Starting July 1, 2026, the State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) will assess the country of permanent residence of the child when determining an individual's eligibility for parental benefits.
The State Social Insurance Agency reports that parental benefits will be granted ONLY to those children of socially insured individuals in Latvia who:
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reside permanently in Latvia;
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have been assigned a personal code;
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have an active status in the Register of Natural Persons.
Who is not affected by the changes
The changes do not affect socially insured individuals in Latvia whose children reside in other countries that are members of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) countries, or the Swiss Confederation.
In these cases, as before, parental benefits will be granted in accordance with the rules of the European Parliament and Council from April 29, 2004, on the coordination of social security systems.
Who is affected by the changes
Thus, starting July 1, parental benefits will not be granted if the child does not reside permanently in Latvia and their place of residence is not any of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. For example, parents whose children live in Uzbekistan, India, Canada, Russia, or the USA will lose their benefits.
These conditions come into effect regardless of the child's or parent's citizenship.
How much the state will save on children is not disclosed.
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