Latvian Embassy in China - Consular Information


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Visa Requirements –Entry into Schengen Zone

  A visa issued by a Schengen country permits free travel within the Schengen zone, if not stated otherwise on the visa.
  On December 21, 2007 Latvia, along with the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, joined the Schengen border-free zone. The Schengen agreement, which allows passport-free travel across the area, now embraces 24 nations, namely: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
  Competent Embassy or Consulate General: the Embassy or Consulate General of the country of the main destination is the competent authority to deal with the application. If the main destination cannot be determined, the application should be made to the embassy of the country in which the longest visit shall be. If the visits in different Schengen countries are of equal length, the first destination shall be the determining factor.

  This agreement abolishes land and maritime borders of Latvia with Lithuania and Estonia; thus this border has become the internal border of the Schengen space. The abolition of border control at the internal air borders is planned for 30 March 2008.

  Latvia's border with neighboring countries Russia and Belarus, which are not members of the Schengen Treaty, has now become the external border of the Schengen Area. Border controls on the external border of the Schengen Area are maintained.

  With the accession of Latvia to the Schengen Area, Latvia's diplomatic and consular representations abroad have commenced the issuance of a uniform or Schengen visa, which is valid in the territory of all the states – members to the Schengen Treaty.

  On June 1, 2007 an agreement came into force between the European Union and the Russian Federation on simplified conditions for visa issuance to EU and Russian Federation (RF) citizens, which anticipates simplified issuance of short-term visas for both EU and RF citizens.
For more information, please see ： Information regarding simplified conditions for visa issuance between the European Union and Russian Federation

Changes in crossing the territory of Latvia in transit as of 1 December 2006

  In accordance with the Decision No.895/2006/EC1 and the Decision No.896/06/EC2 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union of 14 June 2006, the following provisions shall be applied as of 1 December 2006:
  A third-country national, holding a valid visa or a residence permit of a Schengen member state 3 or of a new EU member state 4 or a residence permit issued in Switzerland or Liechtenstein, may cross in transit the territory of Latvia without Latvian transit visa, in order to enter the territory of a Schengen state, a new EU member state, Switzerland or Liechtenstein or return to his/her country of residence or, if there is such a permit, to a third country.

1)	Decision No 895/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 introducing a simplified regime for the control of persons at the external borders based on the unilateral recognition by the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia of certain documents as equivalent to their national visas for the purposes of transit through their territories
2)	Decision No 896/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 establishing a simplified regime for the control of persons at the external borders based on the unilateral recognition by the Member States of certain residence permits issued by Switzerland and Liechtenstein for the purpose of transit through their territory
3)	Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
4)	Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia (Terms of decisions are not applicable to Bulgaria and Romania)