BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. A new regulation
will come into effect on July 15, 2025, whereby only biometric
passports issued by the Russian Federation will be recognized as
valid travel documents for entry into Latvia, Trend reports.
The decision follows concerns regarding the security of
non-biometric Russian passports, which do not meet the standards
set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
These non-biometric passports lack electronic data carriers,
preventing the verification of the holder’s personal data against
embedded microchip information, thereby increasing the risk of
forgery and misuse.
As part of the new policy, Latvia will no longer issue visas or
accept residence permit applications from Russian citizens holding
non-biometric passports.
Additionally, Russian nationals traveling with a non-biometric
passport—even if they possess a valid Schengen visa—will be denied
entry to Latvia, including across both external and internal
European Union borders.
Russian citizens currently residing in Latvia with a valid
Schengen visa and a non-biometric passport will be considered in
violation of Section 4 of the Latvian Immigration Law.
This law stipulates that a foreign national may enter and remain
in Latvia only with a valid visa or residence permit and a
recognized travel document.
Individuals without a valid travel document may be subject to
administrative penalties.
However, if a Russian citizen holds both a valid Schengen visa
in a non-biometric passport and a separate, valid biometric
passport, they will be permitted to enter and stay in Latvia.
To ease the transition, Russian nationals already residing in
Latvia with long-stay visas or residence permits issued by Latvian
authorities will be granted a six-month grace period.
Until January 15, 2026, these individuals may continue to live
in, enter, and leave Latvia, provided they replace their
non-compliant travel documents with biometric passports during this
time.