On Thursday, 17 June, the Saeima adopted in the final reading urgent amendments to the Personal Identification Documents Law, which provide for a personal identification, or eID, card for foreigners to be introduced in Latvia.

As outlined in the explanatory note to the amendments, the eID card will allow foreigners to access government e‑services, use an e‑address, verify their identity and sign documents electronically, serving as a gateway to a wide range of public administration services offered by Latvia.

Personal identification cards will be issued to foreign nationals, including asylum seekers, included in the Register of Natural Persons.

A foreigner’s eID card will not be a mandatory personal identification document. A state fee of EUR 80 must be paid for the issuing of a foreigner’s personal identification card. According to the explanatory note, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs estimates that approximately two thousand eID cards will be issued to foreign nationals each year. A foreigner’s personal identity card is not a valid travel document.

The amendments stipulate that applications for a foreigner’s eID card may also be submitted to those Latvia’s representations outside the Schengen Area where the technical requirements for offering the service are met.

The amendments will come into effect on 28 June 2021.

Saeima Press Service