Saeima approves amendments to Latvia's Immigration Law on residence permits

The Saeima, Latvia’s parliament, has adopted amendments to the Imigrācijas likums (Immigration Law), a new law published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis No. 162 of 25 August 2026. The measure, listed as item 2 of the issue under the heading “Grozījumi Imigrācijas likumā,” was approved as a full law (Likums) by the legislature.

The amendments touch the core of Latvia’s migration framework, which governs residence permits, visas and the legal status of foreigners in the country. Because the Immigration Law sits at the centre of how non-citizens enter, stay and work in Latvia, the changes carry direct consequences for immigrants, employers who hire foreign staff, and the migration services that administer the system.

Scope of the amendments

The Immigration Law is the principal statute regulating the entry and residence of third-country nationals in Latvia. It sets out the conditions for issuing residence permits, the grounds for visas, and the rights and obligations attached to foreigner status, including the procedures handled by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvalde).

As a parliamentary law adopted by the Saeima, the amendments enter the body of national legislation and will be applied by the institutions responsible for migration control. The publication in the official gazette makes the text binding and publicly accessible, in line with Latvia’s requirement that laws be promulgated through Latvijas Vēstnesis.

Who is affected

The reform is expected to touch several groups directly:

• Immigrants and third-country nationals seeking or holding residence permits and visas in Latvia.
• Employers who recruit foreign workers and must comply with the permit and visa requirements set out in the law.
• Migration services, including the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, which administer applications and enforce the rules.
• Foreigners already resident in Latvia, whose status and conditions of stay may be adjusted by the new provisions.

Publication and entry into force

The law appears in Latvijas Vēstnesis No. 162, dated 25 August 2026, under the official publication reference OP 2026/162. As is customary for Latvian legislation, the amendments take effect in accordance with the transitional and entry-into-force provisions set out in the law itself, following their promulgation in the official gazette.

The issue also carries other parliamentary acts adopted at the same session, including the law on the financial stabilisation measures of “Air Baltic Corporation AS” and amendments to the law on maternity and sickness insurance, reflecting a broader legislative package approved by the Saeima.

Why it matters

For readers, the amendments to the Imigrācijas likums matter because they reshape the legal conditions under which foreigners live and work in Latvia. Anyone holding or applying for a residence permit or visa, as well as businesses relying on foreign labour, should review the new text to understand how their rights and obligations change. The publication in Latvijas Vēstnesis No. 162 of 25 August 2026 is the authoritative reference for the amended rules.

Source: Latvijas Vēstnesis, No. 162, 25 August 2026, Section I (Constitutional Institutions), p. — (official reference: OP 2026/162).