The beautiful forests, wildlife, cities, and wide ethnicity not only attract tourists but students as well. With several great universities, the educational system in the country is quite good. Thanks to the Schengen Latvia student visa, individuals can enter the country for taking part in studies, research, training, etc.
To take part in a short term study, research, and so on in Latvia, most people from around the world would require a permit. Also known as the Latvia Schengen student visa, this is a short term Schengen category, and is issued for a duration of up to 90 days in a 180-day period. It can be issued as a single-entry type, double-entry type, or even with multiple entries.
The mode of application for the study permit is online. However, similar to all other Schengen visas, the submission is done offline. Before you proceed with the application, you must ensure that you are eligible for this category. After this, you may proceed to make the application as follows -
Kindly note that if you have already provided your biometrics for a Schengen visa in the past 5 years, you do not have to submit them again. In this scenario, you may submit the application via a third party. Also, ensure that you submit the correct document and information. Submitting false information will lead to a Schengen visa rejection.
To be able to apply successfully for the student permit, you must meet the following basic criteria. Failure to do so will most likely result in your application being refused.
The following are the list of documents you must submit in order to obtain a Latvian student permit -
Ensure that you carry all the original documents to the appointment centre. You will have to show these to the officials there.
The time taken to process the application depends on several factors such as the volume of applications at the embassy, the number of entries, the stay duration and validity, as well as your previous travel history. In normal cases, it takes around 15 working days for it to be processed. In a lot of cases, this can take longer. As a result, you must apply for the permit well in advance.
The total fees for the Latvian student permit are dependent on the number of entries, biometric charges, VAC service charges, and so on. It can also vary upon the foreign currency exchange rates. As a result, it is necessary that you check the exact amount before starting the application.
Entry | Stay Duration | Validity | Fees |
---|---|---|---|
Multiple entry Normal | 90 days | 3 months | 6773.0 |
Multiple entry Normal | 90 days | 3 months | 6773.0 |
After making the application, your application, along with your documents, will be sent to the embassy for processing. Please note that even though the application is made at a VAC, the processing is solely in the hands of the embassy. The VAC has no power regarding the processing. Once approved, you can either collect your passport back from the VAC directly, or you can have them mail it to you for an additional charge.
The processing can take quite a while. In this period, you can check the status of your application by visiting https://www.vfsvisaonline.com/Global-PassportTracking and entering your reference number and date of birth. You may also opt for SMS notification services provided by the VAC. Alternately, you can have your respective visa agency do the tracking for you.
Once you receive the student part, you must keep in mind the following points -
It is not possible to extend the Latvian Schengen student permit or any short term Schengen for that matter. In normal conditions, these are non-extendable. However, in certain extreme cases such as medical reasons, or other unforeseeable circumstances that prevent you from returning to your home country, you may be granted an extension.
It is strictly prohibited to stay for any longer after the expiry of your visa. You must leave the country before the visa expires. Staying back after this period is considered an offence and can lead to deportation. You will also face difficulties in applying for another Schengen visa again, and in a few cases, you may be banned from re-entering the Schengen region again.
Being a part of the Schengen C category, there is no mandatory requirement for a medical test. However, depending on your institution or organization of study/research/training, you may have specific medical requirements. It is also recommended that you get a medical test before you travel to a foreign country.
No, it is not possible to convert a Schengen short term category into another one. You are also not allowed to work while you are in this category. If you do wish to work in Latvia, you must apply for a Latvia work permit once you are back in your home country.
Yes, you are allowed to travel to other Schengen countries while you are on a Latvia student visa. However, if you have been issued with an LTV type, you can only visit specified countries. For the European countries, you can only visit the ones that belong to the Schengen zone. However, there are a few countries that accept entry with a Schengen visa despite not being a part of the Schengen. Eg: - Croatia.