Personal Identification Documents Law Chapter I general Provisions Section Purpose of this Law

7 April 2004.

If a whole or part of a section has been amended, the date of the amending law appears in square brackets at the end of the section. If a whole section, paragraph or clause has been deleted, the date of the deletion appears in square brackets beside the deleted section, paragraph or clause.

The Saeima ¹ has adopted

and the President has proclaimed the following Law:

Personal Identification Documents Law

Chapter I

General Provisions
Section 1. Purpose of this Law
The purpose of this Law is to specify the documents identifying persons and their legal status (hereinafter — personal identification document), as well as the types, content and procedures for use, return and removal thereof.
Section 2. Types of Personal Identification Documents
(1) A personal identification document is a document issued by a State institution authorised by law, which certifies the identity of the holder thereof.

(2) A holder of a personal identification document is a person for whom a personal identification document has been issued.

(3) The following are documents identifying persons and their legal status

1) an identity card; and

2) a passport.

(4) Identity cards and passports are the property of the Republic of Latvia and a State fee shall be paid for their issuance in accordance with the procedures and in the amount determined by the Cabinet. The State fee shall not be paid for the issuance of non-resident’s identity cards, and diplomatic and service passports.

(5) An identity card or passport is the mandatory personal identification document for a citizen of Latvia or a non-citizen who lives in Latvia and has reached 15 years of age.

[7 April 2004]
Section 3. Identity Card
(1) The following identity cards are issued in Latvia:

1) a citizen’s identity card;

2) a non-citizen’s identity card;

3) an identity card for a person who has been granted alternative status;

4) an identity card for a non-resident, that is, a staff member of a diplomatic or consular representation of a foreign state or an international organisation accredited in Latvia; and

5) an identity card for a person who has been granted temporary protection

(2) An identity card is the mandatory personal identification document for a person who is a staff member of a diplomatic or consular representation of a foreign state or an international organisation accredited in Latvia

(3) [7 April 2004].

(4) A citizen’s and non-citizen’s identity card may be used as a travel document when going abroad if provided for in international agreements binding upon the Republic of Latvia.

[7 April 2004]
Section 4. Passport
(1) The following passports are issued in Latvia:

1) a citizen's passport;

2) an alien's passport;

3) a diplomatic passport;

4) a service passport;

5) a travel document for a stateless person; and

6) a travel document for a refugee.

(2) A citizen’s and alien’s passport, travel document for a stateless person and refugee is a travel document issued by a State administrative institution authorised by law. A travel document, in accordance with international agreements binding upon the Republic of Latvia, this Law and other regulatory enactments, grants the right to its holder to cross the State border of the Republic of Latvia and is intended for travelling abroad;

(3) A travel document for a person up to 15 years of age is issued on the basis of the wishes of the parents of such person.

[7 April 2004]

Chapter II

Content and Form of Identity Cards and Passports
Section 5. Content of Identity Cards and Passports
(1) Identity cards and passports shall be issued on the basis of Population Register data and they shall include the following information:

1) on the document holder:

a) given name (names),

b) surname,

c) personal identity number,

d) nationality or another legal status of the person in the Republic of Latvia,

e) gender,

f) date of birth,

g) place of birth,

h) photograph, and

i) signature; and

2) on the document:

a) code of the issuing state,

b) type,

d) name of the issuing authority,

e) date of issue, and

f) term of validity.

(2) Identity cards and passports shall contain a document machine-readable zone.

(3) On the basis of the wish of a citizen’s or non-citizen’s identity card holder, information on the registered place of residence of the cardholder shall be entered in the identity card.

(4) On the basis of the wish of a citizen's or non-citizen's identity card or passport holder, in addition to the data referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, information regarding the nationality of the document holder shall be entered in the identity card and citizen's or alien's passport.

(5) On the basis of the wish of a passport holder, in addition to the data referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, the historic form of the surname of the person or person's family or the original form of the given name or surname (given name and surname) of the person in a Latin alphabet transliteration shall be entered in the passport.

(6) The passport shall provide pages for the stamps of foreign competent institutions regarding entry and residence permits abroad and stamps of border crossings.

(7) On the basis of the wish of a passport holder, in addition to the data referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, data on the child (children) of the passport holder under the age of 18 shall be entered into the passport, except in the diplomatic passport and service passport.

(8) The Cabinet shall determine the additional details to be included in identity cards and passports in order to improve their security against counterfeiting, to extend their functionality and facilitate their utilisation.

(9) Data from the Population Register shall not be used and a personal identity number shall not be entered in non-resident identity cards, in identity cards for persons who have been granted temporary protection, in travel documents for stateless persons who have entered the Republic of Latvia and are unable to prove that they are legally residing in the country.

(2) Passports as well as identity cards for persons who have been granted alternative status or temporary protection, shall be book-type documents.

(3) Identity card and passport specimens, procedures for issue and return thereof, as well as the term of validity shall be determined by the Cabinet.

[7 April 2004]

Chapter III

Issue of Identity Cards, Passports and Return Identification Documents

(2) Non-resident identity cards shall be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(3) The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs is supervised by the Ministry of the Interior and its by-laws shall be approved by the Cabinet.

[7 April 2004]
Section 8. Issue of Diplomatic and Service Passports
(1) A diplomatic passport shall be issued in accordance with the Law on Diplomatic Passports.

(2) A service passport shall be issued to a State official who holds a management position or a person who is in employment or State civil service relations in conformity with the Diplomatic and Consular Service Law and who does not have the right to receive a diplomatic passport. The range of persons to who service passports shall be issued, as well as procedures for the issue of service passports shall be determined by the Cabinet.

(3) Diplomatic passports and service passports shall be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Section 9. Issue of Return Identification Documents
(1) A return identification document is a document that replaces a travel document.

(2) A return identification document may be received by a Latvian citizen, non-citizen or stateless person who has a valid residence permit in the Republic of Latvia, or a refugee who has been recognised as such in accordance with the Asylum Law if he or she resides abroad and has no valid travel document at his or her disposal.

(3) A return identification document shall be issued so that the holder thereof may return to Latvia within the term of validity of the identification document, crossing the State border of the Republic of Latvia once.

(4) Return identification documents shall be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(5) The content, specimen and procedures for issue of return identification documents shall be determined by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Chapter IV.

Rights and Duties of Identity Card, Passport and Return Identification Document Holders
Section 10. Rights of Identity Card, Passport and Return Identification Document Holders
(1) An identity card, passport and return identification document holder has the right to certify his or her identity by presenting the relevant document.

(2) A citizen’s or non-citizen’s identity card holder or a passport holder has the right to utilise the identity card or passport as a travel document in accordance with the procedures specified in international agreements binding on Latvia and regulatory enactments.

(3) A citizen’s or non-citizen’s identity card holder has the right, upon presenting the identity card, to cross the State border of the Republic of Latvia in order to return to Latvia from abroad.
Section 11. Duties of Persons
(1) A Latvian citizen and non-citizen who resides in Latvia and has reached 15 years of age has a duty to receive an identity card or passport if there is no valid identity card or passport in his or her possession.

(2) [7 March 2004].

(3) A person who has reached 14 years of age shall receive an identity card, passport or return identification document in person.

(4) If a person has not reached 14 years of age, his or her identity card, passport or return identification document shall be received by the parents of such person.

(2) If a person has not reached 14 years of age, the parents of such person shall be responsible for the keeping of his or her identity card, passport or return identification document.

(3) The holder of the identity card, passport or return identification document shall report the loss of the relevant document to the identity card, passport or return identification document issuing authority, the State Police or State Border Guard authority within five days from determining such fact, but if the identity card, passport or return identification document holder is abroad — to the diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Latvia.

(4) When entering foreign states, the identity card, passport or return identification document holder is responsible for the fulfilment of the conditions of entry prescribed by the relevant foreign state.

(2) Within a month from a change of legal status the identity card or passport holder shall return the identity card or passport to the issuing authority, but if the identity card or passport holder is located abroad — to a diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Latvia.

(3) If an identity card, passport or return identification document has been found it shall be returned without delay to the document issuing authority, the State Police or State Border Guard authority, or a diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Latvia in a foreign state.

(4) A passport, identity card or return identification document of a deceased person, except for a diplomatic passport, service passport or non-resident identity card, shall be returned to the Registry Office.

(5) A diplomatic passport, service passport or non-resident identity card of a deceased person shall be returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(6) A passport, identity card or return identification document of a person who has died abroad shall be returned to a diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Latvia in the foreign state.

(7) A return identification document holder after returning to Latvia shall without delay return the return identification document to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

(8) The Naturalisation Board, the diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Latvia, a State Police authority, a State Border Guard authority and the Registry Office shall deliver the returned identity cards, passports and return identification documents to their issuing authorities.

(2) An identity card, passport or return identification document of a person who has been arrested for a time period longer than three hours for the committing of an administrative violation or criminal offence or to whom the sentence — deprivation of liberty or custodial arrest has been imposed, shall be removed by the authority which arrested the person, the pre-trial investigation institution or a court. The removed document shall be kept at the referred to authority or at the deprivation of liberty institution. Upon release of the person, the removed document shall be returned to him or her.

1) to make notes therein not provided for in regulatory enactments;

2) to remove it (the prohibition shall not apply to Section 14 of this Law);

3) to give or take it as a pledge;

4) to give it for use to another person;

5) to use a passport, identity card or return identification document of another person;

6) to issue it to another person; and

7) to use an identity card or passport which has become invalid for use.

1) its term of validity has expired;

2) notes not provided for by regulatory enactments have been made therein;

3) the given name or surname (given name and surname) of the person have changed;

4) the legal status of a person has changed;

5) other data specified in Section 5, Paragraph one of this Law regarding the identity card, passport or return identification document holder have changed or inaccuracies in the entries have been determined;

6) a new identity card, passport or return identification document has been issued in its place;

7) it has mechanical or other damage, due to which it is not possible to identify the document holder or to read the information specified therein;

8) it does not conform to the specified specimen; or

9) the identity card, passport or return identification document holder has reported in writing the loss of the identity card, passport or return identification document to the State Police or State Border Guard authority, document issuing authority or a diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Latvia.

10) [7 April 2004]

(2) The Cabinet shall determine the types of invalid personal identification documents and uncompleted forms thereof which are to be included in the register of invalid documents, as well as registration procedures for such documents and forms and procedures for the utilisation of the register of invalid documents.

This Law shall come into force on 1 July 2002.

Chairman of the Saeima J. Straume

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
Translation © 2005 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre)