Latvian passports are issued to citizens of Latvia for identity and international travel purposes. Receiving a valid passport is mandatory from the age of 15, but passports can be requested for younger children if needed for travel and other purposes. A passport is valid for 10 years if the citizen is 20 or older, for 5 years if 5–20 and for 2 years if 0–5 years old. Non-citizen passports, and refugee travel documents (in a passport-like format), have been issued until 2020. Every Latvian citizen is also a citizen of the European Union. The passport, along with the national identity card, allows Latvian citizens to travel and to have rights of free movement and rights to reside in any states of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland.

Latvian passport
Front cover of a contemporary Latvian biometric passport
Information page of a current design Latvian biometric passport
TypePassport
Issued by Latvia
First issuedNovember 20, 2007 (biometric passports)
January 28, 2015 (current version)[1]
PurposeIdentification
EligibilityLatvian citizenship
Expiration2 years or the time of travel for children (ages 0–5); 5 years for citizens aged 5–20; 10 years for citizens above 20[2]
Cost€28.46/€14.23 (adults/pensioners and young people)[3]

Physical appearance edit

Latvian passports are burgundy red, with the Coat of arms of Latvia emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The words EIROPAS SAVIENĪBA (Latvian for "European Union") and LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA (Latvian for "Republic of Latvia") are inscribed above the coat of arms, and the word PASE (Latvian for "Passport") below. The Latvian passport has the standard biometric symbol emblazoned below the coat of arms and uses the standard European Union design.

Identity information page edit

The Latvian passport includes the following data:

  • Photo of passport holder
  • Type (P)
  • Code of issuing state (LVA)
  • Passport no.
  • 1. Surname
  • 2. Given names
  • 3. Nationality
  • 4. Height
  • 5. Sex
  • 6. Date of birth
  • 7. Personal no.
  • 8. Authority (place of issue)
  • 9. Place of birth
  • 10. Date of issue
  • 11. Holder's signature
  • 12. Date of expiry

The information page ends with the transparent line and the Machine Readable Zone.

Optionally, the passport may also include information about the passport holder's ethnicity, underage children and their name in different orography (historical form or original form in a different language).

Languages edit

The data page/information page is printed in Latvian, English and French.

Visa requirements edit

 
Countries and territories with visa-free entries or visas on arrival for holders of regular Latvian passports
  Latvia
  Freedom of movement
  Visa free
  Visa issued upon arrival
  eVisa
  Visa available both on arrival or online
  Visa required prior to arrival

In 2020, Latvian citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 180 countries and territories, ranking the Latvian passport 10th in the world according to the Visa Restrictions Index.[4]

Current passport edit

Fourth version (current): since 28 January 2015. Burgundy cover.

Third version: from 20 November 2007 until 27 January 2015. Burgundy cover. First Latvian biometric passport (also called ePassport) to comply with the EU passport standards in all respects: format, security features. Passport also compliant with the US Visa Waiver Program.

Second version: from 1 July 2002 until 19 November 2007. Blue cover with scanned autograph and photo.

First version: from 1992 until 30 June 2002. Blue cover with glued photo.

Passports issued in the interwar period and during the occupation of Latvia by Latvian diplomatic service in exile featured a brown cover and glued photos for the holder and his spouse.[5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Song and Dance about new style passports". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. January 28, 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  2. ^ Citizen’s passport
  3. ^ STATE FEES FOR ISSUANCE OF PASSPORT
  4. ^ "Global Ranking – Visa Restriction Index 2020" (PDF). Henley & Partners. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Arvīda Bērziņa Latvijas ārzemju pase, izdota Londonā, 1947.g. 15.novembrī | LNB Digitālā bibliotēka - DOM PIEEJA". dom.lndb.lv. Retrieved 2024-01-16.

External links edit