Latvia sets salary requirements for ordinary work visas by sector

Match the salary calculation to the immigration route

The Foreign Ministry says that, from 1 April 2026, applicants seeking a visa with employment rights generally need the previous year’s average gross monthly pay in their employment sector, or the minimum established by the relevant sectoral general agreement. Where the sector average exceeds the national average, the ministry identifies EUR 1,815 as the applicable national figure.

This is a guide to the rules already operating in 2026, not a new salary increase announced in November. The ministry’s visa-document page links the official sectoral statistics and helps employers identify the evidence behind the calculation. A proposed salary should be checked against the actual sector and route rather than assuming that every foreign worker faces a single threshold.

Keep Blue Card and business categories separate

The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, known as OCMA, publishes different subsistence amounts for residence permits. Its schedule effective from 1 April lists EUR 2,723 gross monthly for an ordinary EU Blue Card application, and EUR 2,178 for Blue Card employment in a profession included on the Cabinet’s shortage list. A lower threshold is therefore conditional on the qualifying occupation, rather than an option every applicant can select.

The same resource lists EUR 3,630 for certain employment or business residence categories identified by the relevant Immigration Law provisions. Other ordinary employment cases follow the sector-based rule. The published subsistence table helps the sponsor establish which legal category it is using and document the appropriate amount. Salary alone does not establish that an applicant meets the educational, employment or other conditions of the selected permit.

Obtain the employment right before starting work

OCMA’s February 2026 guidance says that a visa-based worker must obtain a visa bearing confirmation of employment rights before entering Latvia, including where the person’s nationality otherwise allows visa-free travel. It describes an employer obtaining a State Employment Agency opinion and arranging an invitation, followed by the worker applying at the competent Latvian representation. The resulting visa may restrict work to a specified employer or another stated category.

That resource distinguishes short stays within the 90-days-in-180 limit from a long-stay visa of up to one year, with seasonal work limited to six months within twelve months. It also identifies specific situations where separate confirmation is unnecessary, including qualifying posted workers and certain student or researcher cases. These are conditional exceptions, not a general work entitlement attached to visiting Latvia. Applicants should check the named exception against their actual circumstances.

Assemble documents and separate fees from income evidence

For long-term recruitment, OCMA’s employment overview identifies employer sponsorship supported by the employment contract or draft and the worker’s education documents. The applicant then follows the appropriate residence-permit process. This resource helps employer and worker divide responsibility for the file; a company’s job offer is not the final permission to reside or work. OCMA also identifies registration with the State Revenue Service as a taxpayer among the employment steps.

The Foreign Ministry’s visa checklist requires a qualifying passport, signed application, photograph, insurance and evidence relevant to the purpose and accommodation. Use its linked form and the receiving representation’s instructions to establish the final submission package. Resolve missing sponsorship or salary evidence before the intended start date; the sources reviewed do not establish a universal recruitment deadline or guaranteed decision time.

The ministry’s fee schedule lists EUR 90 for a long-stay visa and exempts children under twelve from that visa fee. For a short-stay visa, the general adult fee is also EUR 90; nationality agreements and purpose-based exemptions can change that charge. This is an application charge, separate from proof of sufficient income, residence-permit charges or any external service cost. Confirm the actual category, available exemption and payment arrangements with the receiving office before paying; the published visa tariff is not a consolidated price for an entire employment relocation.