Latvia Visa from India 2026: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Latvia is a Schengen state, so the visa it issues is valid across the Schengen area for short stays. There is no visa on arrival and no eVisa for Indian passport holders. The steps below are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. For a summary of fees and documents, see our Latvia visa page for Indians.

Which Latvia visa category fits your trip?

For visits of up to 90 days, you choose one of seven short-stay (Schengen) categories:

• Tourist Visit
• Business Visit
• Family And Friends Visit
• Cultural Visit
• Medical Treatment Visit
• Seafarers
• Airport Transit

Longer stays use the long-stay categories: Student Visa, Employment and Residence Permit. If you are only changing planes in Riga, you do not need a visa to stay inside the international transit area, because India is not on the airport-transit-visa lists.

How do you apply for a Latvia visa, step by step?

1. Fill in the application form online, then print and sign it.
2. Request a VFS appointment by email at appt_latvia_sa@vfsglobal.com. The Embassy of Latvia covers all of India. The official pages refer to VFS offices in and outside New Delhi without listing them, so ask for the centre nearest you when you email.
3. Prepare the documents in the checklist order (table below), with two colour photos of 35mm x 45mm, taken in the last 6 months, on a white background.
4. Buy travel medical insurance valid for the whole Schengen area with at least EUR 30,000 cover. The VFS checklist asks for the entire visit plus 15 days as a 'period of grace'.
5. Attend the appointment in person. Every Schengen applicant gives biometric data. Only Schengen consulates and VFS may collect it, not travel agencies.
6. Pay the visa fee and VFS charge at submission.
7. Wait for the decision, then collect your passport.

What documents do Indians submit?

Each category adds its own papers. Tourists add a travel agency certificate for an organised trip or another document showing the travel plans. Business visitors add the invitation from the Latvian company and a cover letter from their employer confirming identity, purpose and the period and place of stay. Family and friends visitors add the host's invitation with address, contact details and intended period of stay, plus proof of the host's citizenship or legal residence.

How much money do you need to show?

Latvia publishes a figure. Under Cabinet Regulation No 225, as notified to the European Commission, the means of subsistence are at least EUR 14 per day for stays up to 30 days. For stays over 30 days, you need not less than the minimum monthly wage of EUR 700. You do not have to show these means if an OCMA-approved invitation states that the host covers the costs.

Your bank statement, ITR acknowledgments and payslips are how you prove the amount. Make the trip length on your itinerary and the funds on your statement agree.

How much does it cost and how long does it take?

The INR amount follows the current exchange rate. Lodge the application no more than six months and at least 15 calendar days before the trip; VFS advises applying at least 2 weeks in advance.

How strict is Latvia with applications from India?

The European Commission's statistics give the refusal rate for Schengen applications lodged at Latvian consulates in India as 18.6% in 2025 (244 visas not issued; 1,314 applications lodged), up from 11.9% in 2024 (114 visas not issued; 963 applications lodged). With 1,314 applications lodged in 2025, the volume is small, so relatively few decisions move the rate. The figure describes past decisions, not your chances. The way to keep your own file clean is to match the checklist exactly, especially the prepaid-hotel and bank-certificate requirements.

What changes if you are going to study or work?

Long-stay applicants follow a different route through the same Embassy:

• Upload documents on Hello Verify before booking; VFS gives no appointment without the confirmation.
• Students attend a mandatory interview, by video conference at centres outside New Delhi. The video conferencing fee is Rs 3888 where applicable.
• The Latvian institution's or employer's invitation must be approved by the OCMA (Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs) and dated not more than 6 months before the application.
• Travel medical insurance for 90 days needs a minimum of EUR 42,600.
• The Embassy decides 15 days after all documents are submitted, or up to 60 days if additional inspection is needed. After arrival, you apply for a residence permit at the OCMA.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Embassy of Latvia in India?

The Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to India is at B8 Anand Niketan, New Delhi 110021, telephone +91 11 4985 9100. It handles Schengen visas for all of India, and applications are lodged at the joint VFS Global centres.

Who gets a Latvia visa fee waiver?

The Embassy waives the fee for children under six, pupils, students and teachers on study trips, researchers, and representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 or less. For children under six, the VFS service charge still applies.

Can a travel agent give my fingerprints or submit for me?

Biometric data can be collected only by Schengen consulates and external service providers such as VFS, not by commercial intermediaries like travel agencies. All Schengen applicants in India appear in person.

Does a Latvian Schengen visa let me visit other Schengen countries?

Yes. A Latvian short-stay visa is a Schengen visa, which is why the insurance you submit must be valid for the whole Schengen area for the entire stay.