Latvian Consulate Los Angeles – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Latvia Schengen Visa

When you arrive in Latvia, spend the first few days exploring the capital of Riga. You’ll find interesting castles and cathedrals or if you simply want to watch the world go by, there are plenty of cafes with outdoor seating. Out in the countryside, you’ll find many beautiful forests, perfect for trekking or bird watching, especially Latgale – known for its stunning lakes. Latvia also has one of the longest beaches in the Schengen area, so if you’re visiting in the summer months, you can kick back on the sand or swim in the Gulf of Riga. In this article learn more about how to apply for Latvia visa at the Latvian consulate in Los Angeles, California, Latvia visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Latvia visa application center, flight itinerary for Latvia visa, hotel bookings for Latvia visa, Schengen travel insurance for Latvia visa application, and Latvia Visa Application Process at the Los Angeles consulate.

Latvia Schengen Visa

In 2017, there were a total of 166,800 Latvia Schengen visas received worldwide. The number of rejections totaled 2,579 (1.55%). There was no information regarding the number of applications received or rejected by the consulate of Poland.

Applying for a Schengen Visa from the United States         

If you are a non-US citizen who is living in the US on a permanent basis, you will need to apply for a visa to be able to go to Lativa.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Latvian embassy and consulate. You can do this easily from the United States by applying to the correct visa office who issues Latvia visas. If you live in the following areas, you must submit your visa application to the Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles:

1. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles

There are 3 types of visa issued by Polish consulates in the US:

1. Schengen short-stay visa (type C) – for tourism, visit family or friends, business trips, economic or cultural activities, international conferences, sports events or transit for up to a maximum of 90 days
2. National long-stay visa (type D) – for employment, long-term studies, residence etc., for over 90 days up to 1 year
3. Airport Transit visa (type A) – if you wish to transit through the international zone of a Latvian airport while you wait for a connecting flight. Airport transit visas are issued to citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Congo (Democratic Republic), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Sudan

When you apply for a visa, you can choose the number of times you wish to enter Latvia within the visa period. For example, single entry (once), or multiple entries (unlimited times).

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles

Visa applications are processed within 15 days, although it could take longer depending on the circumstances of your application. You can apply up to 3 months ahead of your trip, so don’t leave it too late!

Here are a few steps to help you apply for your Latvia visa.

Step 1: Make an appointment and complete your application

Making appointments with the embassy 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, 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 appointments yourself by following the below steps:

1. The first step is to make an appointment at Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles. Go to their website, click on: “Consular information” and then: “Visa information”:
2. Then, click on “Visa appointments registration system, E-KONSULAT“:

On the next page, there are instructions on how to use the system. If you are happy with those, click on the link to register your application:

Key in your country and the diplomatic mission you are dealing with. In this case, the Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles:

Next, choose which visa you are applying for. Either Schengen or National visa:

You will see more instructions on how to use the system, read those before keying in the image verification code at the bottom:

Then, you will be able to make an appointment on a day and at a time which is convenient for you. Remember, apply well in advance of your trip!

Once you have made your appointment, you can also complete the visa application form online. Please note, if you don’t complete your application within one hour of choosing the appointment date, the whole application will be canceled.

Step 2: Prepare your documents

You should prepare your documents before your appointment. You need to submit everything the consulate requires because they will not accept incomplete applications. Each type of visa has different prerequisites, so you should check the consulate’s website before you start to be clear on what they are.

There are handy checklists available on the consulate’s website, so you can refer to these as you go through this step.

In addition, you need to submit original documents and photocopies of everything, so don’t forget to do this either.

Documents include:

1. Visa application form – to be electronically registered, completed, dated and signed
2. Passport/travel document – valid for at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from Latvia; contain at least 2 blank pages; issued within the previous 10 years
3. Proof of legal residence in the US and valid re-entry document – residence card (Green Card) or valid US resident visa type A, E, F (with endorsed I-20), G, H, I, J plus J1 documents, L, O, R. Must be valid for 3 months past upcoming trip. Please note, if you hold a B1/B2 you must apply from your own country
4. 2 passport size biometric photographs (photo requirements);
5. Schengen Travel medical insurance – coverage with a minimum of €30,000 ($50.000) for trips outside the US valid for Latvia and other Schengen countries. Must cover repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death. The policy must end 14 days after your trip
6. Proof of sufficient financial means – last 3 bank account statements or proof of regular income e.g. last 3 pay slips or student loan agreement. A minimum of $35 per day is required to cover travel expenses in Latvia
7. Proof of residence – driver’s license or utility bill
8. Letter of invitation from private individual or company including ID/residence permit of inviting party
9. Hotel booking and full itinerary
10. Round trip ticket or ticket reservation
11. Work permit and/or certificate of employment
12. Enrollment letter or other proof of admission into university etc.
13. Letter from employer confirming employment and purpose of your trip

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 3: Submit your file 

When you go to the consulate in Los Angeles to submit your file, remember the following things:

1. Take your application and all the supporting documents with you
2. Arrive early
3. Don’t turn up dressed too casually

The consulate will examine your application and if they need any additional information from you, they may ask you additional questions like:

1. Is this your first time traveling to Latvia?
2. Are you planning on working in Latvia?
3. Do you know anyone in the Schengen area?
4. How much do you earn?

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’ll also pay the relevant fee for your visa. You can pay by cash, money order or cashier’s check payable to the Consulate General of Poland. Personal checks are not accepted. This fee won’t be refunded, even if your application gets rejected.

Latvia visa fees

If this is your first time applying for a Schengen visa, you will have to provide biometric data (fingerprints and photograph). If you have applied previously, within a 5 year period, your data can be reused.

Step 4: Receive your visa

When the consulate has reached a decision about your Latvia visa application, you will be notified and you have 2 choices:

1. Collect your passport from their office
2. Have your passport returned by FedEx. There will be an additional cost of $12 if you choose this option

Hopefully, your visa application will have been approved and you’ll find the visa inside your passport. If it isn’t there, the consulate has rejected it for a reason.

Visa application rejection reasons include:

1. You have applied for the wrong category of visa – you must apply for the correct visa. The one you need will depend on the duration of your trip, i.e. up to 90 days (Schengen visa) or over 90 days (National visa). Plus, if you are going to Latvia on business, you must choose the “business” category.
2. Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and you can prove this with the documents you provide, i.e bank statements
3. Invalid passport – your passport must be valid (see above requirements). If it isn’t, then you must obtain a new one before applying for your visa
4. There was no itinerary – you must provide ALL the required documents for your visa application and a full itinerary of your plans is one of them

You have submitted a manual application form – when you apply for your Latvia visa, you must register and complete your application using the consulate’s online system

Contact details for the Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles

Address: 12400 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 555, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Email: losangeles.visa@msz.gov.pl

Tel: (310) 442-8500 ext. 1-806#  or ext. 1-803#
Fax: (310) 442-8515

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9.00 am – 2.00 pm; Thursday, 12.00 pm – 5.00 pm

Conclusion

Overall, there are just 4 easy steps to apply for your Latvia visa:

1. Make an appointment and complete your application form
2. Prepare the required documents
3. Submit your application
4. Receive your visa

Once you get your visa, you can look forward with excitement to your trip to Latvia!

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

How To Apply for Latvia Schengen Visa at Latvian Embassy in Washington, DC
How To Apply for Latvia Schengen Visa at Latvian Consulate in NYC, New York

Worldwide Visa Requirements