Conceptually supports amendments on the state language that will affect Russian citizens

The amendments would apply to some Russian citizens who were not required to know the national language until now. This group includes more than 3,100 persons under the age of 75. Also, these amendments could be advanced with the current approach, that knowledge of the language is required for persons aged up to 75 years.

This smaller group also includes retired Russian military personnel and their family members.

The draft law stipulates that the permanent residence permit for the specific group of Russian citizens will be valid until May 15, 2025 in one case, if the PMLP has not received the necessary documents for requesting the status of a permanent resident of the European Union (EU) by April 30, 2025.

In the second case, until September 15, 2025, in relation to a person who needs a certificate of mastering the national language in order to request EU permanent resident status, if PMLP has received information by May 1, 2025 that this person by May 1, 2025 .has passed the state language proficiency test at least once in May and this person will be required to repeat the state language proficiency test by July 31, 2025, but the PMLP has not received the necessary documents for requesting EU permanent resident status by August 31, 2025.

At the same time, the amendment provides for separate conditions regarding the proof of the sufficiency of financial resources and length of stay. Also, the amendment does not exclude the possibility for Russian citizens of this group to find another basis for obtaining the right of residence in Latvia.

As reported, in accordance with the verdict of the Constitutional Court (ST), an additional few thousand Russian citizens with a permanent residence permit in Latvia will be required to know the national language, as concluded by Prime Minister Evikas Siliņa (JV) in the above statement.

Silina pointed out that the coalition agreed to advance relevant amendments to the Immigration Law in order to apply the conditions for knowledge of the national language to the group identified in the ST verdict, who obtained Russian citizenship earlier, but for whom knowledge of the language was not required until now.