EU Schengen Visa, Residency and Work Permit Services

An individual from a non-EU country who needs to frequently travel within the EU or reside in the EU for business purposes has various options available, depending on his requirements.

AGI TRADE specializes in offering schengen visa, residency and work permit services from Latvia, but can offer similar services in other Schengen Zone countries as well. Our service involves helping the Applicant step by step with the application process, as well as advising the Applicant on how to properly prepare required documentation.

Schengen Visa

A foreigner travelling to Europe will find it extremely useful to obtain one visa, the Schengen Visa, which allows access to 25 countries in Europe.

How does the Schengen Agreement work?

Each participating country continues to issue visas in the normal way but the visa issued is a Schengen visa. With a Schengen visa, you may enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen zone. Internal border controls have disappeared; there are no or few stops and checks. This means that internal air, road and train travel are handled as domestic trips.

Single, double or multi-entry visas are issued, but this will depend on the support supplied when you apply for your visa.

Countries participating in the Schengen Agreement:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. A Schengen visa issued by an Embassy or Consulate of the above countries allows the holder to travel freely in all of the issuing countries. All these countries except Norway and Iceland are European Union members.

Note: United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are NOT yet participants of the Schengen Agreement. Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania have not joined the Schengen area yet, either.

How to Obtain a Schengen Visa

The Applicant can apply for a Schengen visa:

                     As a tourist, whereby the Schengen visa can be obtained from the embassy of any of the participating countries, or apply through a local tourist company. Usually, a tourist can apply for only a single entry visa.

                     As a Board Member of a company from a Schengen member country, whereby the Applicant can obtain a Schengen visa automatically for one year, renewable every year thereafter. This would be advantageous in that the frequent business traveller will automatically receive a one year visa.

AGI TRADE can assist non-EU based individuals in obtaining a Schengen visa by appointing the Applicant as a Board Member of a Latvian company.

Multi-entry Schengen Visa holders will have the right to stay in the Schengen zone no more than 90 days within a six month period, starting from the date of the first entry to the Schengen area.

The Applicant is liable to pay Latvian tax based on his position as a Board Member of a Latvian company (salary taxes, corporate tax), and must also obtain a Latvian work permit. As a holder of a Latvian visa and work permit, the Applicant does not become a resident of Latvia, therefore, his personal worldwide income is not liable to Latvian taxation (i.e., he pays taxes in his declared country of residence).

Residency and Work Permits

This option is available for those individuals wishing to reside in a specific Schengen zone country for more than 90 days within a 6 month period. This process involves appointing the Applicant as a Board Member of a company registered in a Schengen zone, where the Board Member applies for a residency and work permit simultaneously. AGI TRADE can offer this service via a Latvian company.

As with a multi-entry Schengen visa, the individual with a residency permit can travel and reside in any Schengen Zone country as long as they do not stay longer than 3 months within a 6 month period. The Applicant should bear in mind though, that residency permits issued in Latvia require living in Latvia for 6 months out of the year.

Entrance and residence in Latvia

To arrive and reside in Latvia, a visa or residential permit is needed.

Citizens of followings countries are allowed to arrive to the Republic of Latvia without a visa:

Citizens of the states of European Union, European Economic Area and Confederation of Switzerland (Austria, Belgium, Czech, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Estonia, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, Nederland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Romania).

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentine, Australia, USA, Barbados, Bahamas, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Croatia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Korea (South Korea), Costa Rica, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Panama, Salvador, San Marino, Seychellois islands, Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela, Holders of passport of Hong Kong, Holders of passport Macao, Holders of passport of Great Britain British Nationals (Overseas).

For citizens of countries not mentioned above visa or residence permit is necessary.

Before visa reception, invitation approved by office of citizenship and migration affairs is necessary (in certain cases the invitation is not necessary).

After approving of invitation, it is possible to apply for visa and submit following documents to Latvian consular missions:
Valid travel document;
Visa application form filled out and signed;
Photo;
Copy of a document confirming that the applicant has a health insurance policy;
Documents verifying the reason for entry and the anticipated place of residence, or documents indicating that a letter of invitation has been approved by the OCMA;
Receipt confirming the fee payment.

If it is necessary to stay in Latvia more than 90 days during half a year then the long-term visa or residence permit is necessary.

The long-term visa may be issued, if the issuance complies with international legislation, complies with the interests of Latvian state, is justified by force majeure, is justified by humanitarian considerations.

Residence permit can receive:

·  The individual businessman registered in a commercial register or the only founder of a commercial society;

·  Person registered in the Commercial Register as a member of a partnership with rights to represent a partnership, member of the Board or the Council, managing clerk, executive, liquidator or a person authorized to represent a corporate entity (a foreign corporate entity) in activities related to the branch office;

·  Self-employed person;

·  Representative of a foreign corporate entity.