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Latvia is part of the Schengen area, so a UAE residence permit alone does not let you in on most passports. We prepare the Schengen file for visits. For work, the route starts with a Latvian employer, not a visa centre in Dubai.
Visiting Latvia from the UAE
The rules for a short visit are the Schengen rules: up to 90 days in any 180, one visa for the whole area, and a file lodged in person. The generic steps are on the Schengen visa from Dubai page. What is specific to Latvia is where the file goes. A news report from says the Latvian Embassy moved intake to VFS Global in Dubai (Wafi Mall) and Abu Dhabi. The Latvian foreign ministry site refused our connection, so we cannot read the current centre details ourselves. We confirm the centre and slot before we send you anywhere.
Latvia has an embassy covering the UAE, and the UAE opened its embassy in Riga on , according to the UAE foreign ministry. Visa files from residents still go through the visa centre, not the embassy counter.
Working in Latvia
A tourist visa never allows work. The Riga city employer guide sets out the order:
- The employer registers the vacancy.
- The employer files an invitation (short stay) or a request (long stay) with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
- After approval you apply for a D visa or a temporary residence permit.
The state fee for the invitation or request is EUR 69. Approval is normally within 5 business days, and within 2 business days for companies in the State Revenue Service's enhanced cooperation programme. The employer sends a draft employment contract and your education documents with an Apostille or legalisation. Three years of official work experience in a similar job can replace the education papers. Documents go to the office electronically, by e-mail with an e-signature or through the Latvija.lv portal.
The European Commission's immigration portal adds that a D visa is filed by the applicant at a consular office or with VFS Global, and that a residence permit is filed in person at a Latvian consular representation abroad. It also lists an invitation letter among the permit documents.
| Step | Who files | Fee we could read |
|---|---|---|
| Employer invitation or request | Latvian employer | EUR 69 |
| D visa or residence permit | You, after approval | Not read, we confirm before you pay |
| Schengen visit visa | You | EUR 90 adult, per the Estonian ministry |
Checked . The Schengen fee is the common Schengen rate, shown on the Baltic states page. We found no Dubai agency price range for Latvia, so we show none.
Common problems
- Booking a flight before the visa decision.
- Education papers without an Apostille or legalisation, which the employer's invitation needs.
- Using a visit visa to start work before the permit is approved.
- Asking the wrong office: the invitation is filed by the employer in Latvia, not by you.
- Insurance that does not cover the whole Schengen stay.
Most of these show up in the first read of your papers. That check is the main thing we add.
Documents
For a visit: passport, photo, insurance, bookings, proof of funds, and proof of your UAE job and residence. For work: the contract, education or experience proof, and a passport valid for the whole stay.
How it works with us
You send your passport copy and plan on WhatsApp or through the form on this page. An adviser tells you whether you need a visit file or the employer route and gives one total price before you pay. For visits the team books the slot and checks the documents. For work we explain what the employer must send and prepare your side. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. Latvian authorities decide.
The Schengen fee is not returned after a refusal. Before you pay, your adviser tells you in writing which part of our total, if any, you get back.
Official sources
- Live Riga, inviting a third-country employee: fee, timing and documents.
- EU immigration portal, Latvia: where D visas and permits are filed.
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassy opening in Riga.
See also Lithuania, Estonia and visas from Dubai.
