Latvian roots and an EU passport: How to obtain Latvian citizenship by descent

While the investment migration market debates the closure of residence-by-investment programs and tighter checks, there’s a parallel route to full EU citizenship that often flies under the radar. It’s Latvian citizenship by descent, where the outcome is based on law—not on investment.

If your family history includes an ancestor who held Latvian citizenship before 17 June 1940, your descendants may apply for recognition of Latvian citizenship. This is genuine citizenship—not a residence permit (VISA/temporary residence) and not “naturalization by years.” The state doesn’t grant status at an official’s discretion; it confirms it when proven family ties are established.

Latvian citizenship offers the same rights as citizens of other EU countries: the ability to travel, work, and live freely across all EU member states (27 countries), as well as the right to pass citizenship to children.

Estimates suggest the Latvian diaspora numbers over one million people worldwide—spread across the globe due to war, forced displacement, and the consequences of the Soviet regime. For thousands of families, this can be a relevant legal question—and the number of inquiries is growing.

EU Law Firm, providing international clients with Latvian immigration and business advice from Riga for more than 14 years, notes a rise in origin-based requests among second- and third-generation diaspora families—especially in North America, Australia, and Western Europe.

Legal foundation: the “1940 line”

The mechanism of citizenship by descent is tied to the events of 17 June 1940, when the Soviet Union occupied Latvia—effectively ending the country’s independence and forcing thousands of citizens and their families to leave abroad.

When Latvia restored independence in 1991, it was framed as the continuation of the pre-war republic, not the creation of a new state. As a result, changes to citizenship made during the Soviet period were not treated, legally, as terminating the status of pre-war citizens and their descendants.

Important: this is not a naturalization procedure. Applicants are not “granted” citizenship by a minister’s decision. Citizenship is recognized as an existing legal status—provided that origin documents are properly verified.

The state’s role is verification-based, not discretionary: once family ties are proven and the “anchor” basis exists, the result follows from the law.

How Latvian citizenship by descent works

The Latvian Citizenship Law provides three separate categories of grounds for filing by descent.

1) Bloodline relationship (jus sanguinis). If, at the time of the applicant’s birth, at least one parent was a Latvian citizen, citizenship is transmitted through the family line. In most cases, the evidence is relatively straightforward: the parent’s valid Latvian passport/citizenship documents plus the applicant’s birth certificate.

2) Descendants of citizens from 17 June 1940 who hold no other citizenship. This option is aimed at people who do not have citizenship of another country (or are willing to renounce it), as well as families who, during the occupation, lost effective citizenship and did not receive a replacement.

3) Descendants of 1940 citizens who already have passports of other countries. Today, this category attracts the most attention because restrictions on dual citizenship previously applied. Under the current version of the law, descendants may hold a second citizenship if it was obtained in an EU or NATO country, in an EFTA state, or in a list of countries that includes—for example—Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand, among others.

In practice, legislative changes expanded the mechanism’s real-world applicability: it became a viable option for professionals and families who do not intend to give up citizenship they already hold.

The hardest part: building a documentary chain across a full century

Applicants must prove a continuous link between themselves and the “law-generating” ancestor—typically through birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as an anchor document showing that the ancestor truly held Latvian citizenship on the relevant date.

The strongest evidence is generally pre-war Latvian passports, though not everyone has them preserved. Alternatives may include records from population registers of the first independence period, military service/conscription documentation, property-related information, and official correspondence with Latvian state institutions.

Latvian archives hold extensive pre-war collections, and digitization in recent years has made remote document searches significantly easier.

If the family went through displaced persons camps in Germany, Austria, or Sweden after the war, materials from the International Refugee Organization and emigration records can help fill critical gaps in the timeline.

Parish registry books are also often underestimated: many church records were kept carefully throughout the interwar period.

If primary documents are missing, secondary evidence may be accepted—for example, census data, education records, and affidavits sworn by relatives who can confirm the circumstances. However, in such cases the standard of proof is higher, and processing times are typically longer.

Any document issued in a foreign language must be translated into Latvian with a certified translation; depending on the issuing country, an apostille or consular legalization may also be required.

Delays most often occur at this stage: the process demands archival accuracy and legal precision.

Filing and processing timelines

Processing times depend on the complexity of the evidence package and the category of the legal basis. In typical cases, with properly prepared documents, the process may take from several months up to one year.

In many situations, this is faster than routes built around naturalization and long-term residence requirements, which are often mandatory for EU “golden visa” style programs.

If you are filing from abroad, specialized legal support becomes especially important. EU Law Firm helps hundreds of diaspora applicants locate archival documents, structure evidence files, and prepare materials requested by the competent authority.

To find out whether you meet the requirements for Latvian citizenship by descent, contact EU Law Firm via the website.

If you’re looking for a legal way to strengthen your status in the EU amid tightening investment schemes, consider an alternative route — Latvian citizenship by descent. Unlike investment-based options, this path relies on proven family ties and the applicable legal framework, with the result being a full EU passport. Want to understand what evidence and documents your family history may require? Contact Digital Nomad and we’ll help you map the next steps.

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