The Republic of Latvia has recently opened its borders to digital nomads by launching Digital Nomad Visa for citizens of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. 

In the past, Latvian officials stated that the Digital Nomad Visa is designed to promote the immigration of qualified individuals who will further boost the country's economic growth.

As of now, several European countries, including Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Croatia, Hungary, Malta, Estonia, Greece, Romania, Czech Republic, are offering Digital Nomad Visa.

What does Latvia Digital Nomad Visa offer?

According to an announcement, this policy will allow the digital nomads holding OECD nationality to stay and work remotely in Latvia for over a year. It will also include the renewal of the Digital Nomad Visa for another year, which will not require specific local sponsorship.

The declaration clarifies further that this opportunity can only be availed by those working with an employer registered with OECD and people in business having their company registered in the OECD countries.

List of Eligible EU and Non-EU countries

The following EU and Non-EU countries are members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. These include:

• Latvia
• Austria
• Belgium
• The Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• The Netherlands
• Norway 
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

Eligible Non-EU Countries Part of OECD

Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom are the non-EU countries that are part of OECD.

Documents Required for Lativia Digital Nomad Visa

To apply for a Digital Nomad Visa, the eligible applicants need the following documents.

• Valid passport (you will need to mail a copy of your passport).
• An application for a visa that has been completed and signed.
• An up-to-date passport-size photograph.
• Copy of the insurance certificate certifying that the foreign national has health insurance valid in Latvia and other Schengen countries. The policy specifies a minimum insurance liability limit of 42,600 EUR.
• Documents certifying Latvia as the intended place of residence.
• Employees of a company based in an OECD member state are required to show evidence of documentation issued by the OECD member state's tax administration or social insurance organization.
• A company's declaration confirming that the person has worked there for at least six months, with details about their earnings during that time, must also be submitted. The worker needs to be compensated 3,192.50 EUR per month and be able to perform any job-related duties remotely.

Final Words

Interior Minister Marija Golubeva stated that based on recent research analysis, it was found that countries having more open immigration policies have higher GDPs, lower unemployment rates, and more educated labour markets. Thus, understanding the need and benefits of this visa, Latvia has made a good decision for their nation.

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