Information for Ukrainian refugees in Latvia
Protection until 4 March 2028; the 3-year permit is not renewed automatically
Important to know
Protection runs to 4 Mar 2028, but the 3-year permit is not renewed automatically: apply before it expires — a month late and you lose protection (PMLP cancelled 18,600 statuses this way in 2025). Without a Latvian permit, file an e-declaration at eta.gov.lv 48 h before entry. Since 31 Jul 2026 new applicants must prove legal exit or military status; since 2026 a trip to Russia or occupied territories ends protection. Free state housing: 60 days. Helpline: +371 27 380 380. PMLP for Ukrainians
Useful links
Official information
- PMLP: protection extended to 2028, new rules for first-time applicants (in Ukrainian)pmlp.gov.lv (opens in a new tab)
- PMLP: applying for temporary protection (in Ukrainian)pmlp.gov.lv (opens in a new tab)
- PMLP: renewing your residence permit (in Ukrainian)pmlp.gov.lv (opens in a new tab)
Getting there
- Electronic travel declaration (48 h before entry)eta.gov.lv (opens in a new tab)
- FlixBus: Kyiv – Rigaglobal.flixbus.com (opens in a new tab)
- LTG Link: trains Kraków – Vilnius – Rigaltglink.lt (opens in a new tab)
Housing
International hosting platforms (Host4Ukraine)
Work
International job platforms for Ukrainians
Ukrainian communities
Telegram channels
More links
Status and documents
- How long protection lasts
- Temporary protection status plus a temporary residence permit (eID card) issued for 3 years (since Dec 2024). EU protection now runs until 4 Mar 2028, but the permit is not extended automatically: before it expires, send PMLP a free-form application with a copy of your passport.
- Documents
- Passport, ID card or internal passport (if none, a certificate from the Ukrainian embassy) and a residence permit form; expired Ukrainian passports are accepted until 4 Mar 2027. New applicants since 31 Jul 2026: passport exit stamp or an official document (e.g. from Reserve+) showing military duties are fulfilled or don't apply.
- Where and how to apply
- In person at any office of PMLP (Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs), e.g. Riga, Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 1 k-3, or at a one-stop service centre outside Riga; then declare your address within a month. Renewal: by e-mail with a secure e-signature (pasts@pmlp.gov.lv), by post or at a one-stop centre.
- Processing time
- Status and personal code are usually granted on the day of the visit; the permit decision takes up to 10 working days and the card is made within 2 working days after biometrics. Renewal: decision within 3 months, card within 10 working days — apply early.
- When protection ends
- Ends with EU temporary protection (now 4 Mar 2028) unless extended again. Lost earlier if you don't apply for a new permit within a month after yours expires, visit Russia or occupied territories (since 1 Jan 2026), get protection elsewhere or move to another country where you may live.
Travel, pets and language
- How to get there
- No common border: bus Kyiv–Riga approx. 29 h (FlixBus, several a day); train or car via Poland and Lithuania (LTG Link Kraków–Vilnius and Vilnius–Riga daily); flights to Riga via Warsaw and other EU airports. Without a Latvian permit, file an electronic travel declaration at eta.gov.lv at least 48 h before entry.
- Pets
- Dogs, cats and ferrets from Ukraine may enter even without a chip, rabies vaccination or antibody test: a vet in Latvia chips and vaccinates the animal, takes blood for the test and issues an EU pet passport; no contact for 21 days after vaccination. Since 2026 owners pay for this; send the owner's declaration to the vet service PVD (ukrainas_dzivnieki@pvd.gov.lv).
- Languages
- Latvian (official). About a third of residents speak Russian at home (2022 data). The state funds free Latvian courses for Ukrainians (SIF programme; NVA for job seekers); children aged 5–16 can learn Latvian free even if they don't attend school.
Work, healthcare and education
- Right to work
- Yes, the residence permit gives the right to work for any employer without a work permit; with a Ukrainian passport you can start earlier (contract up to 30 days, apply for the permit within 10 days). Latvian isn't required if the job allows; some regulated jobs (e.g. medics, pharmacists, taxi drivers) require A2 within 2 years.
- Jobs in demand
- Construction trades, metal and machinery workers (welders, fitters, mechanics), doctors and other health professionals (EURES, 2024 data); STEM and IT specialists.
- Healthcare
- Yes: state-funded healthcare on the same terms as insured residents (register with a family doctor). Since 2026 patient co-payments apply (GP visit €2, specialist €4) unless you are exempt (children, pregnant women and others). Adult dental care is paid. NVD info line: 80001234.
- Kindergarten
- Yes: a right to a place in a municipal kindergarten where you live (from age 1.5); pre-school is compulsory from age 5. If the municipality has no place, it pays a private kindergarten (parents may have to pay the rest). Apply to the municipality (Riga info line 1201).
- School
- Yes, state and municipal schools are free and school is compulsory. Teaching is in Latvian: children get an individual plan and extra Latvian lessons; free lunch in grades 1–4. Apply to the municipality or the school, stating the grade completed in Ukraine.
Benefits
- Housing support
- State accommodation for up to 60 days with food for 30 days (apply to the municipality); vulnerable people (disability, pension age, pregnancy, a child under 2, etc.) up to 180 days, renewable — all until 31 Dec 2026. Then a housing benefit from the social service if housing costs exceed income (the lease must be registered with the tax office, VID).
- One-time payment
- Crisis benefit from the municipal social service: €425 per adult and €298 per child (2026). With a social service certificate — food and hygiene packs (ESF+); soup kitchens without documents.
- Monthly allowance for adults
- No fixed allowance. With low income: GMI benefit from the social service, up to €187/month for the first household member and €131 for each other (2026, minus income); no means test in the first 3 months. People of pension age without a Latvian pension: state benefit €187/month (after 3 months in Latvia).
- Monthly allowance for children
- Family state benefit (VSAA) for children aged 1–16 (up to 20 if studying): €25/month for one child, €50 per child for two, €75 per child for three, €100 per child for four or more (2026). Childcare benefit €298/month for a child under 1.5; one-off birth benefit €600.
Cost of living
- Average rent
- 1-bedroom flat in Riga: centre approx. €555/month, outside the centre approx. €370; 3-bedroom approx. €1,090 and €700 (Numbeo, Oct 2026, crowdsourced); utilities extra.
- Groceries per person per month
- Approx. $454/month per person for food in Riga (livingcost.org, 2026, partly crowdsourced).
- Kindergarten fees
- Private kindergartens in Riga approx. €660/month (Numbeo, Oct 2026, crowdsourced); if the municipality has no place for a child aged 1.5+, it covers part of the private fee.
- Private school fees
- State and municipal schools are free (parents buy school supplies); international schools in Riga approx. €20,300/year (Numbeo, Oct 2026, crowdsourced).
- Health insurance cost
- Usually not needed: state-funded care with co-payments (GP €2, specialist €4). The price of private insurance (faster access, dentistry) depends on age and insurer, no reliable average; a private doctor's visit approx. $52 (livingcost.org, 2026).
All information is for reference only. Rules and benefits change often, so some of it may be out of date. Always check with official sources before making a decision.
If you spot an inaccuracy, please write to us at howtohelpuacom@gmail.com.