Persons eligible for acquiring the status of an unemployed person after registering in the State Employment Agency (SEA) are:

  • unemployed (not considered to be an employee or a self-employed person in compliance with the Law on State Social Insurance);
  • seeking employment;
  • able to work and ready to become employed immediately;
  • at least 15 years old;
  • below the age that gives right to receive the State old age pension or have not been granted the pension (including early retirement);
  • not admitted to a full-time primary or secondary education programme;
  • not performing commercial activities or whose commercial activities have been suspended in compliance with the normative acts;
  • not in custody and do not receive long-term social care or social rehabilitation services under State or municipality support.

Persons with disability are considered as able-bodied. Except for those persons with disability having 100 percent loss of work capacity as established by the State Medical Commission for the Assessment of Health Condition and Working Ability.

Unemployed persons can register with any local office of the SEA regardless of the declared place of residence.

For detailed information on registration and services visit website of the State Employment Agency.

An unemployed person has the right to:

  • participate in the active labour market measures included in the individual job search plan, as well as receive other SEA services;
  • receive unemployment insurance services in accordance with the Law on Insurance In Case of Unemployment;
  • receive information about available vacancies;
  • receive career guidance consultations.

For detailed information visit website of the State Employment Agency.

An unemployed person is obliged to:

  • actively seek employment both individually and with the assistance of the SEA, and provide proposals for the development of individual job search plan immediately after acquiring the unemployed person status;
  • attend SEA on the day specified in the individual job search plan and present the documents stated in the normative acts;
  • attend the SEA within three working days from receiving the invitation;
  • participate in the measures included in the individual job search plan;
  • inform SEA:
    • within one working day if they no longer comply with the following conditions stated in the Section 1 of Article 10 of the Support for Unemployed Persons and Persons Seeking Employment Law: is unemployed (not considered an employee or a self-employed person in compliance with the Law on State Social Insurance); is able to work and ready to become employed immediately; has not reached the age that gives the right to receive the State old age pension or has not been granted the pension (including early retirement); is not admitted to a full-time primary or secondary education programme; is not performing commercial activities or whose commercial activities have been suspended in compliance with the normative acts; is not under full support by State,
    • within one working day if they have acquired the status of an employee  for a period up to two months in accordance with the Law on State Social Insurance,
    • within three weeks from the beginning of a temporary work incapacity – of the period of temporary work incapacity if it has been longer than ten days.

For detailed information visit website of the State Employment Agency.

Unemployment benefit can be received after person has registered with the State Employment Agency and acquired the status of an unemployed person:

  • if social insurance duration (duration of employment spell) is not less than one year and social insurance contributions before acquisition of the status of an unemployed person were made or had to be made not less than for 12 months out of last 16 months period before acquisition of the status of unemployed person;
  • mother or other person (father, custodian) who has raised the child up to 1.5 years of age and received the parental benefit or child care benefit;
  • persons who received sickness benefit;
  • persons who received compensation for the care of child to be adopted;
  • if person was disabled or was taking care of disabled child up to 18 years of age.

Unemployed person cannot combine unemployment benefit with part-time or temporary employment. Unemployed person is allowed to work (as employees or self-employed persons) for the period that does not exceed two months without losing the status of registered unemployed. However, the unemployment benefits are not paid for those periods.

Unemployment benefit is calculated in proportion to the total length of the insurance (employment) record and in accordance with the income from which unemployment contributions have been paid.

Unemployment benefit is granted and paid by the State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA). An application for the unemployment benefit can be filled in by the person in any office of the VSAA throughout Latvia. In specific cases, an application for unemployment benefit can be filed at the same time as obtaining the status of an unemployed person, i.e. when registering at the SEA office. It is paid by bank transfer to an account specified by the beneficiary at a credit institution or the post office. The unemployment benefit is paid for 9 months.

For additional information on calculating the unemployed benefit, procedure of receiving the benefit, visit website of the State Social Insurance Agency.

If you are registered as an unemployed in any EU/EEA country or Switzerland for four weeks at least and you have been granted unemployment benefits, you can look for work in Latvia and continue receiving (exporting) the benefits from your country for up to three or six months. In order to be able to export your unemployment benefit to Latvia, you must request the form U2 or certificate E 303 from the competent institution in your country. When you have received the form U2 or certificate E 303 and arrive in Latvia, you must register with the State Employment Agency within 7 days and submit the form U2 or certificate E 303 to the State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA).

If you are not eligible for unemployment benefit in the country where you were last employed and you have decided to return to Latvia, before leaving you need to request from the competent institution the certificate U1 or E 301 proving the period of your employment in the foreign country - this certificate will be required when your apply for the unemployment benefit in Latvia.

For more information visit website of the State Social Insurance Agency.