On arrival in Latvia via the border crossing points, a border check will be carried out for persons with biometric passports. Ukrainian civilians who arrive in Latvia from another European Union country and have other travel documents but do not have a valid visa to enter the Schengen area will be given visas.If a person arrives without travel documents, the identity of the person will be confirmed in cooperation with the competent Ukrainian authorities.

A Ukrainian citizen staying in Latvia on the basis of a residence permit is obliged to declare his place of residence in Latvia within one month from the moment of receiving the residence permit card. Information on how to declare your place of residence in Latvia is available here .

If you need help to get to Latvia from the Polish-Ukrainian border, contact the movement "Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem" by filling out this form . You will receive an answer within 24 hours.

More information on crossing the state border (24/7) is available by calling the State Border Guard +371 67913569, +371 67913568

The website of the State Border Guard website www.rs.gov.lv

The website of the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia www.iem.gov.lv/lv

Chatbot to help Ukrainians around the world from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

The chatbot can simultaneously serve several users and provide advice on the most common questions, namely:

• rules of entry to a foreign country;
• registration of temporary protection;
• social security;
• return to Ukraine;
• consular services.

You can get help through the chatbot at the link .

In addition to the chatbot, citizens can also contact the call center at +38 (044) 224-57-20.

You can enter Latvia with any of the following documents:

• A biometric passport.
• Ukrainian ID. According to the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (DPSU), the citizens of Ukraine who can leave Ukraine with an internal passport are currently only those evacuating from occupied territories or territories where hostilities are taking place, the list of which is approved in accordance with the Order of the Ministry on Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine of December 22, 2022 No. 309 . Citizens from other territories must have a biometric passport to travel abroad.
• Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents must have a birth certificate. Children have the right to cross the border with one parent (without the official permission of the other parent). If the child is traveling with acquaintances or relatives, she/he needs to have a travel permit from one of the parents, certified by a notary.

In order to prove family/marital status, birth certificates and a marriage certificate are required.

The telephone number of the DPSU hotline ("Trust" Service) is 1598. You can use it for questions of a consultative nature within the competence of the State Border Service of Ukraine.

For more information about the documents with which you can cross the border, and about the categories of citizens who are allowed to travel outside Ukraine, see here .

Latvia provides accommodation and meals for Ukrainian residents in Latvia free of charge for the first 120 days to those, who have started receiving services before 24th of May and and 120 days of accommodation and 30 days of free meals for those who have started receiving services from 25 May.

Citizens of Ukraine who do not have a place of residence in Latvia, when crossing the border may contact the representative of the State Border Guard Service of Latvia regarding the need for assistance: +371 67913569; +37167913568.

In Riga, contact the Labklājības departaments (Welfare Department) of the Riga City Council at tel. 80005055 on accommodation, food, clothing, etc.

Ukrainian citizens and their family members will be able to travel on regional public transport - trains and buses - free of charge on the presentation of an identity document. At the same time, the exemption from the fare does not apply to commercial regional bus routes (journeys) marked with the capital letter “K” in the timetables (this indication also appears on the electronic route sign of the bus on the front of the bus). In their turn, the municipalities determine the exemption from the fare in public transport of city municipalities.

You can use public transport or you can use your own car-. A vehicle registered in Ukraine can participate in road traffic in Latvia for three months from the moment of entry without re-registering the vehicle in the register of the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD).

Vehicle registration can be performed at any of the 26 CSDD Customer Service Centres, regardless of the vehicle owner’s place of residence or the vehicle’s previous registration. Upon registration of a vehicle, it shall be assigned and issued a state number plate and a vehicle registration certificate, which is both the document certifying the technical data of the vehicle registration and the ownership.

Driving licenses issued in Ukraine are also valid in Latvia for driving all categories of vehicles indicated therein. When staying in Latvia for more than one year, the driving license must be changed in accordance with the established procedure, passing the driving test at the Road Traffic Safety Directorate. If the term of the driving license has already expired, it must be replaced in accordance with the established procedure by passing the driving test at the Road Traffic Safety Directorate.

You can also travel by airplane, bus or train to different countries.

Ukrainian citizens who have a biometric passport do not need a visa for the first 90 days. Residents without a biometric passport will be issued a visa free of charge. You have the right to apply for a long-term visa with the right to employment, or apply for asylum in Latvia. A long-term visa will be issued for a one year term. The possibility of renewing the visa will depend on the further development of the situation in Ukraine

You can apply for a visa:

• In the Central Support Center for the Residents of Ukraine, Kalku Street 1, Riga
• OCMA territorial offices outside Riga
• by post or courier, sending documents to: OCMA Migration Division in Riga, Čiekurkalna 1.līnija 1, k-3, LV-1026 or any territorial division outside Riga.

Documents required when applying for a visa:

• Copy of your passport (data section and pages with visas and / or border crossing marks).
• When sending documents by mail a 35mm x 45mm photo is required. No photo is required when submitting documents in person.
• Long-term visa application form .

The visa will be issued in the same place where it was requested. Visa is free of charge.

On-site state and municipal services are available at 138 State-Municipal Customer Service Centers (VPVKAC ). They provide assistance to Ukrainian civilians in applying for visas, residence permits and registration of natural persons. The centers also provide advice and help to apply for e-services electronically.

If a Ukrainian citizen has exceeded or is nearing the end of his or her stay in Latvia, no administrative penalty will be imposed, but Ukrainian citizens who have exceeded their length of stay must apply to the Office of Citizenship and Migration for a visa to stay legally in Latvia.

The EU migration calculator helps to calculate the number of days of stay in EU countries for those who do not apply for temporary protection.

If an unaccompanied minor is arriving has some sort of identification documents (passport, birth certificate, student certificate or any other document evidencing the child‘s identity) border check and identification will be performed.

A new institution is established under the law — emergency guardianship. The emergency guardianship is introduced for children who have arrived to Latvia from Ukraine without their parents. The law provides that a person to whom an unaccompanied child arrives may become an extraordinary guardian, as well as a person who has been granted the status of guardian or in Latvia, the status of foster family or host family, as well as a person with whom an unaccompanied child has arrived together in Latvia.

To obtain protection, you must contact the border guards or the police of Latvia.

The absence of travel or medical documents (vaccination certificate, COVID-19 test) will not be an obstacle for Ukrainian citizens to enter Latvia.

You can apply for a long-term visa here :

• In person in Riga, at the Central Support Centre for the Residents of Ukraine (one stop service point), Kalku Street 1, Riga. The centre is open on weekdays from 9.00 to 18.00. More information is available at riga.lv or by phone +371 80000800
• At all branches of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), information available here . For more information, call: +371 67209400 (Monday to Thursday 8.30 to 16.00, and Friday 9.00 to 15.00)
• By post or courier, sending documents to: OCMA Migration Division in Riga, Čiekurkalna 1.līnija 1, k-3, LV-1026 or any territorial division outside Riga.

Ukrainian nationals who received Temporary Protection Status in Latvia in 2022 will have their long-term visas and Temporary Residence Permits extended until March 4, 2024, regardless of the document’s specified validity period. Temporary Protection Status visas and Temporary Residence Permits already issued will continue to be valid in Latvia, but Ukrainian nationals can request a new Temporary Residence Permit.

The documents will continue to be valid in the territory of the Republic of Latvia, but the Ukrainian resident will have the opportunity to request a new temporary residence permit in the following cases:

• the person needs to travel outside the territory of the Republic of Latvia (in cases where the person renounces the temporary protection status in the Republic of Latvia and leaves for another country or returns to Ukraine, a new temporary residence permit will not be issued);
• the visa or residence permit issued to the person has been lost or has become invalid due to damage or changes to the data specified in it;
• the person has previously been issued a visa, but the person needs to obtain a residence permit in order to use the electronic signature options, or the person's previously issued residence permit has expired, but the person wants to continue using the electronic signature options. long-term visa will be issued for a one year term. The possibility of renewing the visa will depend on the further development of the situation in Ukraine. Source .

The visa application period will be several days, depending on the number of applications submitted. The visa will be free.

After obtaining a visa, you will be able to enjoy the same rights as citizens of Latvia. You will be able to receive free medical care, get a job, enter universities.

You will receive a long-term visa or residence permit valid for 1 year. The possibility of renewal will depend on the further development of the situation in Ukraine.

Yes, you can return to Ukraine without negative consequences.

Relinquish temporary protection status:

Regardless of the country of residence, temporary protection must be waived. Your status will be revoked by the state body or institution where you issued the documents. However, citizens of Ukraine can re-obtain this status if they decide to return abroad.

Make sure your documents are valid:

Citizens who left Ukraine with a valid foreign passport will not face any difficulties. The expired document can be extended in diplomatic institutions for another five years - this decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers, because it is not possible to issue biometrics abroad. You can also add a child's data to an adult's passport.

Ukrainians who have only an internal passport or who left Ukraine without documents should also contact the embassy or consulate. Employees of the institution will issue a special document - an identity card for returning to Ukraine (it is not necessary to pay the consular fee during martial law).

Cancel receiving cash assistance abroad:

When returning home, refugees cannot receive state benefits. If you do not notify the relevant institution about your departure from the country, it will be considered an offence. In such a case, a Ukrainian may be fined or even banned from entering the country.

By the way, it is not necessary to declare cash payments received abroad in Ukraine.

Yes, you can move around the country and the European Union.

You do not need to apply for asylum in Latvia, because Latvia has passed and operates a special law on Ukrainian civilian’s status .

You can apply for a long-term visa here :

• In person in Riga, at the Central Support Centre for the Residents of Ukraine (one stop service point), Kalku Street 1, Riga. The centre is open on weekdays from 9.00 to 18.00. More information is available at riga.lv or by phone +371 80000800
• At all branches of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), information available here . For more information, call: +371 67209400 (Monday to Thursday 8.30 to 16.00, and Friday 9.00 to 15.00)
• By post or courier, sending documents to: OCMA Migration Division in Riga, Čiekurkalna 1.līnija 1, k-3, LV-1026 or any territorial division outside Riga.

The visa application period will be several days, depending on the number of applications submitted. The visa will be free.

The absence of travel documents will not be an obstacle for Ukrainian citizens to enter Latvia. If a person arrives without travel documents, his / her identity will be confirmed in cooperation with the competent authorities of Ukraine.

When going to Latvia, we urge you to take any documents that will help identify the person.

In order to issue a foreign passport, you need to contact the Ukrainian Embassy .

A foreign passport is issued to a person who has reached the age of 16 on the basis of an application-questionnaire submitted by him personally. At the same time, the issuance of a foreign passport to a person who has been recognized by the court as having limited legal capacity or incapacity is carried out on the basis of an application-questionnaire of the guardian or other legal representative.

The following are attached to the application:

• previous passport to be exchanged (if the passport is not issued for the first time);
• internal passport in the form of a booklet (if available);
• or ID card (if available);
• a document confirming permanent residence or temporary stay abroad (if available);
• certificate of registration of the place of residence in Ukraine / certificate of registration of the place of residence of a temporarily displaced person (if available);
• a certificate of assignment of the registration number of the taxpayer's registration card (RNOKPP; if available).

In case of loss or theft of the previous passport, a document (report, certificate, etc.) issued by the competent authority of the state in which the passport was lost or stolen is attached to the application, confirming the fact of the owner's application regarding its loss or theft. Such a document is submitted without legalization and translation into Ukrainian.

In the case of issuing a passport in connection with a change in personal data (surname and/or first name), a document confirming such a change (marriage certificate, divorce certificate, court decision, etc.) is attached to the application. When issuing a foreign passport with a new surname and/or first name, the "domestic" passport (ID card) must be reissued.

In the event that the applicant has not previously been issued with an identity document, confirming Ukrainian citizenship and/or granting the right to leave Ukraine and enter Ukraine, a certificate of registration of the person as a citizen of Ukraine is provided (with the exception of cases when the person's parents at the time of his were citizens of Ukraine at birth).

You can register the birth of a child only at the consulate. There, the determination of his origin and the assignment of his surname, first name, and patronymic are carried out.

The application for registration must be submitted immediately, but no later than one month after the birth of the child, and in the case of a stillborn child - no later than three days.

The registration process takes place at the place of birth or at the place of residence of the child's parents or one of them (with a written application). At the same time, in case of illness, death of the parents or for other reasons it is impossible to register the birth - the application can be submitted by relatives or other persons authorized by the representative of the health care institution in which the child was born or is currently.

What is required for registration?

• a document from a medical institution about the birth of a child, passports certifying the identity of the parents;
• application (written or addressed orally) to enter information about the father.

Registration is free, and based on its results, parents are issued a birth certificate.

How to return to the homeland with a child born in the Latvia?

In order for Ukrainians to return home with a child born in the Latvia, they must have with them:

• a document certifying his identity;
• a child's birth certificate issued by a consular institution.

Is the status of a citizen of Ukraine preserved during the birth of a child in the Latvia?

A newborn Ukrainian in the Latvia retains the status of a citizen of Ukraine. Data on citizenship and nationality in the act record of birth and certificate are not filled in, which is why a corresponding entry is made in the column "For marks".

In addition, a person whose parents or one of his parents were citizens of Ukraine at the time of his birth is a citizen of Ukraine. The place of birth of the baby does not affect the possibility of him acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.

There are several steps involved in the process of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine:

1. Notify the authorities.

The first step of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine is to contact the local authorities in Latvia, so you can register the death. Ukrainian embassy should also be able to help you in the process of registering the death abroad.

2. Arrange the correct documents.

You’ll need to have all the right paperwork before you can repatriate your loved one home from abroad to Ukraine. If you are repatriating a body to Ukraine for burial or cremation, the documents you will need include:

• Death Certificate.
• Certificate or Affidavit from the local health authorities stating that the cause of death of the individual to be shipped to Ukraine was not a communicable disease or infections.
• A Document about the absence of any excessive objects inside the casket or urn with the ashes.
• The Certificate of Cremation issued be the Funeral home or Cremation office.

All the mentioned documents should be authenticated, legalized and translated into Ukrainian by the certified translator. The originals of abovementioned documents and notarized translations, must accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine.

The passport of the deceased person should be sent to the Embassy of Ukraine along with a notarized and authenticated copy of the Certificate of Death, and a translation from Latvian to Ukrainian. The Embassy is to make correspondent procedures with the passport and can forward it back if it is required to accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine.

The Embassy is to be informed of the date, time, and the place of delivery of the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine. Only the next of kin relatives of the deceased, or persons correspondingly authorized by them, can receive the casket or urn.

3. Transport the deceased to Ukraine.

The casket containing the body, or urn with ashes, must be sealed by the Funeral Home. There are no strict requirements with respect to the urn with ashes; however, the body should be transported in a metal casket, made of zinc-plated steel or tinplate not more than 0,4 thick.

For the air cargo transportation, it is necessary to specify a cemetery in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian Funeral Home which will take care of the casket, or the urn with ashes, in Ukraine. Both are a subject of private choice by the relatives or friends of the deceased person. Source .

There are numerous shops that offer such services. Look for photo studio & copy centers as they can provide you with this.

You can translate your documents at any translation agency in your city. Search for «dokumentu tulkošana» on Google.

LMT customers do not have to pay for calls to Ukraine. LMT customers located in Ukraine can use voice and internet communications free of charge. More information here .

Tele2 Latvia provides free calls to Ukraine and free roaming to its customers in Ukraine. Tele2 Latvia also is providing 10,000 SIM cards to Ukrainian refugees arriving in Latvia. More information here .