A trip to Riga: whether the passport is needed by Russian citizens

Latvia is an amazing country with affectionate climate, interesting cultural attractions and traditions. She, like several other countries and republics, until 1990, was located as part of the USSR, which then collapsed. Since Latvia has declared an independent state, entry into its territory, for Russians, has become not so available as before. Then the question is subject to: whether a passport is needed to Riga for Russians? Yes. Now, in order to get beyond the borders of this Baltic country, you will need to present not only a valid passport, but also a decorated visa.

Do I need a passport in Riga to Russians? Since in 2004, Latvia has signed an agreement on accession to the European Union, its territory has become part of the extensive Schengen and Eurozone. According to this and other known reasons, the passport, for entering Riga, Russians, is needed.

If the traveler is just going to make a passport, then choose, for registration, it can be a new and old sample document. Latvia does not limit its guests in this matter.

The passport of the new sample, the so-called biometric, gives some advantage over the second type, - it contains all reliable information on his microchip, which can be easier and faster to know the information about a person. That speeds up the process of passport control at the airport.

Since 2017, when making passports of a new sample, in addition to the basic information about a person, fingerprints will be entered on the microchip, which will allow you to learn border control workers, at the entrance to the Shengen's border, all reliable information about past visas.

Does the visa need in Riga

All those wishing to visit this country, including Russian, will need to be issued a Schengen visa. It does not need to be opened only by the EU citizens who can freely move within the Schengen zone on the travel documents of one of the countries of the European Union.

You can place a visa 2 ways:

• Independently provide the required package of documents to the consulate.
• Use the services of a visa center, which helps the traveler at stages: paperwork, their assembly, checks, delivery to the Consulate of Latvia and issuing a visa to the Consulate.

The first option implies certain responsibility and possible risks during self-submission of documents. After all, something you can skip or prepare incorrectly. But if a person is well understood in visa issues, or not the first time draws a visa without any assistance, then this option is appropriate.

The procedure for independent decoration of a visa:

1. Collect the necessary documents.
2. Filling a questionnaire for a visa.
3. Buying tickets.
4. Registration of medical insurance.
5. Booking a hotel room.
6. Payment of state duty.

If the opening of the visa is performed through the applicant's appeal to the visa center, then it can be sure that qualified assistance will receive at all stages of preparation and submission of documents for a visa. It is convenient to take advantage of this option if you want to save your time and there is no experience in submitting documents to open a visa, on your own. However, it is worth remembering that in addition to the consular fee, the applicant will need to pay for the services of the visa center.

List of documents

The standard list of documents for a visa to Latvia, for all foreigners, includes:

• International passport.
• Medical insurance.

• Filled.
• 2 photos, the size of 3.5x4.5.
• Certificate of the birth of children (for juvenile);
• National passport.
• Air or railway tickets, both sides.

If you plan to make a trip by car, then instead of plane tickets or train, you will need to provide documents for the car and driver's license, as well as the route of the trip.

Requirements for documents

There are requirements for documents regulated by the Latvian Consulate, to which it is necessary to take much seriously, as it will affect the rate of consideration of the application and to accept a positive solution on a visa.

• international passport. This is the main document on the trip, it is worth considering that:
  • There must be at least 2 empty, for stamps, pages.
  • The end of the validity period should be no earlier than 3 months after the trip.
  • It should be genuine and valid.

• Photos. Several requirements:
  • The background should be either white or light gray.
  • Photo size 3.5x4.5.
  • The face must be clearly visible, without a headdress and dark glasses.
  • The person should take no more than 80% of the total space.
• Medical insurance. It is allowed to arrange directly in the Schengen zone. The coating amount should be at least 30,000 euros.
• Booking a hotel room. It is important that the names of each applicant for a visa were spelled out in armor.
• Profile. It can be either downloaded from the Consulate website and print, or contact the Department of Embassy behind the Paper Form. Fill the questionnaire from hand, printed letters, or in English, or in Latvian. When filling it, it is worth paying special attention to paragraph 37, in which you need to put a signature, without which the questionnaire will not accept.

If you need to make a visa to the child, the questionnaire should fill out, and put a signature under it, one of his parents. The photo of the child is also obligatory. It is important to remember that all completed information in the questionnaire must be reliable, otherwise, when identifying the fact of providing false information, in a visa, a person will be denied.

You can make an ordinary visa, or urgent. The term of consideration of the application for registration of a common visa is 10 days, and an urgent - 3 days. Extend a visa while in Latvia, in most cases, it is impossible. Therefore, planning your trip is as close as possible so that, subsequently, no disappointments arose.

Dates of visa and customs regulations

The term of the usual, tourist visa is 90 days. If the visa is issued at an invitation, then the validity period of the visa depends on the decision of the invited person, about the duration of his guest.

The concepts of "working visa", in Latvia, no, but there are special conditions for those who want to work on its territory. At first, the employee should get into the country at an invitation from the employer. And if the employment contract exceeds a 3-month period, the applicant may apply for a residence permit in Latvia.

It is issued for a period of 1 year, but subsequently, it will be possible to extend for another 4 years. For the same principle, foreign students studying in Latvian educational institutions should be used to obtain a residence permit.

The cost of execution of a Schengen visa, consular fee will cost 35 euros, with ordinary design, and 70 euros if the procedure is urgent. Pay for the duty, only the currency of the euro is allowed, and only in cash. There are categories of citizens who are exempt from paying this collection. It:

1. Children, up to 6 years old.
2. Specialists of the scientific industry.
3. Students who are trained in Latvian educational institutions.
4. Relatives of citizens of Latvia or Russian citizens who have a residence permit in Latvia and live there all the time.

Import and export of goods

There are customs rules that regulate the import and export of various groups of personal and common things.

It is allowed to import:

• Any number of local currencies.
• Cigarettes, in the amount of 200 pieces, or cigars, in the amount of 100 pieces.
• Strong drinks, volume 1 liter
• Beer and wine - 2 liters;.
• 1 canister of gasoline (in the event of a trip by car).

If some things exceed the norm, they need to declare and pay for a fee.

It is forbidden to import:

• Parrots.
• Live plants.
• Drugs.
• Fruits, dairy and meat products.
• Weapons and ammunition.
• Products from amber.
• Artistic and historical values.
• Medical medicines.

If a person is sick of chronic diseases, he is allowed to carry medicines. Baby food, also permitted for transport.

The Latvian state does not impose special requirements for entry into its territory. Being a Schengen country, Latvia opens, for its travelers, doors not only to the world of Baltic States, but also to other countries that are located in the territory of the European Union.