Allowance for refugee or person granted alternative status

If a refugee or a person granted alternative status lacks sufficient means, they are entitled to receive an allowance to cover subsistence costs (hereinafter – the allowance).

A refugee or a person granted alternative status who, on the date of applying for the allowance, is of working age (from the age of 15 until reaching the age required for the granting of the old-age pension in the Republic of Latvia) is entitled to receive the allowance if they:

• are employed (as an employee or self-employed person);
• are not employed, but have registered with the State Employment Agency, and obtained unemployed or job-seeker status, and are fulfilling the duties of such status, including participation in Latvian language acquisition programmes ;
• are not employed, but have been granted disability group I or II, or are studying full-time at an educational institution in Latvia.

If the refugee or the person granted alternative status has reached the age required for the granting of the old-age pension in the Republic of Latvia, they are entitled to receive the allowance without fulfilling the above conditions.

The benefit for a minor may be received by:

• one of the parents, or
• the legal representative of the child, upon presenting documentation confirming the legal right to represent the unaccompanied minor.

If the child is 15 years or older, the benefit may be granted for the child if they:

• are enrolled in a full-time educational institution in Latvia; or
• are not studying, but are registered with the State Employment Agency as unemployed or a job seeker.

If, during the benefit period, the young person reaches legal adulthood, they may continue to receive the benefit as an adult, provided that a new application is submitted for benefit entitlement.

The amount of the allowance is as follows:

• for an adult – € 139.00 per month;
• if the persons are spouses – € 139.00 per month for one person and € 97.00 per month for the other;
• for a minor person – € 97.00 per month.

Benefit Payment Period

• A refugee is entitled to receive the benefit for 10 months within a 12-month period from the date the refugee status was granted.
• A person with alternative status is entitled to receive the benefit for 7 months within a 12-month period from the date the alternative status was granted.
• If the person becomes employed (as an employee or self-employed), the benefit is paid for no longer than 3 months from the date of acquiring employment status.

If a person with alternative status — who has already received a one-time financial allowance and the subsistence benefit — is subsequently granted refugee status, they are entitled to receive the benefit as a refugee, for a period that does not exceed 10 months in total, including the months already paid under alternative status.

Benefit Is Not Paid During the Period When the Person:

• is incarcerated, except if serving a custodial sentence in an open prison;
• is in a long-term social care or rehabilitation institution whose services are fully funded by the state or local government budget;
• fails to fulfil the duties of an unemployed person or job seeker.

Benefit Payment Procedure

• The benefit is disbursed no later than in the calendar month following the date of benefit approval and is paid monthly (by the 10th day) for the previous month.
• It is transferred to the personal bank account or Postal Settlement System account specified in the individual’s application.
• For a minor, the benefit is transferred to the legal representative’s account.

If the benefit is received without justification, the recipient is obliged to repay the amount voluntarily to the state budget.

Translation prepared with a machine translation tool