Latvia or Poland
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Latvia | Poland | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 25 036 | $ 63 273 |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 3 years |
| Partner can work | — | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | $ 116 |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 888 | $ 1 684 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 34,3 | $ 29,3 |
| Life expectancy | 76.43 | 78.41 |
| Homicides/100k | 2.78 | 0.68 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Latvia — 64, Poland — 40. Types present in both: work, study, family and job seeking. Latvia adds: remote work, investment, startup, repatriation and retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Latvia: fees range from 90 to 210 EUR. Routes with no fee: 5. Routes stating an income threshold: 37; the lowest is 780 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 61; the shortest is 14 days. Poland: fees range from 85 to 640 PLN. Routes with no fee: 1.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Latvia after 5 years, Poland after 3 years. Poland allows a second citizenship, Latvia does not.
Latvia in brief
An EU and eurozone country with a relatively low cost of living. The IT sector is concentrated in Riga. Naturalisation comes after 5 years of permanent residence with a Latvian language exam; dual citizenship is allowed only with a limited group of countries. Since 2022 checks have been tightened and a language exam introduced for some permanent residents. Natural risks are minimal, but winters are cold and overcast, and proximity to Russia and Belarus adds regional tension.
Poland in brief
A large EU member with a growing tech sector (Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław) and some of the lowest violent crime figures in Europe. Held back by standard family reunification covering only a spouse and minor children — parents are not on the ordinary list — and by tightened security checks on residence applications and renewals for some applicants.
Other comparisons
More on each: Latvia · Poland. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.