Issued by Latvia Purpose Identification | Type of document Passport Eligibility requirements Latvian citizenship | |
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Date first issued November 20, 2007 (biometric passports)
January 29, 2015 (current version) Expiration 1 year for children (ages 0–5); 5 years for most citizens (aged 5–60); 10 years for senior citizens (aged 60 and above) | ||
Latvian passports are issued to citizens of Latvia for identity and international travel purposes. Receiving a valid passport is mandatory from the age of 15, but passports can be requested for younger children if needed for travel purposes. Passport is valid for 10 years (if citizen is younger than 20, then valid for 5 years). Non-citizen passports, and refugee travel documents (in a passport-like format), are also issued. Every Latvian citizen is also a citizen of the European Union. The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union and European Economic Area.
Contents
Physical Appearance
Latvian passports are burgundy red, with the Latvian Coat of arms emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The words "EIROPAS SAVIENĪBA" (Latvian) meaning (English: European Union) and "LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA" (Latvian) meaning (English: Republic of Latvia) inscribed above the coat of arms the word "PASE" (Latvian) meaning (English: Passport) are inscribed below the coat of arms. Latvian passport has the standard biometric symbol emblazoned below the coat of arms and use the standard European Union design.
Identity Information Page
The Latvian Passport includes the following data:
The information page ends with the transparent line and the Machine Readable Zone.
Optionally passport may also include information about passport holder's ethnicity, underage children and holder's name in different orography (historical form or original form in different language)
Languages
The data page/information page is printed in Latvian, English and French.
Visa requirements
In 2015, Latvian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 160 countries and territories, ranking the Latvian passport 12th in the world according to the Visa Restrictions Index.
Current Passport
As of November 20, 2007 all Latvian passports are following the EU passport standards in all respects (e.g. format, biometric features).
Since 1 July 2008 all citizen passports (blue color), which have been issued until 30 June 2002 (containing glued in photos), as well as passports without an expiration date (beztermiņa), will not be valid for international travel.
Citizen passports issued after 1 July 2002, containing a scanned signature and picture, will be valid until the expiration date and do not have to be changed, unless they have expired.
Non-citizen passports (violet color) are valid until the expiration date and do not have to be changed, unless they have expired.