European Union Blue Card

What is the European Union Blue Card?

The European Union Blue Card is a temporary residence permit issued in Latvia to attract highly skilled workers from abroad to the country’s labour market. The European Union Blue Card is valid for up to five years.

There are additional conditions for obtaining an European Union Blue Card:

The applicant must have acquired higher education (at least three years’ study in the specialisation or field specified in the contract).
The salary cannot be less than the average gross monthly salary paid in the previous year to a person working in Latvia, with a coefficient of 1.5.
The salary paid to a person working in an occupation where there is a labour shortage cannot be less than the average gross monthly wage paid in the previous year to a person working in Latvia, with a coefficient of 1.2.

What documents do I need to submit to the Office of Citizenship and Migration if I want to apply for an European Union Blue Card?

A copy of a valid identity document recognised in the Republic of Latvia.
A questionnaire form to apply for a residence permit.
Portrait photograph of a person.
Criminal record certificate issued by the competent authority of the country of nationality or of the country of residence if the foreigner has resided there for more than 12 months.
A document confirming the necessary financial support for subsistence (employment contract).
Proof of payment of the state fee.

The inviter must confirm the sponsorship before submitting the documents to the Office. A sponsorship is a document approved by the Office in which the inviter undertakes the obligations laid down in the Immigration Law in respect of a foreign worker whom he has invited to stay in Latvia with a residence permit. Both natural and legal persons can prepare a sponsorship.

If you are accompanied by your spouse and/or minor or dependent child, you must provide a proof of kinship and a notarised residence permit of the parent who is not travelling with the child, or a stay permit signed in the presence of an official of a mission.

The European Union Blue Card is visually indistinguishable from other temporary residence permits, except that it is marked “EU Blue Card”.

European Union Blue Card holders must report the loss of their job to the Office; failure to do so could result in the cancellation of their Blue Card.
if you lose your job again during the validity period of your European Union Blue Card, it will be annulled, and you will not be entitled to unemployment benefits.

If you have a valid Blue Card issued in Latvia and want to change employer, you and your family members have the right to stay in Latvia until a decision on whether to grant or refuse a residence permit is taken. This also applies to those who have a valid Blue Card issued in another European Union country and have submitted documents to obtain a Blue Card in Latvia.

Procedure of approval of a letter of invitation