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Student visa for Latvia, for students from Timor-Leste
As a citizen of Timor-Leste you will normally need a student visa or residence permit for Latvia before your course starts. Some nationalities may enter Latvia without a visa and apply for the residence permit there instead; check the official page below for the rule that applies to your passport.
The numbers
- Money you must show
- €780 a month
- Visa fee
- €70 residence permit review for students (30 days), plus €60 D visa if you need one to enter
- Work while you study
- Bachelor's: 20 hours a week in term, 40 in holidays. Master's and doctoral: no limit
- Stay after you graduate
- 4 months, plus a possible 9-month job-search extension for master's and doctoral graduates
Not less than the Latvian minimum monthly wage for stays over 30 days. It was €740 in 2025.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, checked 2026-09-24
Faster review costs €200 (10 working days) or €400 (5 working days). Embassies may add consular fees.
Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), checked 2026-09-24
Study in Latvia (State Education Development Agency), checked 2026-09-24
Study in Latvia, checked 2026-09-24
The visa
Latvia issues a residence permit for studies, not a student visa. Your university files an invitation with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP). You then submit your application, usually at a Latvian embassy. If you are a visa-required national, once the permit is approved you collect a D visa to travel to Latvia and pick up your residence card.
Fees. PMLP's schedule sets a reduced review fee for students at accredited institutions: €70 for a decision within 30 days, €200 within 10 working days, €400 within 5 working days. The D visa is €60. Embassies may add their own consular charges: the embassy in Cairo, for example, quotes a €100 consular fee on top. Check the embassy you will use.
Processing. The Cairo embassy tells applicants PMLP review may take up to eight weeks, and the D visa a few days to two weeks after that. Allow three months in total.
The money. For a stay over 30 days you must show means of not less than the Latvian minimum monthly wage: €780 (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' figure, updated 2026). It was €740 in 2025, and embassy pages still quoting €740 are out of date. Embassies read this as a monthly figure; the Cairo embassy states it as "per month".
Insurance. You need travel medical insurance valid across Schengen for the initial entry; the Cairo embassy states a minimum cover of €42,600 for that. Ask your university what cover it expects for the rest of your permit.
Where to apply
At the embassy or consulate of Latvia that covers Timor-Leste, or through the visa application centre it names. Book early: in the busiest months appointments can be weeks away. Apply only through the official website; nobody can sell you a faster place in the queue.
Official pages: mfa.gov.lv · pmlp.gov.lv · studyinlatvia.lv · studyinlatvia.lv · pmlp.gov.lv · pmlp.gov.lv. Checked 2026-09-24. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you apply.
Questions students ask
Do students from Timor-Leste need a visa to study in Latvia?
As a citizen of Timor-Leste you will normally need a student visa or residence permit for Latvia before your course starts. Some nationalities may enter Latvia without a visa and apply for the residence permit there instead; check the official page below for the rule that applies to your passport.
How much money do I need to show for a Latvia student visa?
€780 a month. Not less than the Latvian minimum monthly wage for stays over 30 days. It was €740 in 2025. (source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, checked 2026-09-24).
Can I work while I study in Latvia?
Bachelor's: 20 hours a week in term, 40 in holidays. Master's and doctoral: no limit.
This page is general information from official sources, not immigration advice. For a decision about your own case, the official source or a regulated adviser is where that belongs.