Latvia
Latvia Digital Nomad Visa: health insurance requirements
Yes: health insurance is required
Latvia introduced its Digital Nomad Visa in 2022 as a long-stay (category D) visa. It is open only to remote workers employed by, or owning, a company registered in an OECD member state, with at least six months of prior employment with that employer. The official income test is 2.5 times Latvia's prior-year average gross wage, which the migration authority (PMLP) currently puts at €4,213 a month, and health insurance is mandatory.
The requirements at a glance
| Minimum coverage | €42,600 |
|---|---|
| Repatriation required | Yes |
| Minimum policy duration | Full duration of stay |
| Local-licensed insurer required | No: compliant international IPMI is accepted |
| Accepted proof | A health insurance policy valid in the Republic of Latvia and the Schengen member states, with the insurer's minimum liability limit stated in the policy no lower than €42,600, covering treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation for the whole period of stay. |
Applicant must work for, or own, a company registered in an OECD member state and provide a certificate of at least six months' prior employment with that employer (self-employed with an OECD-registered business also qualify). Income must be at least 2.5x Latvia's prior-year average gross monthly wage (currently stated as €4,213/month) and evidenced for the months before applying. Granted for up to one year; state fee €90 standard or €180 expedited. The visa carries no right to take up local employment in Latvia.
Latvia's remote-work visa sets an explicit insurance bar: the insurer's minimum liability limit must be no lower than €42,600, well above the standard Schengen €30,000, and income must be 2.5x the prior-year average gross wage (currently €4,213/month per PMLP).
Our take
Latvia is one of the few nomad visas that prints an explicit insurance figure: your policy must show an insurer liability limit of at least €42,600, valid in Latvia and across Schengen, and cover treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation for the entire stay. A bare Schengen €30,000 policy is below that bar, so check the liability limit on your certificate, not just the buzzwords.
The eligibility gate is the OECD-employer rule, not the money. You must be tied to a company registered in an OECD country with six months of history, which rules out many freelancers with non-OECD clients. If you qualify, the €4,213 income test (2.5x the average gross wage) and the insurance proof are the straightforward parts.
What happens if you get it wrong
Submitting a generic Schengen travel policy with only the €30,000 minimum. Latvia wants a higher €42,600 liability limit and explicit repatriation cover, so a thin policy gets the file rejected; confirm the liability figure and that repatriation is named.
Assuming the visa buys you local rights. It does not let you take a Latvian job, and the income figure tracks Latvia's average wage, so the €4,213 number can move year to year; verify the current threshold with PMLP before you apply rather than relying on an old quote.
Interactive
Verified pricesWhat would it cost in Latvia without insurance?
Gravel on a bend outside town. Road rash, a broken forearm, and a night or two before they discharge you.
| Ambulance | $51–$177 |
| Emergency room, on arrival | $100–$400 |
| X-ray on the forearm | $63–$101 |
| Two nights on the ward | $182–$274 |
| You pay, out of pocket | $396–$952 |
Priced as one lump instead of itemised, a serious admission in Latvia runs $1,200 to $8,000.
That is the bill you carry alone. Insurance exists for exactly this.
See what cover costsTypical private-care estimates for illustration, not a quote. Actual bills vary by hospital, city and severity.
FAQ
Yes. You must hold a health policy valid in Latvia and the Schengen states for the whole stay, with the insurer's minimum liability limit no lower than €42,600, covering treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation.
The official test is 2.5 times Latvia's prior-year average gross salary. The migration authority (PMLP) currently states this as €4,213 a month, evidenced for the months before you apply.
Remote workers employed by, or owning, a company registered in an OECD member state (the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan all qualify), with a certificate of at least six months' prior employment with that employer.
It is a long-stay (category D) visa granted for up to one year. The state fee is €90 standard, or €180 for expedited processing. It does not allow you to take a local Latvian job.
No. Latvia sets a higher bar: the insurer's minimum liability limit must be at least €42,600, valid in Latvia and Schengen, covering treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation for the full stay.
How to apply
- Processing time
- Not clearly published for the remote-work visa. Standard long-stay D processing is commonly cited at around 10 working days up to roughly one month.
- Government fee
- EUR 60 standard state fee for a long-stay D visa (about EUR 120 for expedited handling). Note the Latvian embassy in the US lists EUR 90, so the exact charge may vary by mission.
- Where to apply
- A Latvian diplomatic mission abroad; or, if you may enter visa-free or already hold legal status in Latvia, submit to the PMLP in Riga. The e-form is prepared online but the application is not fully online.
- 1
Confirm eligibility: you must be employed by, or self-employed and registered in, a company based in an OECD member state, able to work remotely, with income of at least EUR 4,213 per month over the last six months.
- 2
Complete the PMLP electronic visa application e-form and gather your passport, a recent photo, health insurance valid in Latvia and the Schengen area, proof of residence in Latvia, and your employment, tax and income documents.
- 3
Pay the state fee.
- 4
Submit at a Latvian embassy or consulate serving your country of residence. If you may enter Latvia visa-free or are already legally in Latvia, you can instead submit to the PMLP.
- 5
On approval you receive a one-year long-stay (D) visa for remote work. It does not grant the right to take up local employment, and it can be renewed for a second year (two years total).
Fees and processing times move, sometimes without announcement, and a consulate can add a document the published checklist does not mention. Treat the above as the shape of the process rather than a guarantee, and check the current requirement with the mission handling your application before you book anything.
What policy actually satisfies this visa
Latvia publishes a figure, which makes this simpler than most: your certificate has to show at least €42,600 of medical cover. Clear that and the paperwork is satisfied.
A compliant international policy is accepted, so you are not forced into a local insurer. That matters more than it sounds: it means one policy can follow you when you leave, instead of expiring at the border.
Repatriation of remains has to be covered explicitly. It is a line item, and either your certificate names it or it does not, and plenty of otherwise strong policies leave it out. Ask your insurer to state it.
The dates are the other thing that gets applications rejected: full duration of stay
Ask your insurer for a certificate of cover that states your full name as it appears on your passport, the exact policy period, the territory covered, and the benefit amounts. That is a normal request and any decent insurer issues it without fuss. The insurance being real and the paperwork still failing is a more common way to lose an application than being uninsured.
The visa tells you the minimum. It does not tell you what to actually carry. Those are different questions, and the paperwork minimum is nearly always the smaller of the two answers.
Get a policy that satisfies this visa
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