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Unemployment benefits in Latvia

In what situation can I claim?

If you have lost your job, you have the right to claim unemployment benefits (Bezdarbnieka pabalsti). Benefits are granted if you have worked for at least 1 year and social insurance contributions have been paid for at least 12 months during the last 16 months.

You can also claim unemployment benefits if you have regained work capacity after a disability or if you have been caring for a disabled child up to 18 years of age. In these cases the benefits are granted even if social insurance contributions have not been paid or have been paid for less than 12 months.

What conditions do I need to meet?

You can claim unemployment benefits if you have been granted unemployed status by the State Employment Agency (SEA) and you have been socially insured for at least 1 year and social insurance contributions have been paid for you for at least 12 months during the last 16 months.

If you have regained work capacity after a disability, in order to claim unemployment benefits you must obtain unemployed status within 1 month of regaining work capacity. If you are caring for a disabled child, you must obtain unemployed status within 1 month of the child reaching 18 years of age.

If you terminated employment relations on your own initiative or were dismissed due to an infringement, unemployment benefits shall be granted and paid not sooner than 2 months after obtaining unemployed status.

The unemployed are expected to cooperate with the State Employment Agency and carry out tasks listed in individual plan.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Amount of unemployment benefits

Unemployment benefits are granted for 9 months.

The amount of benefits depends on your insurance (employment) history and the wage level from which social insurance contributions have been paid.

The average contribution wage is calculated based on your earnings for the 12-month period which ended 2 months before claiming unemployment benefits.

Employment history in years (inclusive)	Benefit
from 1 to 9 years	50 % of average contribution wage
from 10 to 19 years	55 % of average contribution wage
from 20 to 29 years	60 % of average contribution wage
30 years and more	65 % of average contribution wage

Unemployment benefits are gradually reduced by increments of 3 months.

Period	Benefit amount
First 3 months	100 % of granted benefit
Next 3 months	75 % of granted benefit
Last 3 months	50 % of granted benefit

If prior to obtaining unemployed status you have been caring for a child aged up to 18 months, regained work capacity after having a disability, or cared for a disabled child aged up to 18 years, your granted benefits will be two times 60 % of the amount of the state social insurance benefit (EUR 64.03). Currently this is EUR 76.84 per month for the first 3 months, EUR 57.63 per month for the next 3 months and EUR 28.82 per month for the last 3 months.

Application for benefits

You can apply for unemployment benefits by:

filling out an application form in person at any State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) branch;
posting a completed form to the SSIA;
emailing a completed form signed with an e-signature to the SSIA;
along with requesting unemployed status, submitting a completed form in person at any State Employment Agency branch, if it is no need for additional proof regarding your employment history.
e-application.

If you have been employed up to 31 December 1995, you must additionally submit documents proving your employment history to the SSIA.

The portal Latvija.lv has information in e-service format regarding your social insurance contributions and the amount of benefits, pensions and support payments you can claim using internet banking or your e-signature.

Jargon busters

Social insurance contributions are legally mandated payments paid into a special budget account which give the right to socially insured persons to receive social insurance services stipulated by law, including unemployment, maternity, illness and parental benefits, disability, old-age and survivor's pensions, and compensation for workplace accidents and work-related illnesses.

Insurance period - employment history and its aligned periods up to 31 December 1990, as well as the period from 1 January 1991, for which social insurance contributions have been paid for a person.

The following have rights to unemployed status: persons who are not employed, are seeking work, are capable of working, are at least 15 years of age, have not reached retirement age or are not receiving the old-age pension, are not receiving primary or secondary education full time, are not engaged in commercial activities and are not under full state care. Unemployed status grants the right to participate in State Employment Agency support activities.

Know your rights

Latvian laws and regulations on receiving unemployment benefits:

Who do you need to contact?

State Employment Agency

Administration: K. Valdemara iela 38 k-1, Riga, LV-1010.
Tel.: +371 67021706, Fax: +371 67021806, Email: nva@nva.gov.lv, twitter.com/NVA_gov_lv.
Branches in Riga and elsewhere

State Social Insurance Agency

Lacplesa iela 70a, Riga, LV-1011.
Fax: + 371 67011814, Email: vsaa@vsaa.lv, Email for consultations: konsultacijas@vsaa.lv, twitter.com/VSAA_LV. Branches in Riga and elsewhere

Ministry of Welfare

Skolas iela 28, Riga, LV-1331. Tel.: + 371 67021600, Fax: +371 67276445, Email: lm@lm.gov.lv, twitter.com/Lab_min

Source:
European Commission and national authorities dealing with unemployment insurance.

This page was last updated on February 15, 2020.