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Does anyone know if visa requirements have been lifted yet for all nationals of Latvia? There are two main sections of society in Latvia; indigenous Latvians and ethnic Russians who were settled there during the Soviet era. I believe the ratio is more or less 50/50. Apart from culture and character, these two communities are also separated by language. After the dawn of independence, the Latvian Government openly pursued a policy of discrimination against the "old enemy;" ethnic Russians were issued "Alien" passports, kept out of public office, and generally disadvantaged for job/career opportunities etc. I think the language was often used as a vehicle for this policy (if you don't speak Latvian - many Russians cannot - you are out in the cold). This discrimination was implicitly supported by the British Government, who accepted Latvian passport holders for entry without visa, but continued to require a visa for holders of "Alien" passports.

I have heard that more recently, the Latvian Government (no doubt with aspirations of joining the E.C.) has cleaned up its act and made the Latvian passport available to those who previously would have had Alien passports; I am not not sure whether this applies to all, or just first or second generation Latvians of Russian ethnic origin.

Can anyone verify this, and does anyone know if ethnic Russians born in Latvia are now considered Latvian nationals, entitled to a Latvian passport, and therefore do not require a visa to enter the UK?

... in response to Visa Requirements for Latvians , posted by Streetwise on Sep 30, 2002

Email the Mystic Cafe or some other Latvian agency and see if they will answer your question.  I knew a Latvian girl of Russian descent and she seemed to trave oretty freely in Europe.  She didn't mention England.