Latvia eases paperwork for children born abroad and clarifies marriage rules

Families will face fewer hurdles when updating Latvian records for children born abroad, while requirements for foreign nationals marrying in Latvia will be clearer, LSM reports. Parliament approved amendments to the Civil Status Act in their final reading on October 22.

Under the changes, parents will no longer have to prove that a child’s birth country cannot make the required changes before updating Latvian records after an adoption or paternity determination. They will also need to submit fewer documents. Adoption applications to re-register a child’s birth in Latvia may be filed at any civil registry office; previously, they could be filed only in Riga.

The amendments also expand the circumstances in which a minor born abroad can have their name or surname changed in Latvia. Where the law allows, a child could be given one parent’s surname or have a name they do not use removed, even if such changes are not possible in the country where the child was born.

Foreign nationals who need a visa or residence permit to enter and stay in Latvia will have to present it both when applying to marry and on the day the marriage is registered. Those who have previously been married will still have to provide proof that the earlier marriage ended, even if that information is already in Latvian records.

People granted stateless, refugee or subsidiary protection status in another country will have more options to confirm their marital status through a written declaration if objective reasons prevent them from obtaining the necessary documents from their country of origin.

The amendments will take effect on January 1, 2027.