Latvia to deport 841 Russians for breaching new residency requirements

Latvia has ordered 841 Russian nationals to leave the country by October 13 after they failed to demonstrate Latvian language proficiency and complete mandatory security checks, officials confirmed.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Latvia amended its Immigration Law later that year and further tightened it in 2024, imposing stricter rules on Russian citizens wishing to remain in the Baltic state.

Under the updated regulations, Russian nationals must apply for EU long-term resident status, show A2-level Latvian language skills, and pass background and security checks by June 30, 2025, to maintain legal residency.

Around 30,000 Russian citizens were affected by the new requirements. While most complied, roughly 2,600 left Latvia voluntarily. The remaining 841 individuals failed to submit the required documentation on time and have now been instructed to depart by October 13, Madara Puķe, head of public relations at Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), told POLITICO.

Some affected residents were reportedly unaware of the changes. “Only when they are no longer paid a pension do they realise that something is wrong,” said Maira Roze, head of OCMA, in an interview with Latvian Television’s De facto program. “Then they call. Why am I not being paid my pension? We tell them: You have no residence permit. They ask: Where is my residence permit? We say: You should comply with the law,” she added.

After October 13, any Russian citizen remaining in Latvia without meeting the requirements will be considered to be staying unlawfully, Puķe said. Access to social services will be withdrawn, and continued non-compliance without a valid justification may result in forced deportation by the State Border Guard.

Latvia has recently intensified national security measures amid heightened tensions with Moscow. In May 2025, Foreign Minister Baiba Braže urged EU countries to stop issuing visas to Russian citizens over security concerns. In June, the Latvian parliament banned Russian and Belarusian citizens from working in critical infrastructure and from purchasing real estate in the country.