Latvia or Slovakia
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 | Slovakia | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 25 036 | $ 38 692 |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 8 years |
| Partner can work | — | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | difficult |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 888 | $ 1 263 |
| Basket | $ 34,3 | $ 35,8 |
| Life expectancy | 76.43 | 78.37 |
| Homicides/100k | 2.78 | 1.07 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Latvia — 64, Slovakia — 20. Types present in both: work, study, family, startup and repatriation. Latvia adds: remote work, investment, retirement and job seeking.
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. Slovakia: fees range from 50 to 350 EUR. Routes with a published decision deadline: 17; the shortest is 15 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Latvia after 5 years, Slovakia after 8 years. Neither recognises a second citizenship.
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.
Slovakia in brief
An EU, eurozone and Schengen country in the middle of Europe with a moderate cost of living, low violent crime and a tech sector in Bratislava and Košice (average tech salary around €34k gross a year). EU long-term residence is available after 5 years. Held back by citizenship only after 8 years of continuous permanent residence with compulsory Slovak, restrictions on dual citizenship, an antibody titre test for pets from countries outside the EU rabies list, and river flooding as the main natural threat.
Other comparisons
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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.