship is from an EU, EFTA or NATO country, Australia, New Zealand or Brazil, which covers the UK, US and Canada.
Main ways to get residence
Work, business and study.

Already have, or able to get, a passport from an EU country through another family line? Then you can live and work in Latvia without a visa. See what an EU passport lets you do.

General information, not immigration advice. Residence rules change often, so check the official source before you plan a move. Sources: Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs: naturalisation.

Many families have more than one line. If a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent came from somewhere else, check that country too. The family tree worksheet helps you map every line.

  • The Baltic states all restore citizenship to descendants of their pre-war citizens.

  • Many Baltic Germans lived in Latvia and Estonia before 1939.

  • Routes many UK, Irish and North American families use.

Next stepCheck if you qualify

Do I qualify?
Sources

A plain-English guide, not a legal opinion. Nationality laws can be amended at short notice, so confirm the details with the consulate or the official body before you send an application or pay anything. The full disclaimer.

Cousins and siblings may qualify as well

One ancestor can open the same door for a whole branch of the family, and you can split the cost of the certificates. Send them this page while it’s fresh in your mind.

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