How to Apply for Latvia Schengen Visa from Canada in 5 Easy Steps – A Complete Guide

There are 26 Schengen countries to choose from and Latvia is a fantastic destination to visit. Its stunning buildings and interesting historic attractions are more than enough to keep you occupied. Riga’s old town is perfect for exploring and the Central Market is great for tasting the local produce. Out in the countryside, there are beautiful forests and lakes where you can walk or cycle to your heart’s content! In this article, learn more about how to apply for a Latvia visa at the Embassy of Latvia in Ottawa, Canada, Latvia visa appointment booking, processing time at the Latvia visa application center, flight itinerary for a Latvia visa, hotel bookings for a Latvia visa, Schengen travel insurance for Latvia visa application, and Latvia visa application process at the Ottawa embassy.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ottawa_Mosque_-_2018_(214842).jpg. Author – Khadreena Hussein

Latvia Schengen Visas

In 2018, embassies and consulates around the world received 161,709 Latvia Schengen visas. 3,374 (2.1%) were rejected. The Embassy of Latvia in Ottawa received 39 applications and issued 100% of them.

Applying for a Schengen Visa from Canada  

If you are a Canadian citizen, there is no need to apply for a visa. However, if you are not a Canadian citizen, you do need to apply for a visa to be able to enter and stay in Latvia. You can only do this if you have a legal right to remain in Canada. If you are in Canada temporarily, for example, on a B1/B2 visa, you need to apply for a Latvia visa from your home country.

Where to apply for a Latvia Schengen visa

You may apply for a Latvia visa at the Embassy of Latvia in Ottawa. This is the only visa office that accepts visa applications for Latvia.

Types of Schengen visas offered by the Embassy of Latvia in Ottawa

There are 2 types of visas you may apply for and the one you choose will depend on the reason and duration of your trip:

1. Short-stay visa (Schengen): for tourism, business, or visiting family or friends and transit for a maximum of 90 days
2. Long-stay visa (National): for over 90 days for employment, study, family reasons, mission, residence, religious reasons, sports

How to Apply for a Latvia Schengen Visa from Canada

You can submit your visa application no earlier than 3 months before the start of your trip. Once you have submitted your application, it takes up to 15 calendar days to arrive at a decision. However, in individual cases, that period may be extended up to 30 or 60 days, so bear that in mind when you are applying.

There are 5 easy steps to follow to help you apply for your visa:

Step 1: Complete your application form

Go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Consular Information” and “Documents required to apply for a visa”:

Click on the link for the visa application form:

You will be directed to the online application form system, read the instructions and click the box to say you have read the terms and conditions. Then click on: “Fill the visa application form”:

Complete the boxes and you will get access to the application form which you need to complete in full. Remember to print and sign it:

Step 2: Make an Appointment

Making appointments with the embassy, consulate or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, the visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment on your own by following the steps below. You can either:

1. Telephone the embassy on 613 238 6014 or 613 238 6868
2. Email the consulate at consulate.canada@mfa.gov.lv

Remember to make your appointment during reception hours of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 am till 1:00 pm.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

You should check the embassy’s website before you start this step. If you fail to provide everything that is required, it could result in a rejected application, so make note of what these requirements are.

You should also prepare photocopies as well as providing the original documents, so don’t forget to do that too!

Documents include:

1. Visa application form – completed and signed
2. Passport photographs
   
3. Passport  – must be valid for at least three months after the date of departure from Latvia, have at least two empty pages and issued no more than 10 years ago
4. Documents indicating the purpose of the journey
5. Proof of residence
6. Travel itinerary/airline reservation
7. Schengen Travel medical insurance valid for the whole of the Schengen area and to cover the entire duration of the trip including “the period of grace” of 15 days; the minimum coverage of 30,000 EUR, and covering the costs of urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment in case of an illness, as well as repatriation in the event of death
   
8. Proof of financial means – last 3 months bank statements
9. Hotel reservation
10. Invitation letter
11. Letter from employer – Stating name, position, guarantee of leave for the duration of the trip as well as salary. The certificate has to include address, telephone and fax numbers and the seal of the company or school
12. Information that proves your intention to leave the territory of the Schengen states before the expiry of the visa
13. Marriage certificate or notarized and legalized document of a relationship
14. Written consent of both parents for minors

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2.  Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Attend your appointment

Don’t be late for your appointment! If you miss it, you will have to reschedule. Remember to take everything with you and dress smartly if you want to make a good impression.

The visa officer will start to look over your application and if they want more information, they may ask you questions. This is to establish all the facts so they can make a fair decision. Simply answer any questions honestly and politely.

Typical questions include:

1. Is this your first time traveling to the Schengen area or the EU?
2. What do you know about Latvia?
3. What is your job?
4. Has your employer approved your leave?
5. Have you got any children?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the fee for your visa. After submitting your documents to the consular officer you will receive the invoice to be paid in the bank. The fee is non-refundable, even if your application is rejected.

You will provide biometric data (10 fingerprints and a digital photograph) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple procedure that only takes a few minutes. If you are a frequent traveler, you will only have to complete the procedure once within a 5 year period, as the fingerprints will be copied from the previous application file in the Visa Information System.

Step 5: Receive your visa

Once a decision has been reached, the embassy will contact you and you can collect your passport from their office. You will need to take some form of ID with you to pick it up.

The decision will be either:

1. Approved – your visa will be inside your passport
2. Rejected – this would have been for a specific reason. You can appeal the decision within 30 days and there is a cost of €45 (65 CAD). Check the embassy’s website for more information

Common rejection reasons include:

1. Written consent on parents not included – if the applicant is a minor, written consent of both parents is required
2. Proof of financial means not included – you must provide documents to prove that you can afford your trip, for example, bank statements
3. No travel itinerary – you must let the embassy see your travel plans while you are in Latvia, so booking for organised trips or any other document showing your travel plans must be included
4. Return flight ticket missing – you must provide proof that you have a return ticket. The embassy needs to know that you do not intend staying in Latvia after your visa expires

Contact details of the Embassy of Latvia in Ottawa

Address: 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1200, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R7S8, Canada

Telephone: 613 238 6014

Fax: 613 238 6868

Email: consulate.canada@mfa.gov.lv

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 am till 1:00 pm

Conclusion

To apply for a Schengen visa for Latvia, follow these simple steps:

1. Complete your application online or download it
2. Make an appointment
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

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