Published: 14.03.2020.
Updated: 16.08.2023.

The unemployed person shall have the following rights:

  • the right to participate in the active employment measures provided for in the individual job search plan, taking into account the results of profiling, as well as to receive other services of the State Employment Agency (SEA);

  • the right to receive unemployment insurance services in accordance with the law On Unemployment Insurance;

  • the right to receive a stipend/scholarship during vocational training, retraining and in-service training and during the acquisition of non-formal education;

  • the right to receive information on job vacancies and related qualification and other requirements;

  • the right to receive career counselling;

  • the right to be employed or self-employed twice in a 12-month period for a total period not exceeding 60 days, or two months if self-employed. The starting date of work will be considered the first day of the 12-month period.

The unemployed person shall have the following obligations:

  • the obligation to actively look for a job independently and with the help of the SEA and immediately after submitting the status of the unemployed to submit proposals for the development of the SEA's individual job search plan;

  • the obligation to arrive at the SEA on the day specified in the individual job search plan and present the documents specified in regulatory enactments;

  • the obligation to arrive at the SEA within three working days from the day of receipt of the invitation;

  • the obligation to participate in the activities provided for in the individual job search plan, including the completion of a job search diary;

  • Obligation to notify the SEA: 
    • within one working day, if the person no longer meets the criteria set by Support for Unemployed Persons and Persons Seeking Employment Law:
      • has started to work (is considered to be employed or self – employed under the law On state social insurance);
      • has become incapable of work - assessed to have 100 per cent disability;
      • has reached the retirement age or has been granted retirement benefit early;
      • has started or restarted studying in full time the primary or secondary education program;
      • has started or restarted commercial activity in accordance with regulatory enactments;
      • is imprisoned, except for serving a custodial sentence in an open prison or in a long-term social care or social rehabilitation institution, where the services are fully or partially financed from the state or local government budget;
    • within one working day, if the person:
      • has gained employment for a period up to 60 days, according to terms of law On state social insurance. To notify SEA the person has to present employment contract;
      • has become self-employed for a period of up to two months. To notify SEA the person has to submit an application about the period during which it is planned to pay full compulsory state social insurance contributions as a self-employed person;
    • within three weeks from the beginning of temporary incapacity to work, if it has been longer than 10 days.

Active job search within the meaning of the Support for Unemployed Persons and Persons Seeking Employment Law is purposeful activities of a person for the purpose of finding a paid job – participation in competitions for vacancies, as well as other activities aimed at finding a job.

When leaving the country for an extended period, the person retains the right to unemployment status and benefits granted in Latvia if the following conditions are met:

  1. the person travels to another Member State of the European Union, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation in order to seek work.
  2. the person has been registered with the SEA for at least 4 weeks prior to departure and has been actively seeking work while residing regularly in Latvia.
  3. the U2 document on the transfer of unemployment benefit has been requested from the State Social Insurance Agency at least 14 days before the departure from Latvia.
  4. the person has informed the SEA about the U2 document received and the planned departure.

Information on transfer of unemployment benefit and receipt of U2 document from the State Social Insurance Agency is available here. 

  • If a person leaves for a country that is not a member of the European Union, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation, or if the stay in these countries is not for the purpose of looking for a job by fulfilling the binding conditions, then in order to remain unemployed, the person must continue to fulfil all the obligations of an unemployed person by regularly staying in Latvia, including not having the advantage of looking for work only remotely or looking for remote-only work opportunities. Information about criteria on what is considered suitable job opportunity.

Failure to fulfil the obligations of an unemployed person laid down in the legislation will result in loss of unemployment status.  

The SEA, in cooperation with the unemployed person, determines and offers him/her a suitable job:

Failure to appear before the SEA shall be considered justified if:

  • the unemployed person has experienced temporary incapacity for work;

  • the unemployed person implements care of a sick child;

  • on the basis of a summons, the unemployed person is required to appear at an inquiry institution, prosecutor's office, court or participates in a court hearing as a juror;

  • the reason is the death of a first-degree relative or spouse, and if the date of the visit to the SEA is determined earlier than the seventh day after the date of death of such relative or spouse;

  • arrival is not possible due to participation in active employment measures or implementation of other measures/activities provided for in the individual job search plan;

  • in cases where there are other objective circumstances beyond the control of the unemployed person.

The unemployed person must arrive at the SEA on the first working day after the expiry of the above-mentioned justifying reasons, presenting a document confirming the justifying reasons.

  1. acquisition of the status of employed or self-employed for an indefinite period, excluding for the acquisition of this status twice in a 12-month period for a total period not exceeding 60 days, with the pre-requisite that acquisition has been  notified  to the SEA, and excluding involvement in active employment measures/activities;
  2. reaching the age that gives the right to receive a state old-age pension or the case of granting a state old-age pension (including prematurely); 
  3. entering a place of imprisonment or an institution of long-term social care or social rehabilitation, where the services are fully or partially financed from the state or local government budget;
  4. admission to the primary or secondary education program in person (in face to face or day department education); 
  5. refusal of a suitable job offer twice; 
  6. failure to perform the duties of an unemployed person without a justifiable reason; 
  7. providing false information for obtaining and maintaining the status of the unemployed; 
  8. moving to permanent residence outside the European Union, unless otherwise provided by international agreements binding on the Republic of Latvia; 
  9. loss of ability to work in the amount of 100 percent; 
  10. resumption of work by a court judgement or a court-approved settlement with the employer; 
  11. death of the unemployed person; 
  12. renunciation of the status of the unemployed by submitting a relevant notification to the SEA; 
  13. non-compliance of the person with the criteria referred to in Article 2 , Part 2 of the Support for Unemployed Persons and Persons Seeking Employment Law;
  14. in case where three months have elapsed since the person holding the European Union Blue Card, has lost the status of an employee;
  15. in case where a person who is a holder of a European Union Blue Card has lost the status of an employee more than once.

For a person whose basis for loss of unemployment status has been the following aspects: 

  1. refusal of a suitable job offer twice;
  2. failure to perform the duties of an unemployed person without a justifiable reason;
  3. providing false information for obtaining and maintaining the status of the unemployed; 
  4. renunciation of the status of the unemployed by submitting a relevant notification to the SEA,
  5. such a person shall have the right to regain the status of the unemployed not earlier than after three months from the day when the decision on the loss of the status of the unemployed has been made.
     

Reminder to the recipient of unemployed person's status

  1. Unemployed person must notify the SEA in a timely manner of circumstances that affect a person's right to be unemployed.

  2. Unemployed person must notify the SEA in good time about acquiring the status of an employee or self-employed person.

  3. The unemployed person before leaving Latvia for another Member State of the European Union, a country of the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation for the purpose of seeking employment, shall appear at the SEA in order to immediately submit proposals for the development and updating of an individual job search plan.

  4. In case the unemployed person cannot come to the SEA on the date specified in the individual job search plan, the responsible employee must be contacted and it must be agreed to visit the SEA before the date specified in the individual job search plan.