How to Obtain Disability in Latvia: Five Valuable Tips 0 27

The disability assessment process can be complicated – you need to gather documents, know where to submit them, and meet deadlines. A doctor's referral is only valid for 2 months.

Vineta Veione, head of the customer service department at the State Medical Commission for Health and Working Ability (VDEĀVK), provides recommendations to ease this process.

1. What Documents Are Needed and Where to Find the List

To ensure the process goes smoothly, it is necessary to prepare the following documents in advance:

• An application for disability status, which can be filled out electronically or in person. The application can be found on the homepage of VDEĀVK - www.vdeavk.gov.lv in the section "Documents Required for the Assessment" / "Ekspertīzei nepieciešamie dokumenti".

• A referral to VDEĀVK, prepared and signed by a doctor, along with all the documents listed in the appendix. Importantly, the doctor's referral is valid for two months.

• If the documents are submitted for a child, a copy of the birth certificate must be attached to the application.

2. How and Where to Submit Documents

Documents can be submitted in several ways – in person at any of the departments, by mail, or electronically through the portal.

If the person requiring the disability assessment cannot prepare and submit the documents to VDEĀVK independently, an authorized person or representative can submit them on their behalf; in the case of a child, this would be a guardian.

3. Important! What Power of Attorney is Needed for a Representative

To submit disability documents for another adult, a notarized power of attorney is required, clearly stating that the authorized person has the right to represent the individual's interests at VDEĀVK.

A simple written power of attorney that is not notarized is insufficient. In this case, the documents will not be accepted by VDEĀVK.

If the adult has a certain limited legal capacity, the documents can be submitted by their representative. In this case, a court decision or a guardianship court decision is required. This document proves the right to represent the person's interests at VDEĀVK.

If documents need to be submitted regarding a child under guardianship, a court decision or guardianship court decision is also required.

4. Common Mistakes

In each department of VDEĀVK, there is an opportunity to show the prepared documents in advance and receive clarification on whether they are correctly completed; if there are any shortcomings, they can be addressed immediately.

Common mistakes: people often forget to sign the application, forget to indicate the submission date, and submit a referral from a doctor that has expired – more than two months have passed.

5. Where and to Whom to Ask Questions

Consultation at VDEĀVK can be obtained in several ways:

• by phone – 67614885; 29632807;

• in person – at any VDEĀVK office, choosing the one closest to you;

• electronically.

And About Benefits

Here are some benefits provided in Riga:

• Free public transport;

• Payment of housing debts;

• Discounts on property tax;

• A lift for wheelchair access;

• Medical care allowance not exceeding 345.00 euros within a calendar year.