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.