In order to reduce threat to public order and internal security, the Cabinet has adopted Regulation No 123 “Regulations regarding restrictions on the acceptance of visa applications from third-country nationals and their entry into the Republic of Latvia”.
In accordance with the regulation, only the following categories of citizens of the Russian Federation are allowed to enter the Republic of Latvia while crossing the external border of the European Union:
- the holders of residence permits of the Republic of Latvia, the European Union, the European Economic Area, or the Swiss Confederation;
- the holders of a long-stay visa (D) of a Schengen Agreement member state;
- the holders of a short-stay visa of a Schengen Agreement member state who are:
- family members (spouses, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, minor children of spouses and dependent persons) of the nationals of the Republic of Latvia;
- family members of the nationals of the European Union, the European Economic Area, or the Swiss Confederation;
- employees, crew members of freight and passenger transport service providers, crews of freight or technical voyages arriving in or departing from the Republic Latvia while performing their job duties;
- seafarers on their way to or returning from their workplace aboard ship;
- persons whose entry is related to humanitarian considerations;
- the staff of the diplomatic and consular missions of the Russian Federation accredited in or sent to the Republic of Latvia, and their family members;
- diplomatic couriers or ad hoc diplomatic couriers of the Russian Federation upon producing an official document confirming their status and the number of parcels in the diplomatic pouch;
- persons travelling to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Latvia on a short-term business trip for the provision of technical support;
- staff of the diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Russian Federation crossing the territory of the Republic of Latvia in transit for the performance of their official functions and their family members, as well as persons crossing the territory of the Republic of Latvia in transit while on a short-term business trip to the Embassy of the Russian Federation for the provision of technical support in the receiving country.