Article 6(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on the Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code) sets out the criteria for the validity of a travel document. The travel document of a third-country national is valid for the purpose of crossing the external borders of the Schengen States if:

- its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States;

- it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years;

National legislation sets additional criteria for the validity of a travel document. According to the requirements of Section 4 (1) of the Immigration Law, a foreigner is entitled to enter and stay in the Republic of Latvia if he or she concurrently:

1) has a valid travel document. The travel document is valid if:

- it is recognised in the Republic of Latvia;

- it conforms to a specified sample;

- it contains all identity data and photographs of the foreigners who use this document as a travel document. In order to request a residence permit, each foreigner needs to have his or her own travel document;

- its term of validity exceeds the time period of the planned residence in the Republic of Latvia or in the territory of another Schengen Agreement country by at least three months;

- it does not contain any unstipulated corrections by the issuer of the document, mechanical damages or smears due to which it is not possible to identify the holder of the document, to read the information indicated in the document or to detect document forgeries;

- it contains space for at least two notes on border-crossing in the pages provided for visas.

This condition shall not be in effect if international agreements which are binding on the Republic of Latvia lay down that there is no need to make such notes on border-crossing;

 

2) has a valid visa, a residence permit issued in the Republic of Latvia or another Schengen Agreement country, a residence permit of a long-term resident of the European Union.

A foreigner who has received a new travel document may use the previous travel document:

      - with a valid visa, if a new travel document has been issued because the previous travel document does not have enough blank pages for visas and border crossing stamps;

- with a valid residence permit for a single entry in order to receive a residence permit issued by the Republic of Latvia, if required.

3) has a valid health insurance policy that guarantees coverage of healthcare expenses in the Republic of Latvia, including return to the foreigner's home country in case of serious illness. The Cabinet shall determine the cases when a foreigner may enter and stay in the Republic of Latvia without a health insurance policy;

4) does not have any other obstacles laid down in the law or other laws and regulations regarding entry into the Republic of Latvia

5) has the necessary financial means in order to stay in the Republic of Latvia or another Schengen Agreement country and return to the country of residence or to depart to a third country which he or she has the right to enter. The Cabinet shall determine the amount of necessary financial means and how to establish the existence of financial means.

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