Recruiting Foreign Workers in Latvia: A Comprehensive Guide

Recruitment is a vital part of any business’s growth and success, and it becomes even more crucial when hiring foreign workers in Latvia. At MIIM, we walk you through the recruitment process and explain the essential recruitment documentation needed to ensure a seamless hiring experience.

Who Should You Hire and How?

Foreigners in Latvia fall into two categories: Citizens of the Union, including EU/EEA (European Union and European Economic Area) members and Swiss nationals, encounter few restrictions on entry and employment.

On the other hand, citizens of third countries face additional rules and fees governing their entry and employment in Latvia.

While entry and employment for Union citizens are relatively unrestricted, the process for third-country nationals involves a series of actions beyond obtaining residence permits. The procedures diverge based on whether the third-country national seeks short-term or long-term employment in Latvia.

Short-term employment in Latvia is exclusively permissible for tasks explicitly outlined in the regulations No. 272, titled “Regulations on Seasonal Works” by the Cabinet of Ministers. The scope of short-term employment is intricately tied to the specifics defined in these regulations.

Foreigner Recruitment Step by Step: A Guide for Employers

Understanding Your Needs: The first step in recruitment is defining your workforce needs. Determine the skills, qualifications, and experience required for the job position you’re looking to fill.

Advertising the Position: A vacancy must be registered on the vacancy portal of the State Employment Agency.

Approving the Invitation: After 10 days from registering a job vacancy, you must approve the invitation in The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) to invite a seasonal employee.

After that, you need to submit a free-form application which includes the information about the worker, the job description, the confirmation of the absence of tax debt, and the confirmation that the worker will be provided with work and housing if necessary.

The draft of the employment contract with the expected salary, workplace, and other employment  conditions, and pays a state fee.

Confirming the Invitation: After that, if all is done correctly, the invitation is confirmed within five working days.

Seasonal Work in Latvia: A Guide for Employees

After the invitation has been confirmed, the worker must go to the diplomatic and consular office of the Republic of Latvia to submit an application for a visa. If the estimated time of employment exceeds 90 days – a long-term visa (type D) is required; if it’s shorter than 90 days – a single visa (type C) is enough.

To apply for a visa, the worker needs:

• Valid travel document
• Completed and signed visa application form
• Color photo (35×45 mm) not older than 6 months
• Copy of valid travel medical insurance policy
• The invitation is confirmed within five working days.

Residence permit with the right to work in Latvia

In order to receive a residence permit with the right to work, the following steps must be taken:

1. Vacancy: A vacancy is registered at the NVA (Employment State Agency) for the relevant position, where the employment of a foreigner is planned. The vacancy is applied to the NVA no less than 10 working days before the employer turns to PMLP (Immigration department) to confirm the invitation
2. Invitation: The employer submits an invitation request to PMLP. Documents certifying the foreigner’s education or work experience, as well as a draft of the employment contract with the expected salary, workplace and other essential conditions of the employment contract are attached to the invitation. PMLP takes a decision on approving an invitation related to employment within 5 working days
3. Embassy: A foreigner requests a residence permit by submitting documents to a Latvian embassy or consular representation in a foreign country.
4. Sending documents: Sending documents from the embassy to PMLP in Latvia. Documents are sent via consular mail approximately 2 times a month or at the request of the applicant by courier.
5. Decision: Examination of documents for the adoption of the PMLP decision “On the issuance of a residence permit” to a certain employer. The examination is carried out within the period for which the state fee has been paid when submitting the documents to the embassy.
6. Visa: After receiving the PMLP decision “On the granting of a residence permit”, the employee applies to the cooperation partner of the relevant embassy in consular affairs to obtain a visa for entering Latvia (Schengen zone).
7. Tickets: When receiving a visa, the employee is looking for the most convenient, cheapest and fastest way to get to Latvia.
8. Getting an ID: When arriving in Latvia, the employee goes to PMLP to transfer his biometric data and order an ID (residence permit with the right to work).
9. Time to work: After receiving the ID, the employee may start work.

Looks like too much to handle on your own? At MIIM we are ready to help you out with paperwork for employers who want to employ foreign staff without renting it on a short-term basis.

MIIM Recruitment Agency Simplifies the Process

With the right guidance, personal recruiting becomes an efficient and effective process that ensures you find the right talent to contribute to your business’s growth and success.

A recruitment agency such as MIIM will help you with documentation and legal procedures, making the process efficient and error-free.