Immigration Guide to Latvia

The post is outlining what you need to consider when you are deciding to leave your home country.

EU Citizen – Immigration to another EU-Member Country

To be more precise, this passage will share my experiences from leaving Germany and immigrate to Latvia for work.
Generally speaking, Latvia makes emigration in a bureaucratic way very easy. Nevertheless, there are very important things, you need to prepare and reconsider before leaving your life behind and starting life in Latvia. So make sure, you know what documents you are applying for, especially, if it is about your social security.

Social security systems in EU

Below this LINK you will find all possible form you might need. In my case, you will get more informed about the E-104 Formula- Certificate of aggregation of times. “Form E-104 ensures that citizens who have lived in another EU country are not discriminated against in accessing the system of compulsory health insurance and social benefits such as maternity, parental leave or disability benefits. Furthermore, the Form E-104 certifies insurance, employment and residence periods in other EU countries.” (2018-04, Krankenkassen.de) Briefly summarised, E-104 formula will make your life easier as soon as you return back to your home country. Thus, the access to insurance system will be guaranteed.

1. Residence Permit / Latvian ID
2. E-104  Social State Insurance
3. E-104 National Health Service 

Residence permit /Latvian ID

To receive all important documents, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs will be your first contact when arriving in Latvia. There, you apply for your residence permit.  After you have received it (takes all in all about 2 months) you can start applying for other forms which are essential for your future social security. More about this in the next paragraph. As there is a deadline for these documents, make sure you are on time.

One huge problem this office has is that some employees the level of English are low. Especially the English of the receptionist. If you know in advance, you will be coming to Latvia, call them (+371 67209400) and get an appointment in the first 2 weeks of your arrival. No need to go on one of your first days as you have to prepare some documents in Latvia before going there. However, if you don’t have an appointment already, it can take up to 1 month to get an appointment.

This is what you need to bring to your appointment in the OOMA:

• Filled out the application form
• Personal ID
• Rental-contract
• work contract
• medical insurance
• Picture for permit

E104 Social State Insurance (VSAA)

You can easily make an appointment via mail (Aina.Biljone@vsaa.lv; spn@vsaa.lv). You need to bring the filled out Form (download link below) and you new Latvian ID. Follow those links for the detailed info:

• Contact VSAA – HERE
• All necessary VSAA documents – HERE
• Form E104 – Download HERE

E104 National Health Service (VMNVD/NDS)

Weirdly, the main info for applying for E-104 is only available in Latvian or Russian (HERE). Anyway, it’s the same procedure to apply for the form as in the Social State Service. You can ask for an appointment by mail (nvd@vmnvd.gov.lv) or via phone (+37167043700). Below this LINK you will find the contact. No special application form can be found on the internet. They will provide you with the form when you arrive there.
The most important thing to indicate for the E104 form:

• first name;
• surname,
• Personal Identification Number – Personal ID or Taxpayer Number.
• address where the prepared form should be sent to.

As the E104 form is a unified form, it won’t be translated. This document will be send signed back to the address you wrote to the application form. Make sure to keep it, as it is your insurance for returning to your home country.

Upcoming –> Immigration Guide for Non-EU Citizen