On 21 July, the Latvian parliament adopted urgent amendments to the Law on the Management of the Spread of COVID-19 Infection, which allow to revoke already-issued or requested temporary residence permits and visas. This measure may be enforced if foreign nationals violate the rules of isolation, self-isolation, institutional or home quarantine, as well as other restrictions.

For example, if a holder of a temporary Latvian residence permit has arrived in Latvia and does not follow the mandatory self-isolation rule, their residence permit will be revoked. 

At the same time, the amendments also introduce a relaxation of the rules regarding leaving the country. Namely, absence from Latvia from the beginning of the state of emergency - 12 March 2020, and until 31 December 2020, will be regarded as permissible and justified. This measure comes to address the stipulations of the current Latvian immigration law under which permanent residence permits may be revoked or denied upon exceeding the permitted period of absence from Latvia. As a result, third-country nationals may be motivated to return to Latvia from high-risk countries only to comply with the residence permit rules.

The amendments follow an increase of new COVID-19 cases among persons who have recently returned or arrived from abroad.