Citizens of Latvia, aliens (non-citizens) and also citizens of other European Union (EU) Member States who lived and worked in the United Kingdom (UK) on 31 December 2020 and continue to do so, and who have fulfilled the conditions for the granting of the Latvian pension (the required retirement age has been reached, the required length of insurance has been accumulated, etc.), also after 1 January 2021, i.e. when the transitional period of the UK withdrawal from the EU expires, the Latvian pension may be claimed for Latvian insurance periods. This option is provided by the UK Withdrawal Agreement from the EU.
A request for a Latvian pension may be submitted through the UK’s competent authority (International Pension Centre, The Pension Service 11), to send the request to the State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) electronically with a secure electronic signature, to use the types of application available to the www.latvija.lv. For pension payout the bank account in the UK must be indicated.
However, UK citizens, Latvian citizens, aliens (non-citizens) and also citizens of other EU Member States living in Latvia who have accumulated insurance periods in the UK by 31 December 2020 may apply to UK pension at the SSIA or the competent authority of UK.
In order to ensure the granting of pensions, the SSIA and the competent authority of the UK exchange the necessary information.
If the SSIA does not have information regarding the insurance periods of a person in Latvia until 31 December 1995, the person shall submit the necessary documents to the SSIA in one of the following ways: through the competent authority of the UK, send copies confirmed by notary by post, send documents electronically in accordance with the regulatory enactments regulating the circulation of electronic documents, or submit them to the SSIA.
On 24 December 2020, the UK and the EU have reached an agreement on how cooperation will take place between the both sides following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU at the end of the transitional period.
The agreement is based on contracts in a number of areas, including social security coordination. Conditions for the mobility and social protection of people are established, with EU citizens residing, working and moving to UK or UK citizens residing, working and moving to the EU from 1 January 2021. The agreement also includes cooperation on pensions. This will also adjust the future relationship between the both sides. Agreement in the field of social security coordination will enter into force after its ratification.