Long-Stay (D Type) — Student Verified 2026-05-01Student Visa (Long-Stay D Type)
Latvia Student Visa (Long-Stay D Type) for Indian students enrolled at OCMA-accredited Latvian education institutions. ₹9,709 fee + ₹3,776 Video Conferencing fee. €42,600 insurance. All applicants interviewed via VC.
- Processing time
- About 2 weeks
- after you submit
No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the Latvia visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.
Latvia — Schengen member · Embassy New Delhi · Hello Verify is MANDATORY before VFS
One Latvia visa = all 29 Schengen countries. But Hello Verify must come BEFORE VFS appointment.
All India applications are decided by the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia, New Delhi through VFS Latvia centres. India and Sri Lanka applicants cannot book a VFS appointment without first uploading their documents to Hello Verify and getting a confirmation slip — this is the single most-skipped step. For most categories, an OCMA invitation (from Latvia's Office of Citizenship & Migration Affairs at pmlp.gov.lv) is also mandatory and must be dated ≤6 months before application.
29 Schengen countries
Full Schengen member — Latvia visa unlocks the whole zone, not just Latvia.
Embassy New Delhi only
All India + Sri Lanka files decided by Embassy of Republic of Latvia, New Delhi.
10 working days (C) · 15 days (D)
Apply 2+ weeks before. Non-Delhi VFS centres add ~2 days for postal delivery to the Embassy.
The Hello Verify rule (India + Sri Lanka)
- Upload all visa-application supporting documents to Hello Verify for verification.
- Receive the Hello Verify confirmation slip — keep it; you must hand it to VFS at submission.
- Only then can you schedule the VFS appointment. Without pre-payment of VFS service charges (₹2,913) when scheduling, no slot is allotted. The slip is single-use — re-applying = redo Hello Verify.
VFS helpline: 022-67866025 · info.latviain@vfshelpline.com
Student visa applicants: all interviews are conducted via Video Conferencing — applicable across India. Separate ₹3,776 VC fee charged at appointment scheduling. Long-Stay D visas need €42,600 minimum insurance (vs €30,000 for short-stay) — note the higher coverage.
Note: SureshotVisa handles Latvia Tourist, Business, Cultural & Sports, Family/Friends, Medical Treatment, Airport Transit short-stay visas plus the Student (D) long-stay visa end-to-end through VFS. Employment (D) and Residence Permit (D) are informational only — those need a Latvian-side employer (with OCMA labour-market clearance) or an OCMA-issued positive residence-permit decision before VFS submission. Seafarer visas are carrier-driven (shipping company / maritime agency initiates) and informational on this site.
Processing
10 working days standard processing for…
Stay Duration
Long-Stay D Visa valid for 90 days entry
Starting Fee
₹9,709
Apply At
12 VFS centres
Your whole Latvia Student Visa,
handled for one honest price.
A strong Latvia file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.
All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges
File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents
5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min
Everything below — included, nothing extra
- Document checklist
- Application form guidance
- Document review
- Cover letter
- Purpose of travel structure
- Financial proof review
- Sponsor document guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Post-submission guidance
Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee.
Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.
Your fee, in one glance
What the ₹24,999–₹34,999 fee covers for a Latvia file
- We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
- We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
- We read your documents against each other, not against a list
- Financial proof review
- Purpose of travel structuring
- Cover letter / explanation support
- Return ties review
- Sponsor / invitation guidance
- Application form guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Biometrics guidance
- Post-submission support
Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.
Good to know before you apply
Rules that apply to every Latvia visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.
- 1Embassy of the Republic of Latvia, New Delhi processes ALL India + Sri Lanka applications. Single jurisdiction across India.
- 2HELLO VERIFY IS MANDATORY: India and Sri Lanka applicants cannot schedule a VFS appointment without first uploading documents to Hello Verify and obtaining a confirmation slip. The slip is single-use — re-applicants must redo the Hello Verify process.
- 3OCMA INVITATION RULE: For most Schengen short-stay categories AND all Long-Stay D Visa categories, an invitation approved by Latvia's Office of Citizenship & Migration Affairs (OCMA / pmlp.gov.lv) is mandatory. The invitation must be dated NOT LATER than 6 months before the application date.
- 4VFS service fees + Video Conferencing fee (where applicable for student visas) MUST be paid through the contact centre / online at appointment scheduling. Without pre-payment, no slot is allotted.
- 5Photo specification: 35mm × 45mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm), no more than 6 months old, white or off-white background, full face non-smiling, no sunglasses / hat / cap / head covering (except for religious or ethnic reasons with all facial features clearly visible).
- 6Travel medical insurance: €30,000 minimum coverage for Schengen Type C (plus 15-day 'period of grace'), €42,600 minimum for Long-Stay D Visa (90 days), covering urgent medical attention + emergency hospital + medical transportation + repatriation.
- 7Indian passport must be valid 3 months beyond intended Schengen departure, ≤10 years old, with at least 2 blank pages.
- 8Apply at least 2 weeks (14 days) before travel. Non-Delhi VFS centres add ~2 days for postal delivery to Embassy.
- 9Student visa applicants are interviewed via Video Conferencing — applicable across India. Bookable on Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri (operational day varies by centre — check before booking).
- 10Indian Income Tax Return (ITR) acknowledgments are mandatory: 2 years for short-stay, 3 years for Employment / Long-Stay D categories (Form 26AS + Form 16/16A + ITR-V).
- 11ALL student applicants need to appear for the interview — conducted via Video Conferencing across India centres. ₹3,776 VC fee charged at scheduling.
- 12Same OCMA invitation number cannot be reused if reapplying — fresh invitation required.
- 13Insurance: €42,600 minimum coverage for the 90-day Long-Stay D visa entry — covering urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment, medical transportation + repatriation in event of death.
- 14Customers who initiated/completed Hello Verify on or before 21 June 2022 must contact VFS Helpdesk (022-67866025) for updated application URL.
Who Can Apply
- Indian students enrolled at OCMA-accredited Latvian education institutions (universities, colleges)
- Erasmus Exchange students and PhD students (visa fee waived)
- Students with same-invitation-number cannot reapply — re-applicants must obtain fresh OCMA invitation
Not eligible under this visa:
- Short courses ≤90 days — apply for Schengen Type C educational training instead
- Students applying via wrong VFS jurisdiction (single India + Sri Lanka jurisdiction at Embassy Delhi)
What it costs
Government & VFS fees
Paid directly to Latvia / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Latvia Long-Stay D Visa fee — adult | ₹9,709 |
| Latvia Long-Stay D Visa — child 0 to 12 | ₹0 |
| VFS service charge | ₹2,913 |
| Video Conferencing fee (Student visa) | ₹3,776 |
Visa fees are set by the Embassy of Republic of Latvia in INR and are non-refundable in case of refusal. The applicable INR fee tracks the current EUR / INR exchange rate and may change without notice. All VFS service charges are inclusive of CGST 9% + SGST 9%. As of 9 July 2018, VFS service fees + Video Conferencing fee (where applicable) must be paid through contact centre / online when scheduling an appointment — without pre-payment, no slot is allotted. The VFS service fee is in principle non-refundable, even if the applicant doesn't attend the appointment. Helpline: 022-67866025 / info.latviain@vfshelpline.com. Visa fee in Indian Rupees follows current exchange rate; non-refundable in case of refusal.
Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary
What Latvia actually requires — and what it does not.
Latvia applies the Schengen rules, so travel insurance is not a nice-to-have — it is a legal condition of the visa.
2 of 4 are compulsory for Latvia
Flight reservation
The Latvia consulate wants a return itinerary with a real PNR covering your exact dates. It does not want a paid ticket, and buying one before a decision puts your money at risk for nothing.
Where people slip: Flying into one city and out of another with nothing showing how you travel between them. Officers read the whole route, and an unexplained gap reads as a plan that does not hold together.
How to hold a flight without payingHotel booking
Accommodation for EVERY night of the stay. Not most nights — every one. A gap is a documented refusal ground under the Schengen code.
Where people slip: Free-cancellation bookings are accepted, but if the entire file is free-cancellation the officer sees a trip nobody has committed to. Some of it should be real spend.
Refundable hotel booking, explainedTravel insurance
Minimum EUR 30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen state, including repatriation and emergency medical evacuation, for the full period of stay. Regulation (EC) 810/2009 — this is law, not preference.
Where people slip: Buying cover for the adults and forgetting the children. Every traveller needs their own EUR 30,000, infants included — a real refusal we have seen on a family of four.
What the cover must actually sayTravel itinerary
A day-by-day plan matching your flights, your hotels and the country you applied to. Latvia must be your main destination or your first point of entry, or you are at the wrong consulate.
Where people slip: Spending more nights in another Schengen country than in Latvia. That gets a file rejected before it is even assessed.
The letter your itinerary attaches toWe arrange all four for your Latvia file.
We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.
What to gather
Documents required
Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.
Application Documents
4 items- Long Stay Visa Application Form of the Republic of Latvia (filled, printed, signed by applicant)Required
- Two photos (35mm × 45mm) — taken DURING visa submission as Live PhotoRequired
- Valid passport (≥3 months validity beyond intended Latvia / Schengen departure, ≥2 blank pages)Required
Plus copies of identification pages + previously-issued visa pages.
- Hello Verify Confirmation SlipRequired
Mandatory for India + Sri Lanka — obtained BEFORE scheduling VFS appointment.
Study-Specific Documents
4 items- OCMA-approved invitation from the Latvian education institutionRequired
Dated ≤6 months before application. MANDATORY.
- Signed Study Agreement + AIC (Academic Information Centre) CertificateRequired
AIC Certificate is the Latvian government's recognition of foreign qualifications — get it via the Latvian institution.
- Written certification from the higher education institution / college on student matriculation + Latvia arrival for completion of study programmeRequired
- Copies of prior education diplomas + mark sheetsRequired
Subsistence (Financial Coverage)
4 items- Original private bank account statement — last 3 months with balance confirmation letter from bank, duly stamped + signedRequired
- International Credit / Debit card activated for Euro transactions
Alternative to bank statement.
- Original university statement on availability of necessary financial means in the university account (if provided)
Signed and stamped by the university.
- Sponsorship — Notarized declaration of sponsorship (if sponsored by family/relative)
Plus sponsor's professional status proof: contract of employment / pay slips for last 3 months / self-employed certificate of company registration / company bank statements (last 3 months) / Current year ITR.
Latvian Accommodation
1 item- University dormitory confirmation document
OR — accommodation owned by physical / legal person: notarized document of owner's consent + statement from land registry proving the property belongs to the consenting person + that they have the right to rent it.
Insurance + Other
1 item- Travel medical insurance — €42,600 MINIMUM (Schengen-wide, 90-day coverage)Required
Covers urgent medical attention + emergency hospital treatment + medical transportation + repatriation in event of death.
Required · optional / if applicable
The journey.
9 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.
- 01
Get OCMA invitation from your Latvian education institution
Your university files for OCMA invitation; you receive a digital copy. Dated ≤6 months before application.
- 02
Get AIC (Academic Information Centre) Certificate for prior qualifications
Signed Study Agreement + AIC Certificate together. AIC certifies your prior education.
- 03
Upload all documents to Hello Verify (MANDATORY)
Get the Hello Verify confirmation slip — keep it for VFS appointment.
- 04
Pre-pay VFS service charge (₹2,913) + Video Conferencing fee (₹3,776) at scheduling
Without pre-payment of both fees, no VFS slot is allotted.
- 05
Book VFS appointment + Video Conferencing slot
Mon-Fri operational days. VC interview is mandatory across India.
- 06
Submit at VFS + biometrics + live photo
Visa fee ₹9,709 (Erasmus / PhD exempted). Live photo captured at the centre.
- 07
Attend Video Conferencing interview
Conducted in English. Be ready to discuss study programme + post-study plans + ties to India.
- 08
Wait for the decision (15 calendar days from when Embassy receives documents from VFS)
If additional information is needed, decision can extend up to 60 days.
- 09
Travel to Latvia within the 90-day D Visa entry window
Apply for residence permit at OCMA upon arrival.
What works
6 levers that flip a borderline case.
- Erasmus Exchange + PhD students are EXEMPTED from the ₹9,709 visa fee — confirm with the awarding institution / scholarship programme.
- VFS service fee + VC fee (₹6,689 total) is non-refundable — even if you don't attend the appointment.
- Hello Verify is single-use; if your application is refused and you reapply, you must redo the Hello Verify process.
- Same OCMA invitation number cannot be reused — re-applicants need fresh invitation from the Latvian institution.
What kills cases
Top 3 refusal triggers we see.
- 1Missing OCMA invitation or invitation older than 6 months
- 2Missing AIC Certificate or Study Agreement
- 3Insurance below €42,600 or not covering 90 days
Download official forms
Each link opens the official Latvia page on VFS Global (we never host third-party forms): pick your visa category there and use its "Download Form" section for the current version.
Latvia Schengen / Long-Stay Visa Online Application Form
Online form via VFS Latvia India. Print and sign before VFS appointment.
Hello Verify Document Upload Portal (MANDATORY for India + Sri Lanka)
All Latvia applicants from India and Sri Lanka MUST upload visa-application supporting documents to Hello Verify FIRST and obtain a confirmation slip. Without the slip, VFS cannot schedule an appointment. Single-use — re-applicants must redo the Hello Verify process.
Latvia Office of Citizenship & Migration Affairs (OCMA) — Invitation Portal
OCMA (Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvalde) is the Latvian government body that approves invitation letters for Schengen short-stays and decides residence permits for D visas. Invitations must be dated ≤6 months before the visa application date.
VFS application centres
Visa Eligibility Check
Answer 10 questions to see your likelihood of approval. Embassies look for the same core factors across visa types — financial strength, clear purpose, genuine intent to return.
How clear is your purpose of visit?
How long is your planned stay?
Travel history to developed countries?
Any previous visa refusals?
Employment / income source?
3-month average bank balance?
Income Tax Returns history?
Travel bookings status?
Ties to India (reasons you'll return)?
Travelling with?
Indicative only — final decision is always with the Embassy.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered straight
All student applicants from India are required to appear for an interview — but to avoid travel to New Delhi, the interview is conducted via Video Conferencing at any VFS Latvia centre across India. The interview is in English and covers your study programme, post-study plans, and ties to India. ₹3,776 VC fee charged at scheduling.
OCMA invitations must be dated ≤6 months before your visa application. If yours expires, get a fresh invitation from the Latvian institution — same number cannot be reused if you previously applied. Re-applicants must redo the entire process including fresh Hello Verify.
Schengen Type C insurance minimum is €30,000 — but Long-Stay D Visas (covering the 90-day entry period before residence permit) require higher €42,600 coverage including medical transportation + repatriation costs.
Yes — we coordinate with your Latvian university on OCMA invitation + AIC Certificate, manage Hello Verify upload, prepare the financial-coverage pack, schedule VFS + Video Conferencing appointment, and prep you for the interview. ₹499 consultation to start.
Reviewed by Sherbir Singh Grewal, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.
How we get it done
Your Latvia Student Visa, from your first message to your passport back.
5 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.
Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.
+What does Latvia want to see about my funds as a student?
That the money for tuition and living costs exists, is available to you, and came from somewhere explainable. Depending on the country that is a blocked account, a fixed deposit, a sanctioned education loan or a sponsor's income — and the sponsor's relationship to you has to be documented. The most common failure is not a small amount, it is an unexplained one: a large transfer landing shortly before the application, with no trail behind it, reads worse than a smaller balance with history.
+Do I still have to prove I will come back?
Yes, on most study routes — and it surprises people, because the whole point is a multi-year stay. The officer is asking whether the study plan is genuine and whether you intend to comply with the visa, not whether you will never emigrate lawfully later. What answers it is coherence: the course matching your academic history, the cost matching your funding, and a plan that makes sense for someone who intends to finish it.
+How long does a Latvia Student Visa take, start to finish?
Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. Latvia currently states 10 working days standard processing for Schengen Type C visas at the Embassy of Republic of Latvia, New Delhi. Apply at least 2 weeks before intended travel. Applications submitted at non-Delhi VFS centres take an additional ~2 days for postal delivery to the Embassy. For Long-Stay D Visas, processing is 15 calendar days from when the Embassy receives all stipulated documents from VFS Global; if additional information or inspection is required, the decision is made within 60 days. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.
+How much of what I pay for the Latvia visa is actually your fee?
Most of it is not ours. The Latvia government fee (currently ₹9,709) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.
+How does SureshotVisa handle my Latvia Student Visa, from first message to passport back?
You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (Latvia currently states 10 working days standard processing for Schengen Type C visas at the Embassy of Republic of Latvia, New Delhi. Apply at least 2 weeks before intended travel. Applications submitted at non-Delhi VFS centres take an additional ~2 days for postal delivery to the Embassy. For Long-Stay D Visas, processing is 15 calendar days from when the Embassy receives all stipulated documents from VFS Global; if additional information or inspection is required, the decision is made within 60 days.). Government and visa-centre fees (₹9,709 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.
Before you file
A Latvia Student Visa goes one of two ways.
Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same Latvia rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.
Other Latvia Visa Types
Tourist Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for a Latvia Tourist Visa (Schengen Type C) from India through VFS. Hello Verify is mandatory before VFS appointment. Riga, the Baltic coast, Sigulda forests, and Jūrmala beach.
View guideBusiness Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Latvia Business Visa (Schengen Type C) for Indian professionals — meetings, scientific / educational / professional events, agreements, estate negotiation in Latvia. OCMA invitation required.
View guideCultural, Sports & Religious Events Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Latvia Cultural Visa (Schengen Type C) for journeys undertaken for cultural, sports or religious events and for film crews. OCMA invitation required. Riga Song Festival, EuroBasket, Latvia film locations.
View guideFamily and Friends Visit Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Latvia Family and Friends Visit Visa (Schengen Type C) for Indian travellers visiting Latvian-resident family or friends. OCMA invitation required. Travel period less than 90 days.
View guideMedical Treatment Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Latvia Medical Treatment Visa (Schengen Type C) for Indian patients seeking treatment at Latvian hospitals — Riga's Stradins University Hospital, dental clinics, rehabilitation centres.
View guideAirport Transit Visa (Schengen Type A)
Latvia Airport Transit Visa (Schengen Type A) for nationals required to obtain it (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, others) when transiting through Riga Airport. Indian citizens generally do NOT need this.
View guideSeafarer Visa (Schengen Type C)
Latvia Seafarer Visa (Schengen Type C) — special for sailors entering Schengen to board / disembark vessels at Riga or other Schengen ports. Carrier-driven (shipping company / maritime agency initiates). Informational only.
View guideEmployment Visa (Long-Stay D Type)
Latvia Employment Visa (Long-Stay D Type) for Indian workers with confirmed Latvian employment + OCMA-approved labour clearance. Informational only — Latvian employer initiates with OCMA / State Employment Agency.
View guideSource & Disclaimer
Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global Latvia website and Embassy of Latvia. Last verified 2026-05-01. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.
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