Monthly Newsletter
The News of the Naturalization Board
___________________________________________________________________________________
Address: Smilsu iela 1/3, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia
Telephone/fax: (371) 7814213, e-mail: arej@np.gov.lv
Website: http://www.np.gov.lv
___________________________________________________________________________________
April 15 – May 15, 2007
No. 63
Statistical Information on Acquisition of the Citizenship of Latvia as at March 31, 2007
___________________________________________________________________________________
Naturalization
Since February 1, 1995
 122,977 naturalization applications have been received from the applicants of the citizenship of
Latvia.
Breakdown of the number of applicants of the citizenship of Latvia as to their ethnic origin and age:
68.2 % - Russians
10.3 % - Belorussians
9.2 % - Ukrainians
3.7 % - Lithuanians and Estonians
4.2 % - Poles
0.1 % - Latvians and Livonians
4.2 % - persons having other ethnic origin
0.1 % - not given
2.0 % - 15 years old
6.7 % - 16-17 years old
31.5 % - 18-30 years old
19.9% - 31-40 years old
20.7 % - 41-50 years old
12.4 % - 51-60 years old
6.8 % - above the age of 60

123,199 persons, including 13,320 underage children (under the age of 15) naturalizing together
with a parent, have been granted the citizenship of Latvia through naturalization according to
the decrees of the Cabinet of Ministers.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Recognition of a person to be a citizen of Latvia
Since January 1, 1999
 6,682 applications have been received as to recognition of a child, who was born in Latvia after
August 21, 1991 and whose parents are non-citizens or stateless persons, to be a citizen of Latvia
as prescribed by article 31 of the Law on Citizenship. 6,555 children, who were born in Latvia after
August 21, 1991 and whose parents are non-citizens or stateless persons, have been recognized to be
a citizen of Latvia.
 7,693 applications have been received as to recognition of a person to be a citizen of Latvia
through registration of the status of a citizen of Latvia as prescribed by the paragraphs 1, 11, 12 or
13, article 2 of the Law on Citizenship. 7,624 persons, including 481 underage children (under the
age of 15), have been recognized to be a citizen of Latvia.
Latest Events














On April 18 the monthly seminar of the Heads of the departments and the regional branches of the
Naturalization Board took place.
On April 18 – 20 Ms Mara Kokina, the Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the
Naturalization Board, took part in the annual meeting of the Association of Language Testers in
Europe (ALTE) in Paris (France).
On 19 April Ms Solvita Viba, the Deputy Head of the Naturalization Board and Mr Igors
Gorbunovs, the Head of the Citizenship Department of the Naturalization Board had a meeting with
chairpersons of self-governments of Limbazu district to inform them about the Naturalization
Board’s plan to finish its work in Limbazu district.
On 19 April Ms Eizenija Aldermane, the Head of the Naturalization Board, took part in a solemn
ceremony to issue the dockets of the Cabinet of Ministers on granting the citizenship of Latvia
through naturalization in the Managing Directorate of Latgales district in Riga.
On 20 April the authorities of the Naturalization Board had a meeting with representatives of a stock
company “Latvijas Finieris” about cooperation in solving the issues of acquisition of the citizenship
of Latvia for the non-citizens working in the company.
On 21 April Ms Eizenija Aldermane, the Head of the Naturalization Board, took part in the
conference “Citizenship and Voting Rights. The Red Lines in Tolerance” organized by the party
“Latvia’s Way” and the Fridrich Nauman Foundation. Ms Aldermane read a report on the factors
facilitating and hindering acquisition of the citizenship.
On April 23 – 26 Ms Solvita Viba, the Deputy Head of the Naturalization Board and Ms Baiba
Jakovleva, the Head of the Information Centre of the Naturalization Board, went to Norkoping
(Sweden) within the framework of the Programme of Exchange of Civil Servants of the Nordic
Council of Ministers.
On 26 April Ms Eizenija Aldermane, the Head of the Naturalization Board, met the Heads of selfgovernments of Talsu district, to inform them about the Naturalization Board’s plan to finish
its work in Talsu district.
On 27 April Liepajas Regional Branch of the Naturalization Board in cooperation with Liepaja
District Council and the Education Board organized a competition “Civil society and civil
participation” for the pupils of Liepajas district. The competition took place in Aizputes Primary
School and its objective was to facilitate pupils’ understanding of the issues of citizenship and the
history of Latvia. Ms Solvita Viba, the Deputy Head of the Naturalization Board, Mr Igors
Gorbunovs, the Head of the Citizenship Department of the Naturalization Board, Mr Peteris Hanka,
Member of the 9th Saeima of the Republic of Latvia and other authorities took part in the
competition commission.
On 20 – 30 April Ms Eizenija Aldermane, the Head of the Naturalization Board, took part in the
activities organized in the framework of “Holland’s Days” in Latvia.
On 3 May Ms Eizenija Aldermane, the Head of the Naturalization Board, gave an interview to
television company TV5 on the issues of acquisition of the citizenship of Latvia and the proposals
about a possibility of granting the right to participate in the elections of self-governments for noncitizens.
On 8 May Ms Lilita Danga, the Deputy Head of the Methodology and Examination Centre, gave an
interview to the French – German television company ARTE on the issues of language training and
the naturalization examinations. Journalists also interviewed some citizenship applicants.
On 9 May Ms Solvita Viba, the Deputy Head of the Naturalization Board, took part in the reception
organized by the Representation of the European Commission in Latvia and the European
Movement in Latvia on the occasion of celebrating the Day of Europe. Ms Viba also took part in the
discussion dedicated to the Day of Europe “Latvia as a Member State of the EU – Achievements and
Challenges of the Foreign Policy”.
On 11 May a solemn ceremony to issue the dockets of the Cabinet of Ministers on granting the
citizenship of Latvia through naturalization took place in the Daugavpils City Council. The new
2

citizens were congratulated by representatives of the Daugavpils City Council, the Daugavpils
District Council and the employees of the Daugavpils Regional Branch of the Naturalization Board.
On 15 May Ms Baiba Jakovleva, the Head of the Information Centre of the Naturalization Board,
took part in the training seminar “Establishing and Describing Public Services in Institutions”, that
was organized for representatives of state administrative institutions by the Secretariat of Electronic
Government Affairs.
Planned Events





On 16 May the employees of the Information Centre of the Naturalization Board will meet Ms Indra
Lapinska, coordinator of the European Community’s external assistance project to acquaint her with
the history of the development of the Information Centre, its structure and principles of activities.
On 23 May a regular “Information Day” will be organized in the Methodology and Examination
Centre of the Naturalization Board. Visitors will have the possibility to pre-test their proficiency in
the Latvian language as well as their knowledge of the basic principles of the Constitution of the
Republic of Latvia and the history of Latvia by filling in the test samples.
On 28 – 31 May Ms Solvita Viba, the Deputy Head of the Naturalization Board, Ms Baiba Jakovleva,
the Head of the Information Centre of the Naturalization Board and Ms Mara Kokina, the Head of the
Foreign Relations Department of the Naturalization Board, will go to Helsinki (Finland) within the
framework of the Programme of Exchange of Civil Servants of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
On 31 May representatives of the Information Centre of the Naturalization Board will participate in
the discussion of young people “I in my country” organized in Jaunogres Secondary School by
Jelgavas Regional Branch of the Naturalization Board.
On 14 – 16 June a seminar of the Heads of the departments and the regional branches of the
Naturalization Board will take place in Daugavpils. In the framework of the seminar solemn
ceremonies to issue the dockets of the Cabinet of Ministers on granting the citizenship of Latvia
through naturalization will take place in Jekabpils District Council and Daugavpils City Council. The
participants of the seminar will visit Daugavpils Ethnic Centre, Polish House and Russian Culture
Centre, as well as will have discussions with representatives of culture societies of Daugavpils
national minorities about the topical issues of citizenship and integration of society.
3