Published: 24.01.2021.
Updated: 23.01.2026.
Translated by machine translator
What should you do if you have lost your job in another EU country and want to look for work in Latvia?
When are you entitled to receive Latvian unemployment benefits if your last employment was in another EU Member State?

When determining entitlement to the Latvian unemployment benefit, not only Latvian national legal acts are applied, but also the EU rules on the coordination of social security – Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009.

Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 apply to nationals of the Member States of the European Union, the EEA States (Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland) and Switzerland (hereinafter – EU Member States), as well as to third-country nationals, provided that they are legally resident in the territory of a Member State and are not linked exclusively to only one Member State.

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

  1. Aggregation of insurance periods between Member States. This grants a person who has arrived from another Member State, taken up employment and subsequently lost that employment the right to receive unemployment benefits in Latvia, taking into account the insurance periods completed in another Member State. Insurance periods are aggregated in order to satisfy the conditions laid down in Latvian legislation for the granting of the benefit.
  2. Export of unemployment benefits while seeking employment in another Member State. This allows an unemployed person who is receiving unemployment benefits in Latvia to go to another Member State for the purpose of seeking employment and to continue receiving the unemployment benefit granted by Latvia for a period of up to three months. This three-month period may be extended to up to six months if the unemployed person has not found employment during the initial three months and continues to retain entitlement to the Latvian unemployment benefit.
  3. The right to receive unemployment benefits in the State of residence. This applies where a person has worked and been socially insured in one Member State but has resided permanently in another Member State, for example in the case of frontier workers.

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

 

Where entitlement to an unemployment benefit depends on the completion of insurance periods, insurance periods completed in any other EU Member State shall be taken into account as if they had been completed in accordance with the legislation of the Member State responsible for granting the unemployment benefit. These aggregation rules apply in cases where the unemployment benefit is claimed in the State of last employment, except where the person, while working in another EU Member State, was permanently resident in the Member State in which the unemployment benefit is claimed.

This means that, when determining entitlement to the Latvian unemployment benefit, insurance periods completed in another EU Member State may also be taken into account, provided that the person’s State of last employment prior to obtaining unemployed status is Latvia. An exception applies to frontier workers and other workers who, while employed in another EU Member State, were permanently resident in Latvia.

Documents required for the aggregation of periods – the U1 document

The U1 document, “Periods to be taken into account for the granting of unemployment benefits”, is intended for an unemployed person who has worked and been insured in one Member State but applies for unemployment benefits in another Member State, for example, in the Member State of residence. This document is issued by the competent institution of the State in which the person was employed and insured. It indicates periods of employment and insurance, the reason for termination of employment, and other necessary information.

The U1 document must be submitted to the competent institution of the Member State in which the unemployment benefit is claimed. That institution will, as necessary, take into account the employment and insurance periods indicated in the U1 document, as well as the other information contained therein.

If a person has been employed in another Member State but applies for the unemployment benefit in Latvia, the person must submit the U1 document to the SSIA together with the application for the granting of the unemployment benefit, so that the aggregation rules may be applied when determining entitlement to the Latvian unemployment benefit. If the person does not submit the U1 document together with the application, the SSIA will request it from the competent institution of the relevant Member State.

 

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

An unemployed person who is already receiving unemployment benefit in Latvia or who has a certain right to receive such benefit may decide to go for work to one of the EU Member States and continue to receive unemployment benefit in Latvia for a period of up to 3 months from the day of departure, as well as this period may be extended for a period of up to six months.

In order for a person to continue to receive Latvian unemployment benefit when seeking employment in another EU Member State, it is necessary to request from the SSIA U2 document “maintenance of the right to unemployment benefit” in a timely manner. U2 document confirms the unemployed person's right to Latvian unemployment benefit when seeking employment in another Member State (see information - obligations in the Member State where the job is sought).

Conditions for receiving a U2 document

  •  a person must be registered with the State Employment Agency (hereinafter - sea) as an unemployed person at least four weeks before leaving Latvia. In some cases, this period may be shortened (for example, if a person who fulfils all other conditions goes with a spouse who has started working in another Member State);
  •  the person must have certain rights to Latvian unemployment benefit until the moment of departure;
  •  a person should only travel to another EU Member State for job search purposes. A person who goes abroad under other motives does not fulfil this condition and cannot claim the export of unemployment benefit.

In order to receive the U2 document, a person must submit an application to the SSIA “request for the receipt of the U2 document “retention of the right to unemployment benefit”” (See information - How to submit an application for the granting of unemployment benefit, for the receipt of documents U2 and U1). According to this submission, the U2 document is issued for a period of up to three months.

Conditions for extending the U2 document for up to 6 months

If within three months a person has not found employment in the relevant Member State and he or she will have retained the right to Latvian unemployment benefit, then the export period of unemployment benefit may be extended for a period of up to six months if the person:

  • has registered with the employment service of the Member State in which the job is sought (within 7 days from the date of departure),
  • has fulfilled the job seeker's duties under the law of the country where the job is sought.

In order to extend the period of receipt of unemployment benefit up to 6 months, a person must submit an application to the SSIA “request for receipt of the document U2 “retention of the right to unemployment benefit” - extension of the right to unemployment benefit” (See information - How to submit an application for the granting of unemployment benefit, for the receipt of documents U2 and U1).

Important!

The U2 document does not in itself create the right to seek employment in another EU Member State. Consequently, it is advisable for an unemployed person to contact the competent authority of that country before travelling for work to another EU Member State and to ascertain the requirements for obtaining job seeker status in that country, the rights and obligations of the job seeker and the general requirements for the qualification of the worker. The addresses of the competent authorities are available in the www.vsaa.gov.lv section “services” > “services in the European Union” > “Coordination of services in the European Union” > “institutions of the EU Member States” on the SSIA website. As well as information on the rules applied by Member States can be found on the EURES portal.

Obligations in the Member State where the job is sought

In order to continue to receive Latvian unemployment benefit when seeking employment in another Member State, the unemployed person shall:

  •  within 7 days after leaving Latvia, register with the employment service of the Member State where the job is sought. Registration with the employment service of a Member State shall be subject to the presentation of a U2 document issued by the SSIA. The U2 document States: the date of departure of the unemployed person; the time limit within which the unemployed person must register as a jobseeker in the Member State in which the job is sought; the period during which the person remains entitled to unemployment benefit, as well as circumstances which may affect the right to benefit;
  •  perform the necessary job seeker duties in accordance with the procedures specified by the Member State in which the job is sought.

Payment of unemployment benefit when seeking employment in another EU Member State

In the case of export of unemployment benefit, the benefit shall continue to be paid to the SSIA after receipt of information from the competent authority of the Member State concerned regarding the registration of the unemployed person with the employment service of that State and fulfilment of all duties related to seeking employment.

Return to Latvia

If a person has not found employment in another EU Member State within three or six months after leaving Latvia, but he or she is entitled to unemployment benefit for a longer period in accordance with Latvian legislation, then the person may continue to receive unemployment benefit in Latvia, provided that he or she has returned to Latvia before the specified period of three or six months (according to the document U2).

When an unemployed person re-exits to another Member State in search of work, he or she does not have the right to receive Latvian unemployment benefit. In order to re-leave in search of work to another Member State and receive Latvian unemployment benefit, a person must, in accordance with national legislation, work the specified period, which is necessary for the person to have the right to receive the benefit and to acquire the status of a newly unemployed person.

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

 

In accordance with Regulation No 883/2004, unemployment benefit must generally be claimed in the Member State in which the person was employed and insured immediately prior to becoming unemployed, i.e. the last State of employment.

If a person was employed in another EU Member State (i.e. the last employment was in another EU Member State), entitlement to unemployment benefit in Latvia exists only in specific cases, namely where the person resided permanently in Latvia during their last employment in another Member State. The decisive factor for receiving unemployment benefit in the State of residence is that, during the last employment, the person did not reside in the Member State whose legislation was applicable, but instead resided in the Member State in which unemployment benefit is claimed.

Frontier workers

A frontier worker is any person who pursues an activity as an employed or self-employed person in one Member State and resides in another Member State, to which they normally return daily or at least once a week.

Frontier workers whose permanent place of residence is Latvia while working in another EU Member State receive unemployment benefit from Latvia in the event of unemployment.

Important!

Frontier workers must claim unemployment benefit in their State of residence.

This does not apply to self-employed persons. As Latvia does not provide unemployment insurance for self-employed persons, self-employed frontier workers must claim unemployment benefit in the Member State in which their last self-employed activity was carried out and in which they were insured against unemployment.

Other categories of workers whose permanent residence during employment in another EU Member State was Latvia

A worker who maintained their residence in Latvia while working in another Member State may receive unemployment benefit from Latvia in the event of unemployment, provided that all EU criteria for retaining residence are met. EU legislation provides that, when determining residence, the following factors are taken into account:

  • the duration and continuity of presence in the territories of the Member States concerned;
  • the nature, stability and duration of the employment or self-employment activity;
  • family situation and family ties;
  • pursuit of non-remunerated activities;
  • housing situation, in particular its degree of permanence;
  • the Member State in which the person is considered resident for tax purposes.

The right to receive unemployment benefit in the State of residence applies to the following categories of workers: for sailors; persons who normally pursue activities in two or more Member States; persons covered by an agreement under Article 16 of Regulation No 883/2004, where they resided in a Member State other than the competent State during their last employment; seasonal workers. For other categories of workers, entitlement to unemployment benefit in the State of residence may be established only after a very careful assessment of all circumstances.

A person who resided in Latvia during their last employment in another Member State (including frontier workers) must register as unemployed with the SEA. In addition, the unemployed person may also register as a jobseeker in the last State of employment. In such cases, the person must comply with the obligations and requirements laid down both in Latvian legislation and in the legislation of the other Member State (the last State of employment). The unemployed person must inform both the SSIA and the SEA of registration in the last State of employment.

Persons whose last employment was in another Member State and who apply for unemployment benefit in their State of residence, including frontier workers, must, in addition to the application for unemployment benefit, complete the questionnaire “On determination of permanent residence during employment in another EU/EEA State”.

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

If a person’s last employment was in Latvia, the unemployment benefit is calculated solely on the basis of income earned in Latvia, in accordance with Latvian legislation. This also applies in cases where the person’s last employment was in Latvia, but prior to that they worked in another Member State and the insurance periods completed in that other Member State are taken into account for establishing entitlement to the Latvian unemployment benefit and are included in the insurance record (aggregation of periods). In such cases, only insurance periods are aggregated, not income.

When calculating unemployment benefit for frontier workers and other workers whose place of residence during employment in another Member State was Latvia, income earned in the last State of employment is also taken into account.

 

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

 

A self-employed frontier worker whose place of residence is in Latvia must register as unemployed and apply for unemployment benefit in the EU Member State in which they carried out their last activity as a self-employed person and were insured against unemployment. In addition, the unemployed person may also register with the Latvian SEA and seek employment in Latvia, informing the institution of the Member State that provides the unemployment benefit accordingly.

If such an unemployed person does not wish to remain available to the employment services of the Member State in which they carried out their last activity, but instead wishes to seek employment in their State of residence, i.e. Latvia, they may make use of the unemployment benefit export provisions. In this case, the unemployed person must contact the competent institution of the Member State that granted the unemployment benefit and request the issuance of a U2 document. For such unemployed persons, the requirement that the person must have been registered with the competent Member State’s employment service as a jobseeker for at least four weeks prior to departure does not apply. In addition, for these unemployed persons, the export period of the unemployment benefit may be extended to cover the entire period during which the person is entitled to the unemployment benefit granted by the competent Member State.

In cases of unemployment benefit export, the unemployed person must register with the SEA within seven days from the date of departure and must comply with all jobseeker obligations in accordance with Latvian legislation. The payment of the unemployment benefit will be ensured by the competent institution of the Member State that granted the unemployment benefit.

 

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

  1. Unemployment benefit must generally be claimed in the EU Member State where you were last employed. Exceptions: frontier workers and persons who, while employed in another EU Member State, permanently resided in Latvia.
  2. If you have been granted unemployment benefit in another EU Member State and wish to return to Latvia to seek work, you must request the U2 document from the competent institution that granted the benefit. This allows you to continue receiving the benefit from that country for up to 3 or 6 months, subject to the conditions described above.
  3. After terminating employment in another EU Member State, you must request a U1 document from that country, showing your employment and insurance periods there.
  4. When claiming unemployment benefit in Latvia after working in another EU Member State, you must submit:
  • an application for unemployment benefit indicating, the Member State of employment, employer’s name and address, employment start and end dates, social insurance number in the employment country.

Important!

If you worked in another EU Member State, you cannot submit the unemployment benefit application via the SEA vacancy portal (cvvp.nva.gov.lv) or Latvia.gov.lv, because these platforms do not allow entering employment information from another EU Member State.

  • Supporting documents for U1 / employment abroad. If a U1 document is not available from the last employment country, you must submit documents proving employment there (certificates, copies of employment contracts, copies of the last tax calculation notices, income statements from previous employers or any other documents proving employment in another EU Member State.
  • questionnaire: “On determination of permanent residence during employment in another EU/EEA State”.

Even if your last employment was in Latvia, but you previously worked in another EU Member State and have accrued insurance periods there, you must also submit proof of employment from that country for insurance period aggregation.

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

To apply for unemployment benefit, the following must be submitted to the SSIA:

The application for unemployment benefit, the questionnaire and supporting documents may be submitted to the SSIA:

  • in person at any SSIA customer service centre;
  • electronically (the application must be signed with a secure electronic signature containing a time stamp);
  • by post.

Important!

In order for unemployment benefit to be granted from the day unemployment status is obtained, the application to the SEA for granting unemployment status and the application to the SSIA for granting unemployment benefit must be submitted on the same day. If the application for unemployment benefit is submitted later, the benefit will be granted from the date of submission of the application.

To obtain a U2 document, the following must be submitted to the SSIA:

The application for obtaining a U2 document may be submitted:

The application for obtaining a U2 document (for a period of up to 3 months) must be submitted no later than 14 working days before departure from Latvia.

The application for extension of the right to unemployment benefit up to six months must be submitted/sent at least 21 days before the end of the three-month period.

The SSIA International Services Department will issue the U2 document no earlier than 7 days before the departure date indicated by the person in the application. The U2 document concerning extension of the unemployment benefit period up to 6 months will be sent to the address specified in the application.

To obtain a U1 document a person must submit the relevant application to the SSIA “Periods to be taken into account for the payment of unemployment benefits”.

The application for obtaining a U1 document may be submitted:

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

From 1 January 2021, the European Union rules on the coordination of social security – namely Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 – no longer apply to the United Kingdom. However, these EU Regulations continue to apply to persons covered by the Withdrawal Agreement concluded between the EU and the United Kingdom. Under the Withdrawal Agreement, EU citizens who moved to the United Kingdom by 31 December 2020 and who continue to live and work there remain subject, in the field of social security, to Regulations (EC) No 883/2004 and No 987/2009.

For persons who moved to the United Kingdom from 1 January 2021 onwards, social security coordination between the EU and the United Kingdom is governed by the Protocol on Social Security Coordination to the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (hereinafter – the Trade and Cooperation Protocol). This Protocol also contains provisions on unemployment benefits; however, these are more limited than those laid down in the EU Regulations.

Depending on when a person moved to the United Kingdom – before or after 1 January 2021 – the following legal framework applies:

  • The Withdrawal Agreement, if the person moved to the United Kingdom by 31 December 2020; in this case, Regulations (EC) No 883/2004 and No 987/2009 apply.
  • The Protocol on Social Security Coordination to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, if the person moved to the United Kingdom from 1 January 2021 onwards.
  • If a person moved to the United Kingdom by 31 December 2020 and continued to live and work there (i.e. the person is covered by the Withdrawal Agreement), for example until September 2024, the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 apply. Under these rules, unemployment benefit must be claimed in the country of last employment, namely the country in which the person lived, worked and was socially insured immediately before becoming unemployed.

This means that, upon termination of employment in the United Kingdom, the person must register with the United Kingdom employment service and apply for unemployment benefit in the United Kingdom.

At the same time, Regulations (EC) No 883/2004 and No 987/2009 provide that, after unemployment benefit has been granted, the person has the right to go to Latvia to seek employment while retaining entitlement to the unemployment benefit granted in the United Kingdom (export of unemployment benefit) for a period of three to six months, provided that the following conditions are met:

  1. the person must have been registered with the United Kingdom employment service for at least four weeks (exceptions may apply);
  2. the person must request from the competent authority of the United Kingdom the U2 document, “Retention of entitlement to unemployment benefits”, which confirms the right to continue receiving the unemployment benefit granted by the United Kingdom during the period specified in the document while seeking employment in Latvia;
  3. after receiving the U2 document, the person must register with the Latvian State Employment Agency (NVA) within seven days from the date of departure and must comply with all obligations applicable to unemployed persons in Latvia.

In order to continue receiving unemployment benefit from the United Kingdom after returning to Latvia, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the export of unemployment benefits, the person must become a jobseeker and a recipient of unemployment benefit in the United Kingdom and, before returning to Latvia, must request the U2 document from the competent authority of the United Kingdom.

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, where a person’s last employment was in Latvia, the insurance periods completed in the United Kingdom may also be taken into account when determining entitlement to Latvian unemployment benefit.

Information on insurance periods completed in the United Kingdom will be requested by the SSIA from the competent authority of the United Kingdom through the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) system.

  • If a person went to the United Kingdom after 1 January 2021, unemployment benefit must also in this case be claimed in the United Kingdom, i.e. in the state where the person was employed and socially insured.

The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement does not provide for the export of unemployment benefits; therefore, the person is not entitled to receive a U2 document from the United Kingdom. This means that unemployment benefit will be paid by the competent authority of the United Kingdom in accordance with national legislation. Consequently, if UK national legislation does not provide for the payment of unemployment benefits to persons who leave the United Kingdom for another country, the person will be entitled to receive unemployment benefit only while continuing to live and seek employment in the United Kingdom, whereas upon moving to Latvia, payment of the benefit will be discontinued.

Similarly to Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, the Protocol on Social Security Coordination to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement also contains provisions on the aggregation of insurance periods, where unemployment benefit is claimed in the state of last employment.

Accordingly, if a person starts working in Latvia (so that the last employment is in Latvia) and subsequently loses that employment, and if the person has not yet completed the 12 months of employment required under Latvian legislation, the insurance periods completed in the United Kingdom will also be taken into account.

 

Key points in brief:

  • unemployment benefit must be claimed in the state of last employment – the United Kingdom;
  • if the person went to the United Kingdom by 31 December 2020, they must, before returning to Latvia, request a U2 document from the United Kingdom in order to continue receiving UK unemployment benefit while seeking work in Latvia;
  • if the last employment was in Latvia, the insurance periods completed in the United Kingdom are also taken into account when determining entitlement to Latvian unemployment benefit.

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

  • Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security systems (in force since 1 May 2010);
  • Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems (in force since 1 May 2010);
  • Regulation (EU) No 1231/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 extending Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 to third-country nationals who are not already covered by those Regulations solely on the grounds of their nationality (in force since 1 January 2011);
  • Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (in force since 1 February 2020);
  • Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part (in force since 1 January 2021);
  • Law On Unemployment Insurance;
  • Support for Unemployed Persons and Persons Seeking Employment Law;
  • Regulations on Unemployment Benefit and Funeral Benefit.

 

 

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.