Document checklist
New Zealand → Latvia: Residence permit for studies
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
10 itemsIdentity
Photo (3 × 4 cm)
RequiredOne photo sized 3 × 4 cm.
Source: PMLP, Viss par migrāciju: initial residence permit for studies (D 2.1), documents to be submitted
Residence permit application form
RequiredThe PMLP questionnaire for requesting a residence permit, filled in completely.
Source: PMLP, Viss par migrāciju: initial residence permit for studies (D 2.1), documents to be submitted
Valid passport and a copy of it
RequiredA valid passport, plus a copy of every page that has entries or stamps on it. You confirm yourself that the copy matches the original.
Source: PMLP, Viss par migrāciju: initial residence permit for studies (D 2.1), documents to be submitted
Financial
Proof you have enough money to live on
RequiredA document showing you have the monthly amount of money PMLP requires. If family members come with you, you must show a set amount for each adult and each child too. PMLP's pages currently show different monthly figures, so check the amount on PMLP's "necessary subsistence" page right before you apply.
Source: PMLP, The necessary subsistence
Purpose of travel
Invitation from your school, confirmed with PMLP
RequiredYour university or school must send your invitation to PMLP and have it confirmed before you hand in your documents. You will need the invitation number when you apply.
Source: PMLP, Are you planning to obtain a residence permit to study?
Study agreement with your school
RequiredYour agreement (contract) on studies in Latvia with the accredited university or school that invited you.
Source: Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), Studies
Travel
Long-stay (D) visa documents, if you need one to travel
RequiredThe Latvian embassy in the UAE explains that after PMLP decides in your favour, you apply for a D visa. For that step it asks for your passport, 2 photos, a signed visa application form, a flight booking, your university's confirmation that you are enrolled, and health insurance for 90 days from arrival covering at least €42,600.
Other
Apostille on documents from other countries
RequiredThe Latvian embassy in the UAE tells applicants that a document issued in a country that joined the Hague Apostille Convention must carry an apostille.
Documents for children coming with you
RequiredFor each child who comes with you: the same set of documents, papers that prove you are related, and permission from the other parent for the child to live in Latvia. That permission must be notarised or signed in front of a PMLP officer.
Source: Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), Studies
Receipt for the state fee
RequiredA payment document that shows you paid the state fee for reviewing your application.
Source: PMLP, Viss par migrāciju: initial residence permit for studies (D 2.1), documents to be submitted
Why applications on this route get refused
Invitation not confirmed with PMLP
PMLP says the person inviting you must confirm the invitation with PMLP before documents are handed in. Without it, your application can't move forward.
How to avoid it: Ask your school to confirm your invitation with PMLP first, and keep the invitation number ready.
Not enough money shown
A document that doesn't show the monthly amount PMLP requires, for you and for each family member coming with you, does not meet the rule.
How to avoid it: Check the current amount on PMLP's necessary subsistence page and make sure your proof covers you and each family member.
No study agreement
The permit is for studies, so PMLP asks for your agreement on studies in Latvia.
How to avoid it: Sign your study agreement with the school before you apply and include it with your documents.
Passport copy missing pages
PMLP asks for a copy of every passport page that has entries or stamps, not just the photo page.
How to avoid it: Copy all pages with any stamp or entry and confirm the copy matches your passport.
No permission from the other parent for a child
When a child comes with you, PMLP asks for the other parent's permission, notarised or signed in front of a PMLP officer.
How to avoid it: Get the other parent's permission notarised before you apply, along with proof that you are related.
Sources
- Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), Studies · checked 14 Sept 2026
- PMLP, Viss par migrāciju: initial residence permit for studies (D 2.1), documents to be submitted · checked 14 Sept 2026
- PMLP, The necessary subsistence · checked 14 Sept 2026
- PMLP, Are you planning to obtain a residence permit to study? · checked 14 Sept 2026
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Embassy in the UAE: residence permit and long-term visa for studies · checked 14 Sept 2026
- PMLP, Entry of citizens of the EU, the EEA, and Switzerland, and their family members · checked 14 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Latvia application fee.
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