Working in Latvia from Uzbekistan: Visa, Permit, Costs (2026)

Work permits and visas for Latvia in 2026

If you live in Uzbekistan and want to work legally in Latvia as a skilled or manual worker, you must follow the correct immigration path. You cannot simply travel to Riga on a tourist visa and start working. The standard route for Uzbek citizens entering trades like construction, driving, or manufacturing is the national long-stay visa for work, known as the Type D visa, which is backed by an approved work permit sponsorship.

The process always starts in Latvia, not in Uzbekistan. Your employer in Latvia must first register the job vacancy with the Latvian State Employment Agency (NVA - Nodarbinātības valsts aģentūra). This step verifies that no local or European Union citizen is available to fill the position. Once the vacancy registration period ends, your employer applies to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP - Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvalde) in Latvia. The PMLP approves a formal employer sponsorship letter, known locally as an izsaukums. Only after the PMLP registers this official sponsorship number can you submit your visa application in Tashkent.

Latvia is an active destination for Uzbek tradespeople, especially in transport, construction, and manufacturing. The immigration rules allow foreign hiring, but paperwork via the PMLP and embassy approval takes time. You should prepare your personal documents early to avoid unnecessary delays.

Latvia genuinely hires foreign workers from Uzbekistan for several key trades:

• Construction workers and welders: Building companies in Riga and regional industrial hubs regularly hire certified welders, concrete formworkers, and general construction workers.
• Long-distance truck drivers: Logistics firms in Latvia recruit drivers holding Category CE licences and Code 95 qualifications for freight routes across Europe.
• Warehouse and manufacturing staff: Food processing facilities, wood factories, and logistics centres hire reliable workers for shift work and general handling.

Where to submit your application in Uzbekistan

Once your employer in Latvia receives the approved sponsorship number (izsaukums) from the PMLP, you must submit your national D-visa application in Tashkent.

You will submit your documents and provide biometrics at the Embassy of Latvia in Tashkent or through the official VFS Global visa application centre serving Uzbekistan in Tashkent. You must book an appointment online before visiting the centre.

Do not pay informal brokers or agents outside the centre who claim they can sell you faster appointment slots. Official slots are managed exclusively through the formal online booking portal. Buying appointments from unverified third parties frequently leads to fake appointment confirmations, financial loss, or visa refusal by embassy officers. Always ensure that your appointment booking details match your actual passport information exactly.

Required documents and real costs

When preparing your application file for Latvia, every document must be clean, legible, and correctly legalised. Missing seals or translation errors will cause delays or visa rejections.

Typical required documents include:

• Valid passport: Your Uzbek passport must remain valid for at least three months beyond your planned stay in Latvia and contain at least two blank visa pages.
• PMLP sponsorship number: The official izsaukums reference code issued to your Latvian employer by the PMLP.
• Signed employment contract: A binding work contract stating your job title, duties, work location, weekly hours, and legal monthly wage in Latvia.
• Police clearance certificate: An official non-conviction certificate issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan or through the e-Gov portal. This document must be legalised or apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan to be recognized by Latvian immigration authorities.
• Proof of qualifications: Trade certificates, diplomas, or your work history book (Trudovaya Knizhka) showing relevant experience in your trade, translated into English or Latvian.
• Health insurance: Travel medical insurance covering emergency medical treatment across Schengen countries for your initial arrival period.
• Biometrics: Fingerprint scans and a digital photo taken during your application appointment.

Official government visa fees are set directly by Latvia. You should expect the official national D-visa processing fee to be approximately 60 to 120 euros, payable at the embassy or application centre in Tashkent, plus a small service fee if processed through VFS Global.

On the Uzbekistan side, you will cover personal preparation costs:

• Police clearance and apostille: Approximately 150,000 to 450,000 Uzbek Soum (around 10 to 35 euros) for official state issuance and legalisation.
• Translations and notarisation: Translating trade certificates, passport pages, and documents into Latvian or English costs approximately 350,000 to 850,000 Uzbek Soum (around 25 to 65 euros).
• Medical check and insurance: Basic health checks and travel medical coverage cost approximately 400,000 to 1,000,000 Uzbek Soum (around 30 to 75 euros).
• Flight ticket to Riga: A one-way flight from Tashkent to Riga generally costs approximately 3,500,000 to 7,000,000 Uzbek Soum (around 250 to 500 euros), depending on seasonality and baggage.

In Latvia and across the European Union, recruitment regulations state that employers carry recruitment costs. An employer or agency cannot legally charge you a placement fee for the job itself. Be alert to processing fee scams targeting Uzbek candidates where illegal middlemen demand large payments for job offers.

Myths vs facts

• Myth: You can enter Latvia on a short-term Schengen tourist visa and start working legally right away.
  Fact: Uzbek workers must obtain an approved PMLP sponsorship letter and a national Type D work visa before travelling to Latvia for work.
• Myth: Paying an agent in Tashkent thousands of dollars guarantees a positive visa result from the Latvian embassy.
  Fact: Only official Latvian diplomatic officers decide visa approvals. Paying high fees to intermediary agents does not guarantee a visa and often signals a scam.
• Myth: A Latvian national work visa lets you work legally for any employer anywhere in Western Europe.
  Fact: Your Type D work visa and permit are tied specifically to your sponsoring employer in Latvia. Working elsewhere in the EU without a local permit is illegal.
• Myth: Uzbek heavy driver licences allow you to drive commercial trucks in Latvia immediately without extra tests.
  Fact: Foreign drivers must hold a valid Category CE licence and complete Code 95 periodic driver qualification training required under European Union regulations.

Before you sign

Use this quick checklist before signing a contract or paying for personal travel arrangements:

• Check the employer details: Confirm that the official employer name on your employment contract matches the company registered on your PMLP sponsorship approval.
• Verify salary and working hours: Check that your wage meets or exceeds Latvia's legal minimum wage standards for foreign workers and that standard 40-hour work weeks are specified.
• Clarify accommodation costs: Confirm whether housing in Latvia is provided by the company, deducted from your monthly salary, or if you must arrange your own flat.
• Understand your contract language: Never sign a work contract written only in a language you cannot read; request an official copy in Russian or English.
• Keep control of original documents: Never give your original Uzbek passport, trade diploma, or identity documents to an agency or employer to hold.

Put your details on Workuro

When you build your Workuro profile, make sure to list your practical trade skills, current location in Uzbekistan, language abilities, and driving or technical certifications. Having your police clearance, work history, and qualification certificates prepared makes you ready when European employers review candidate registries.

Workuro helps skilled tradespeople connect directly with legitimate European businesses looking for foreign talent. Workuro is free for workers - employers pay to search the register, and nobody may charge you for a job.