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Latvia — Digital nomad visa (national long-stay visa for remote work)

A remote-work visa — the requirements below apply to eligible nationalities; this plan is grounded for a American applicant. See related guides for other passports.

🧳 Digital nomad🇺🇸 nationality: United States🇺🇸 lives in: United States🇱🇻 going to: Latviaupdated 2026-06-24

US citizens can apply for Latvia's long-stay visa for remote work — a national route, since the US is an OECD member state — by showing remote employment or self-employment registered in an OECD country, qualifying income, and health insurance valid in Latvia and the Schengen area. Recipients do not have the right to employment in Latvia.

What this visa is for

Latvia's national long-stay visa for remote work, for third-country citizens employed by — or self-employed in — an OECD member state who can perform their duties remotely while staying in Latvia.

Validity
A long-stay visa for one year can be requested.
Entries
Long-stay (D) visa valid for the issued period; multiple entry within the Schengen area while valid.
Max stay per visit
Up to one year.

official source →

When to start

Start 20–45 days before your travel date.

The low end assumes everything goes smoothly; the high end leaves margin for delays and passport hiccups. You can apply at most 6 months ahead.

Pick your travel date — every deadline below updates instantly:

You're on track — start by 24 Aug 2026 to be ready in time.
1
Confirm you qualify under the OECD rulestart by 24 Aug 2026

The long-stay visa for remote work is for third-country citizens who are employed by an employer registered in an OECD member state — or are self-employed persons registered in one of these countries — and who can perform their duties remotely while staying in Latvia.

takes ~1 day
Source: pmlp.gov.lv · updated 2026-06-24
2
Document your incomestart by 8 Sept 2026

Show income not less than the monthly average gross salary of employees in the previous year applying a factor of 2.5 — currently 4213 EUR per the latest figure published by the Central Statistical Office.

takes ~5 days
Source: pmlp.gov.lv · updated 2026-06-24
3
Obtain qualifying health insurancestart by 13 Sept 2026

Get a health insurance policy valid in the Republic of Latvia and Schengen member states, with a minimum insurer liability limit of not less than 42,600 euros during the insurance period.

takes ~3 days
Source: pmlp.gov.lv · updated 2026-06-24
4
Submit the visa application at a Latvian missionstart by 3 Oct 2026

Complete and sign the visa form (e-form) and submit it with your supporting documents at the Latvian embassy or consulate covering where you live.

depends on where you livetakes ~1 day
Source: pmlp.gov.lv · updated 2026-06-24

What you'll need

Where you'll apply

Where you'll apply in United States

Apply in your district

Researched for this route · checked 2026-06-24

US citizens are nationals of an OECD member state, so they qualify by employer/self-employment country. Apply at the Latvian embassy or consulate covering where you live. This is a Latvian NATIONAL long-stay (D) visa, not a short-stay Schengen visa.

Fingerprints are stored in the EU Visa Information System for 59 months, so a Schengen visa in the last 5 years may let you apply without appearing in person.

Sources: pmlp.gov.lv

Getting a slot — book early · community-reported, checked 2026-06-13

  • Slots are released in batches with no fixed public schedule — most often early morning local time, on Monday mornings, and around the 1st of the month.
  • For popular consulates (e.g. France, Italy and Spain in big cities), a fresh batch can be gone within minutes — be registered and logged in before you look.
  • Cancellations free up slots throughout the day, so check daily even when it shows ‘no availability’.
  • Because of this, apply as early as you are allowed — up to 6 months before travel. Waiting until 1–2 months out often means no slots are left at all.

pmlp.gov.lv — official source for this route

Fees

State fee
A state fee applies (payment confirmation is a required document); confirm the current amount with the Latvian mission where you apply.
varies

A state fee applies; the payment confirmation must accompany the application.

Gotchas to watch

Sources

Every step on this page comes from an official source, with the date it was last checked. Sources used:

Related guides

🇺🇸 United StatesUnited Arab EmiratesVirtual Work Residence Visa
🇺🇸 United StatesBrazilDigital Nomad Visa (VITEM XIV)
🇺🇸 United StatesBrazile-Visa (VITEM/VIVIS electronic visa)
🇺🇸 United StatesChinaTourist (L) visa

All visa options for a American passport →