Latvian passports (Latvian: Latvijas pilsoņa pase) 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), are also issued. 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.
| |
|---|---|
Front cover of a contemporary Latvian biometric passport | |
Information page of a current design Latvian biometric passport | |
| Type | Passport |
| Issued by | |
| First issued | November 20, 2007 (biometric passports) 12 February 2024(current version)[1] |
| Purpose | Identification |
| Eligibility | Latvian citizenship |
| Expiration | 10 years for citizens above 20; 5 years for citizens aged 5–20; 2 years or the time of travel for children (ages 0–5). [2] |
| Cost | Adults: €34.00 in 10 working days; €60.00 in 2 days. Pensioners and young people: €15.00 in 10 working days; €30 in 2 days. [3] |
Physical appearance
editLatvian 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
editThe 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
editThe data page/information page is printed in Latvian, English and French.
Visa requirements
editIn 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
editFifth version (current): since 12 February 2024. 42 pages instead of old 34 pages. EU burgundy cover, enhanced passport and biometric security.
Fourth version: from 28 January 2015 until 11 February 2024. EU burgundy cover, biometric.
Third version: from 20 November 2007 until 27 January 2015. Burgundy cover. First Latvian bimetric 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]
-
Diplomatic passport cover
-
Non-citizen passport cover
-
1939 Latvian diplomatic passport used for serving in Berlin
-
Latvian interwar period passport inside, prolonged in 1947 by the Latvian diplomatic service in exile
-
First Latvian passport design, issued in 1921
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Song and Dance about new style passports". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. January 28, 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ Citizen’s passport
- ^ STATE FEES FOR ISSUANCE OF PASSPORT
- ^ "Global Ranking – Visa Restriction Index 2020" (PDF). Henley & Partners. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ "Arvīda Bērziņa Latvijas ārzemju pase, izdota Londonā, 1947.g. 15.novembrī | LNB Digitālā bibliotēka - DOM PIEEJA". dom.lndb.lv. Retrieved 2024-01-16.