On 11 October, the Cabinet of Ministers has issued an order to admit 33 persons to Latvian citizenship through naturalisation procedures.
32 applicants for citizenship, who naturalized in accordance with Article 12 of the Citizenship Law, and 1 applicant for citizenship who naturalized in accordance with Article 15 of the Citizenship Law, are included in the draft order of the Cabinet of Ministers.
From 32 applicants for citizenship 71% are Russians, 6% are Ukrainians, 12% are Belarussians, as well as Lithuanians, Poles and other nationals. 9% of applicants for citizenship have primary education, 56% - secondary education and 34% - higher education.
33 applicants for citizenship, who naturalized in accordance with Article 12 of the Citizenship Law, and their 3 minor children who naturalized in accordance with Article 15 of the Citizenship Law, are included in the draft order of the Cabinet of Ministers.
During the next days the new citizens will receive a notification via mail from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), containing information on the admission of the person to citizenship, as well as providing the most important information on the possibilities of arrangement of the new passport of the Latvian citizen.
The OCMA reminds that at the same time with admission to Latvian citizenship, the legal status of a person is changed, therefore, the current passport of a non-citizen is not valid anymore neither for use inlands, nor for trips to abroad.
148 744 persons were admitted to Latvian citizenship through naturalization: in 1995 - 984; in 1996 - 3 016; in 1997 - 2 992; in 1998 - 4 439; in 1999 - 12 427; in 2000 - 14 900; in 2001 - 10 637; in 2002 - 9844; in 2003 - 10 049; in 2004 - 16 064; in 2005 - 19 169; in 2006 - 16 439; in 2007 - 6826; in 2008 - 3 004; in 2009 - 2 080; in 2010 - 2 336; in 2011 - 2 467; in 2012 - 2 213; in 2013 - 1 732; in 2014 - 939; in 2015 - 971; in 2016 - 987; in 2017 - 915; in 2018 - 930; in 2019 - 808; in 2020 - 725; in 2021 - 419; in 2022 - 216 persons.
In order to become a Latvian citizen through naturalisation proceedings, a person has to turn to any territorial unit of the OCMA, regardless of his or her place of residence. The persons, who have proved their knowledge of Latvian, as well as successfully passed the examination of the basic principles of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, the text of the National Anthem and the basics of the history and culture of Latvia, shall be admitted to Latvian citizenship.
- Additional information: Personnel Management and Public Relations Department of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, e-mail: prese@pmlp.gov.lv, tel. 67219185.
Prepared by:
Ministry of the Interior
Communication Department
E-mail: kn@iem.gov.lv