LATVIAN EASY BLOG

What level of Latvian do you need for Latvian citizenship

Published 24 September 2026.
The short answer is unexpected: citizenship does not require any language certificate level. Not A2, not B1, not C1. The language test in the naturalisation process is a separate examination, with its own authority, its own rules and its own timetable, and a state language certificate does not replace it.
But people rarely ask "what level" out of curiosity about the letters. The real question behind it is how hard this is and what to prepare for. That is what we answer below, based on the text of the law, the rules for the test and the official sample tasks.

It is a different exam, not a certificate level

The state language proficiency test (valsts valodas prasmes pārbaude) is run by the State Education Development Agency, VIAA. That is where people sit A2 for a permanent residence permit, and B1 or C1 for professional requirements.
The language test for naturalisation is run by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, PMLP. It is part of the review of your citizenship application, not a separate service.
This leads to the point people trip over most often: a VIAA certificate does not count towards naturalisation. The Citizenship Law contains a closed list of grounds for not taking the language test, and a state language proficiency certificate is not on it at any level. Someone gets a permanent residence permit with A2, applies for citizenship a few years later, and discovers they have to prove their Latvian all over again.
If what you need is the certificate level, how to register and how that exam works are covered separately: how to register for the Latvian state exam and how the A2 Latvian exam works.

What the law requires you to be able to do

The law does not use the labels A2, B1 or B2. But it does describe the level, in words: Section 20 of the Citizenship Law lists what a person must be able to do. Paraphrased closely:
  1. fully understand information of an everyday and official nature;
  2. speak, converse and answer questions freely on everyday topics;
  3. read fluently and understand any everyday instructions;
  4. write a piece of work on an everyday topic set by the commission.
Note the words "fully", "freely", "fluently", "any". This is not a description of someone who can just about get by in a shop.
The pass mark is also set precisely, and it is higher than many expect. Under Cabinet Regulation No. 973, the language test is passed if you score at least 16 points out of 25 in each skill, that is, at least 64%. As with the certificate exam, a strong skill does not carry a weak one: failing one part means the test is not passed.

So what level is it on the European scale

There is no official answer, and it is worth being honest about that. The state deliberately does not equate this test with any level, so any "it is B1" is an estimate, not a rule.
Experience of preparing people for it suggests aiming for a level between B1 and B2. The wording of Section 20 points the same way: fully understanding official information and conversing freely on everyday topics takes more than A2 gives you.
The official sample in the PMLP online tool also gives a sense of the difficulty. In reading, for example, there is a task with short public signs, where you choose the correct meaning for each: "Careful! Freshly painted bench", with options such as "the bench has just been painted" or "the bench will be painted soon". In writing, there is a task where you fill ten gapped sentences with words from a list, each in the correct grammatical form: cases, tenses, agreement and the comparative. Recognising the right form and producing it yourself are different skills, and this task needs the second.
This is an illustration, not a measurement: individual tasks do not determine the level of the whole exam.

What the language test consists of

Four skills are tested: listening, reading, writing and speaking. The written work is on everyday topics: filling in a form, writing a letter, putting words into the right form. The speaking part involves answering questions about yourself, talking about everyday situations and describing a picture.
From the age of 65 you do not take the writing part: the law itself exempts you from it. Reading and listening remain, but they may be tested orally. So it is not just a conversation about yourself; your understanding of a text is tested here too.

The second test: Constitution, anthem, history

After the language test comes the knowledge test. It has three separately assessed parts: the basic principles of the Constitution (Satversme), the text of the national anthem, and the basics of Latvian history and culture.
The order is fixed: the knowledge test is taken within two months of passing the language test. People often forget this part when planning, but it needs its own preparation, and that preparation is about facts, not language.

How many attempts, and what deadlines

The rules here are noticeably stricter than for the certificate exam.
  1. The language proficiency test and the knowledge test may be taken no more than three times during the review of one naturalisation application.
  2. If you fail the language test, you can retake it no sooner than three months later.
  3. If you fail the knowledge test, you can retake it no sooner than one month later.
  4. You only retake the part you failed, not the whole test.
There are deadlines too. The language test must be taken within two months of submitting the documents required for citizenship to PMLP. If you cannot attend for a valid reason, documents proving it must be submitted within two months. Otherwise the review of the application is terminated.
For comparison: at the VIAA certificate exam the number of attempts is not limited, and after an ordinary failed attempt you can register again straight away. There is a separate waiting period only in one case: if you are removed from the exam for breaching the rules of conduct, the next attempt is possible no sooner than six months later.

Who does not have to take the test

The Citizenship Law sets out a closed list, and the exemptions on it differ in scope.
Exempt from both tests:
  1. people with a group I disability;
  2. people with a group II disability caused by a progressive mental illness;
  3. people with a group II or III disability caused by deaf muteness or deafness in both ears;
  4. children with a recognised disability;
  5. those who completed basic education in Latvian, with more than half of the programme taught in Latvian.
Exempt from the language test only, provided the ground was obtained within five years before the application:
  1. those who obtained higher education in Latvian;
  2. those who passed the centralised Latvian exam with a sufficient result: for exams after 31 August 2011, at least 50% in grade 9 or at least 20% in grade 12.
Exempt from individual parts of the language test, people with a group II or III disability:
  1. with a speech impairment, from speaking;
  2. with a hearing impairment, from listening and speaking;
  3. with a visual impairment, from writing;
  4. without a right or left arm or hand, from writing.
If your case is borderline, do not rely on summaries, this one included: the grounds are tied to specific wording and documents, and PMLP decides.

How much it costs

There is no separate fee for the tests. You pay the state fee for submitting a naturalisation application, which is normally 28.46 euros.
A reduced fee of 4.27 euros applies to:
  1. members of needy families and needy persons living alone (trūcīgs status);
  2. unemployed people registered with the State Employment Agency;
  3. members of families with three or more minor children;
  4. recipients of old age and long service pensions;
  5. people with a group II or III disability;
  6. full time pupils at state accredited general and vocational education institutions;
  7. full time students at state accredited higher education institutions.
Fully exempt from the fee are victims of political repression, people with a group I disability, orphans and children left without parental care, and people admitted to state and municipal social care institutions.

Where to try a practice test

PMLP has a free online tool with samples of both tests, language and knowledge: pilsonibasparbaude.pmlp.gov.lv. You can do everything in order or pick a single part.
First you enter your route to citizenship, age, education and disability, and the tool puts together the parts that apply to your case. That is useful in itself: you see straight away what you will have to take, not what an abstract applicant would.
Do the sample before you submit your documents, not after. Remember the two months: once the documents are in, there is almost no time left to get up to speed.

How to prepare

The main mistake is studying the language in general. The test asks for specific things: understanding everyday and official texts and conversations, putting a word into the right form, a written piece on an everyday topic, and talking freely about yourself and daily life. And you need to keep all four skills up at once, because 16 points out of 25 are needed in each. On top of that comes a separate block of facts about Latvia that has nothing to do with language.
If you need structured Latvian study, have a look at our courses for adults.
And if you are still choosing between a certificate level and citizenship and are not sure which you need, see our article on what level of Latvian you need.

In short

  1. Citizenship does not require a certificate level. It is a separate PMLP test, not a VIAA exam.
  2. A state language certificate does not count towards naturalisation; it is not on the list of grounds.
  3. The law does not use A2, B1 or B2, but Section 20 describes what you must be able to do, and the bar is high.
  4. The test is passed with at least 16 points out of 25 in each skill.
  5. In practice the benchmark is a level between B1 and B2, but it is not an official rule.
  6. From 65 you do not take the writing part, and reading and listening are tested orally.
  7. After the language test you take the Constitution, the anthem, history and culture.
  8. No more than three times during one application. The language test can be retaken after three months, the knowledge test after one month, and only the failed part.
  9. The language test is taken within two months of submitting documents, the knowledge test within two months of passing the language test.
  10. The application fee is 28.46 euros, reduced to 4.27 euros, and some applicants are fully exempt.
Adults

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