“Another year will soon pass, but the war unfortunately continues. Latvia has always confirmed its readiness and commitment to be with Ukraine until victory. Latvia assures that Ukrainian civilians can feel safe here, receiving all possible support measures, which the country already has some experience in providing," said Raimonds Bergmanis, chairman of the Saeima Defense Commission responsible for the draft law.
Amendments to the law provide for an extension of the deadline for compensation for the accommodation of Ukrainian civilians, including accommodation and meals for vulnerable groups, as well as for reimbursement of expenses for the purchase of medicines or medical devices.
It is also planned to increase the one-time benefit available in a crisis situation, which is paid out by local governments. Next year, it will increase from 343 to 377 euros for adults, and from 204 to 264 euros for each child.
In order to reduce the administrative burden for both Ukrainian civilians and the Department of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, temporary residence permits will be issued to Ukrainians for three years instead of two. Until now, a temporary residence permit – a third-country citizen identity card – has been issued to Ukrainian citizens for two years. Currently, 15,838 Ukrainian civilians have active temporary protection status in the Register of Natural Persons, according to the information of the Ministry of the Interior.
Similarly, if a travel document issued in Ukraine has expired, it will be considered valid in Latvia until February 28, 2026. Until now, the law set a deadline until the end of February next year.
The changes also provide that "unaccompanied" Ukrainian children from the age of seven have the right to receive a certificate for the provision of social guarantees. Such support is expected to continue until the age of 19. Currently, 229 such children live in Latvia, representatives of the Ministry of Welfare previously stated.
Another change in the law specifies that medical personnel – health care workers and pharmacists from Ukraine – after three years of working in Latvia, will have to certify their knowledge of the Latvian language at B1 level. This requirement will apply next year to 142 medics who arrived in Latvia in 2022, representatives of the Ministry of Health said. The permission to provide short-term professional services in the field of medical treatment is currently issued for five years to Ukrainian civilians.
In the state budget next year, 65 million euros are earmarked for the support of Ukrainian civilians in Latvia.
