Latvia Tourist Visa Documents for Indian Passport Holders

Latvia's Embassy in New Delhi handles Schengen visas for all of India, and applications are lodged at the joint VFS Global centres for Latvia. Its checklist is close to other Schengen states, with two strict points that catch Indian applicants: hotel bookings must be prepaid, and insurance must run 15 days beyond the trip. The list below is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For fees and the wider process, see our Latvia visa page for Indian applicants.

Which identity documents go in every Latvian visa file?

• Application form: completed online, printed and signed by you.
• Photos: two colour photos, 35mm x 45mm, taken in the last 6 months, on a white background. They must not have been used in your passport before. The photo should be full face, non-smiling, without sunglasses, and stuck on the application form. A photo booth is available at the centre.
• Passport: issued within the previous ten years, valid for at least three months after your intended departure from the Schengen area, with at least two blank pages.
• Passport copies: the identification pages and every page with a previous visa.
• Minors: notarised consent of the parent(s) or guardian(s) and copies of the parents' passports.

What financial proof does Latvia want from Indians?

Every applicant gives the same core evidence, then adds documents for their work status:

A leave approval from your employer is the Indian equivalent of the 'employer's approval for holidays'. Make sure its dates match your travel dates.

How much money must your statement show?

Latvia publishes a daily figure. Under Cabinet Regulation No 225, as notified to the European Commission, a visitor needs means of subsistence of at least EUR 14 per day for stays of up to 30 days. For stays over 30 days, the amount is not less than the minimum monthly wage, EUR 700. Multiply EUR 14 by the days in your itinerary and make sure your balance clears that figure comfortably once flights and hotels are paid. If your host's invitation, approved by Latvia's Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), states that the host covers your costs, this proof is not needed.

Which bookings and insurance does the Embassy accept?

• Travel medical insurance: valid for the whole Schengen area for the entire stay, minimum coverage EUR 30,000, covering urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment and repatriation in the event of death. The VFS checklist asks for cover for the entire visit plus a 15-day 'period of grace', so buy the policy for 15 days beyond your return date.
• Accommodation: the VFS checklist asks for confirmed and prepaid hotels, with payment details coming directly from the hotels. Bookings through social booking platforms are not considered valid.
• Transport: round-trip tickets or a flight itinerary.
• Travel plans: a certificate from a travel agency confirming an organised trip, or any other document showing your planned travel.

What extra papers do non-tourist trips need?

If your trip is not purely tourism, add the documents for your category:

• Business: an invitation from the inviting company or organisation, and a cover letter from your employer confirming your identity, purpose and the period and place of stay.
• Family or friends: an invitation with the host's address, contact details and intended period of stay, plus proof of their citizenship or legal residence.
• Medical treatment: a doctor's or institution's certificate confirming the need for treatment in Latvia, the receiving institution's confirmation, and proof of pre-payment.
• Seafarers: employment contract or appointment letter, seafarer's book, the shipping company's signed and sealed invitation, and a flight reservation if applicable.

How and when should you submit the file?

VFS asks short-stay applicants to email appt_latvia_sa@vfsglobal.com to book an appointment. Every Schengen applicant must appear in person for biometrics. The Embassy points out that biometric data can be collected only by Schengen consulates and external service providers such as VFS, never by travel agencies or other commercial intermediaries.

The visa fee is non-refundable if the visa is refused. European Commission data put the refusal rate for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Latvian consulates in India at 18.6% in 2025 (244 visas not issued; 1,314 applications lodged), up from 11.9% in 2024. A complete, consistent file is the part you control.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). For Latvia, note that the VFS checklist wants prepaid hotel confirmations from the hotel itself, so plan that part directly. Reach us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does Latvia accept hotel bookings made through online booking platforms?

The VFS Latvia checklist asks for confirmed and prepaid hotels with payment details directly from the hotels, and says social booking platforms are not considered valid. Get the confirmation and payment proof from the hotel itself.

Can a travel agent give my fingerprints for a Latvia visa?

No. The Embassy of Latvia states that biometric data can be collected only by Schengen consulates and external service providers such as VFS Global, not by travel agencies. Every Schengen applicant must appear in person.

Is Form 16 needed for a Latvia tourist visa?

The short-stay list asks for Indian income tax return acknowledgments for the last two assessment years. Form 16/16A with Form 26AS appears in the Embassy's long-stay employment checklist, not the tourist one.

Do children under 6 pay the Latvia visa fee?

No. Children below 6 are exempt from the visa fee, though the VFS service charge still applies. Children aged 6 to 12 pay EUR 45 / INR 4998.