Russians with a Latvian residence permit can be granted an extension to learn the language

Citizens of Russia, permanently residing in Latvia, can be granted a two-year deferment so that they have time to pass the exam in the Latvian language. This was announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs Maris Kuczynskis.

Kuczynskis said that the government intends to change the immigration law in order to grant temporary residence permits to Russians in Latvia for another two years until they learn the state language. He emphasized that Latvia does not yet intend to deport Russians who have not provided certificates of Latvian language proficiency.

Earlier it was reported that the country’s authorities may offer how many thousands of Russians who have not yet passed the exam to leave the country from the beginning of autumn. Their residence permits will not be reissued. Among these citizens of Russia there are many elderly people who find it difficult to learn the language.

• 25,317 Russian citizens with special status live in Latvia. Before receiving a Russian passport, they were Latvian citizens or (in the vast majority) so-called non-citizens.
• At the end of September 2022, the Latvian parliament – the Seimas – legislatively canceled permanent residence permits for such people from September 2, 2023. In order to maintain the right to live in Latvia, they must issue a residence permit according to the new procedure. To do this, it is necessary to submit a certificate of knowledge of the Latvian language to the Citizenship and Immigration Office and prove that the monthly income during the last year was not lower than the minimum salary (620 euros in 2023) or that the person receives a Latvian pension.