A2 · B1
A2 or B1? Which Latvian language level you actually need
Different Latvian statuses require different language levels — and one of the most common "requirements" people prepare for does not even use this exam. Latvian at A2, proven with the state language proficiency exam (VVPP), covers the permanent residence permit and EU long-term resident status. For work, the level depends on the occupation and is set in Annex 1 of Cabinet Regulation No. 157, from A1 to C2. Citizenship is different again: naturalisation uses a separate PMLP exam, not the VVPP.
- permanent residence · EU long-term resident status
- A2 permanent residence · EU long-term resident status
- work: level set per occupation, MK 157 Annex 1
- A1–C2 work: level set per occupation, MK 157 Annex 1
- citizenship: a separate naturalisation exam
- PMLP citizenship: a separate naturalisation exam
Which level each status requires
Each row names the legal instrument it comes from. "VVPP" means the requirement is proven with the state language proficiency certificate this site prepares for.
| What you are applying for | Latvian level | Legal source |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent residence permit (pastāvīgās uzturēšanās atļauja) | A2 | Immigration Law (Imigrācijas likums) — state language at least at basic level, second grade (A2) |
| EU long-term resident status in Latvia | A2 | Law on EU long-term resident status in the Republic of Latvia |
| Russian citizens keeping a Latvian permanent residence permit | A2 | Immigration Law — 2023 amendments |
| Working in a regulated occupation | A1–C2 by occupation | Cabinet Regulation No. 157, Annex 1 — the occupation table |
| Ukrainian civilians: professional duties under temporary protection | A2 within 2 years | Law on Support for Civilians of Ukraine — requirement applies from 2026 |
| Latvian citizenship by naturalisation | Separate PMLP exam | Citizenship Law (Pilsonības likums) + PMLP naturalisation checks |
Source: Imigrācijas likums (Immigration Law), consolidated text — likumi.lv
Source: Cabinet Regulation No. 157 (08.03.2022), Annex 1 — likumi.lv
The two-exam trap: the VVPP is not the citizenship exam
This is where most confusion starts. Latvia has two different state language examinations, run by two different authorities, and both get called "the language exam".
- The VVPP (valsts valodas prasmes pārbaude) is run by VIAA and certifies proficiency at one of six levels, A1 to C2. This is the exam for residence permits and occupation requirements — and the one this site prepares for.
- Naturalisation checks are run by PMLP, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. They include PMLP’s own Latvian language test plus a knowledge test — questions on the Constitution, history and culture (18 questions in the knowledge part) and the text of the national anthem.
- A VVPP A2 certificate does not replace the PMLP naturalisation language test. If your goal is citizenship, prepare for the PMLP exams; if your goal is a residence permit or a job requirement, prepare for the VVPP.
- Both exams are colloquially called "the Latvian exam" — before you register anywhere, check which authority runs the exam your status actually needs: VIAA for the VVPP, PMLP for naturalisation.
- A VVPP certificate, once earned, is valid indefinitely — there is no expiry to plan around.
Source: PMLP — citizenship by naturalisation (incl. the exams)
Language is only one of the conditions
A language certificate on its own does not grant any status. Each status has a list of cumulative conditions, and the exam is one line on it. Summarised — the full lists are in the laws named on each card.
Permanent residence permit (A2) — Immigration Law
- The main route: five years of continuous residence in Latvia with a temporary residence permit
- State language proficiency at least at A2, proven with a VVPP certificate
- The remaining conditions — documents, fees, grounds for refusal — are in the Immigration Law; the language line is only one of them
EU long-term resident status (A2) — law on EU long-term resident status
- Five years of lawful residence in Latvia immediately before applying
- A stable, sufficient legal income
- State language proficiency at least at A2, proven with a VVPP certificate
- Since the 2023 Immigration Law amendments, this is also the status Russian citizens apply for to keep permanent residence in Latvia — with the same A2 proof
Citizenship by naturalisation — Citizenship Law + PMLP (separate exam)
- Lawful permanent residence in Latvia for at least five years (counted from the permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status)
- PMLP’s own language proficiency test — separate from the VVPP, and pitched roughly at B1 level
- A knowledge test: the Constitution (Satversme), the basics of Latvian history and culture, and the text of the national anthem
- A legal source of income and the other conditions listed in the Citizenship Law, including the loyalty pledge
Source: Imigrācijas likums (Immigration Law), consolidated text — likumi.lv
Source: Pilsonības likums (Citizenship Law), consolidated text — likumi.lv
Who does not pay the 52 EUR fee
The exam fee has broad exemptions, and they are the part most often left out of summaries online. Note that a fee exemption is not an exemption from the exam itself — the sitting and the pass rule are the same.
- Latvian citizens sit the exam free of charge.
- Latvian non-citizens (nepilsoņi) sit it free of charge.
- Citizens of EU and EEA member states and of Switzerland sit it free of charge.
- Persons with officially granted low-income status sit it free of charge.
- Ukrainian civilians with protected status sit it free of charge — and from 2026 they are also the group required to reach A2 within two years of receiving temporary protection in order to perform professional duties.
- Everyone else pays the 52 EUR state fee at least seven working days before the exam, for every attempt.
Source: Cabinet Regulation No. 157 (08.03.2022), Annex 1 — likumi.lv
A2 and B1 are separate papers — with the same unforgiving pass rule
A1 to C2 are six separate examination papers. You register for one specific level, sit that paper, and the result is pass or fail at that level only.
- The A2 paper has four parts of 15 points each, 60 in total, and requires at least 60% — 9 points out of 15 — in every part separately.
- There is no compensation between parts at any level: one part below 60% fails the whole exam under Cabinet Regulation No. 157.
- There is no bump-down: a failed B1 paper is not regraded as an A2 pass. If you need A2, register for A2.
- Before registering, check what your status or occupation actually requires — the occupation table is Annex 1 of Regulation No. 157 — and sit exactly that level.
Sitting the A2 exam?
If A2 is your level, the format is the part you can prepare for with certainty: 12 tasks, fixed timings, fixed answer types — and the 9-of-15 bar in every part.
See the A2 exam formatThis page summarises legal requirements; it is study guidance, not legal or immigration advice. Laws are amended, and your own case may turn on facts this page cannot know. Check the current consolidated texts at likumi.lv and confirm your situation with PMLP (for statuses and citizenship) and VIAA (for the exam) before acting on anything here.