If you are a refugee from Ukraine in Latvia, please visit the website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia, which contains practical information in Ukrainian and English, as well as the website ‘Ukraine to Latvia’ with information for Ukrainians coming to Latvia, available in Ukrainian, English, Russian and Latvian. You can also contact the helpline of the Society Integration Fund at 📞 +371 27 380 380 (available between 09:00 to 17:00 – Monday to Friday).
If you are in Poland, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Romania, or Bulgaria, please find on the Digital Blue Dot information about rights and services and where to find help. The site is also available in Ukrainian and Russian.
People arriving from Ukraine may be entitled to Temporary Protection in Latvia. You may be eligible for temporary protection in Latvia if you are a Ukrainian citizen or resident who left Ukraine and cannot return to Ukraine due to the armed conflict caused by the Russian Federation. Ukrainian residents are persons who cannot return to the country of their citizenship and who are: family members of Ukrainian citizens, persons who have received a permanent residence permit in Ukraine, the status of a stateless person, or the status of international protection in Ukraine and their family members.
If you want information about the rights and entitlements of people with Temporary Protection in Latvia, please visit the website ‘Ukraine to Latvia’, available in Ukrainian, English, Russian and Latvian.
You can easily apply for Temporary Protection when you arrive in Latvia through one of the following options:
- In person at the Riga Support Center for the Residents of Ukraine, which operates as a one-stop service point, at Amatu iela 4, Riga (office hours are 9.00 am-5.00 pm)
- In person at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) office in Riga (Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 1, k-3, Riga, LV-1026) or at OCMA territorial offices (if you are outside Riga).
- By post or courier, send your documents to OCMA Migration Division in Riga, Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 1, k-3, Riga, LV-1026 or any territorial division (if you are in Latvia).
The residence permit based on temporary protection lasts for two years.
People who are not eligible for Temporary Protection
If you do not qualify for temporary protection, it may be possible for you to apply for asylum or remain in Latvia on other grounds, even if your visa waiver or visa has expired.
