On 11 January, the Cabinet of Ministers has issued an order to admit 77 persons to Latvian citizenship through naturalisation procedures.
The draft order prepared for the Cabinet of Ministers “Regarding admission to Latvian Citizenship Through Naturalisation Procedure” includes 77 applicants for citizenship, including 2 of their minor children.
From 75 applicants for citizenship 50% are Russians, 28% are Ukrainians, 8% are Belarussians, as well as Lithuanians, Poles and other nationals.
20% of applicants for citizenship have primary education, 37% - secondary education and 42% - higher education.
During the next days, the new citizens will receive a notification via mail from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), containing information on the admission of the person to citizenship, as well as providing the most important information on the possibilities of arrangement of the new passport of the Latvian citizen.
The OCMA reminds that at the same time with admission to Latvian citizenship, the legal status of a person is changed, therefore, the current passport of a non-citizen is not valid anymore neither for use inlands, nor for trips to abroad.
148,312 persons were admitted to Latvian citizenship through naturalisation: in 1995 - 984; in 1996 - 3,016; in 1997 - 2,992; in 1998 - 4,439; in 1999 - 12,427; in 2000 - 14,900; in 2001 - 10,637; in 2002 - 9844; in 2003 - 10,049; in 2004 - 16,064; in 2005 - 19,169; in 2006 - 16,439; in 2007 - 6826; in 2008 - 3,004; in 2009 - 2,080; in 2010 - 2,336; in 2011 - 2,467; in 2012 - 2,213; in 2013 - 1,732; in 2014 - 939; in 2015 - 971; in 2016; 987; in 2017 - 915; in 2018 - 930; in 2019 - 808; in 2020 - 725; in 2021 - 368 persons.
In order to become a Latvian citizen through naturalisation proceedings, a person has to turn to any territorial unit of the OCMA, regardless of his or her place of residence. The persons, who have proved their knowledge of Latvian, as well as successfully passed the examination of the basic principles of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, the text of the National Anthem and the basics of the history and culture of Latvia, shall be admitted to Latvian citizenship.