Your first 90 days in Latvia: the arrival checklist
The visa got you in — this is what turns you into a functioning resident: the registration clock, the ID number everything else depends on, and the money, healthcare, and license steps in the order they actually unlock. Each step links the official source so you can verify the current rule.
Checked against official sources · September 2026 · how we verify
The catch that burns new arrivals
Declaring your place of residence is a separate legal act from holding the permit, and letting the declared address go stale can quietly invalidate correspondence and complicate renewal. Update it at PMLP or through the e-service every time you move, even within the same city.
The checklist, in the order it unlocks
Collect the residence permit card from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) and declare your place of residence
The declaration of residence is due within one month of settling at the address; the permit card must be collected in person within the period stated in the decision
Non-EU applicants normally start the file at a Latvian embassy and finish it at PMLP after arriving, which means two sets of documents and two identity checks. A tuberculosis certificate and health insurance valid in Latvia are standard requirements.
Get your personas kods (Latvian personal code)
It identifies you to the tax service (VID), the health service, banks and the e-signature system, and appears on the residence card itself.
Assigned by PMLP when the residence permit is issued; employment income is then reported to VID by the employer against that code.
Open a bank account
Latvian banks have tightened onboarding hard since the 2018 sector clean-up, and a non-resident with no local ties will find most doors closed. With a residence permit, personal code and declared address, Swedbank, SEB and Citadele open accounts normally — but expect real source-of-funds questions rather than a formality.
Enrol in healthcare
Latvia runs a state-funded minimum service for residents registered with the National Health Service, with a family doctor as gatekeeper and patient co-payments on most items. Coverage is thinner than western-European systems and waiting lists are long, so private clinics in Riga do much of the real work for foreign residents.
Sort your driver's license
EU/EEA licences are valid until they expire. Other licences may be used for a limited period after you take up residence and then must be exchanged at CSDD; exchange without testing depends on whether your issuing country is recognised, and a Latvian medical certificate is required either way.
Deadlines and requirements vary by nationality, visa type, and region, and they change — this is information current as of 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Verify each step with the official source before you rely on it.
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Information only, not legal advice — we never file anything with any government. Requirements change; verify with the official source or a licensed immigration advisor before you apply.
First 90 days in Latvia: FAQ
What do I have to do first after arriving in Latvia?
Collect the residence permit card from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) and declare your place of residence — The declaration of residence is due within one month of settling at the address; the permit card must be collected in person within the period stated in the decision. Non-EU applicants normally start the file at a Latvian embassy and finish it at PMLP after arriving, which means two sets of documents and two identity checks. A tuberculosis certificate and health insurance valid in Latvia are standard requirements. Verify the current rule with the official source before you rely on it.
What is the personas kods and do I need one?
personas kods (Latvian personal code) is Latvia's personal tax/ID number. It identifies you to the tax service (VID), the health service, banks and the e-signature system, and appears on the residence card itself. Assigned by PMLP when the residence permit is issued; employment income is then reported to VID by the employer against that code.
Can I drive in Latvia on a US license?
EU/EEA licences are valid until they expire. Other licences may be used for a limited period after you take up residence and then must be exchanged at CSDD; exchange without testing depends on whether your issuing country is recognised, and a Latvian medical certificate is required either way. Rules differ by nationality and change — check the official source before the window closes.
How do I get healthcare after moving to Latvia?
Latvia runs a state-funded minimum service for residents registered with the National Health Service, with a family doctor as gatekeeper and patient co-payments on most items. Coverage is thinner than western-European systems and waiting lists are long, so private clinics in Riga do much of the real work for foreign residents. See our healthcare-systems guide for how Latvia's system treats foreign residents.