The government on Tuesday approved amendments to the Law on Support for the Civilian Population of Ukraine, which provide for the discontinuation of several assistance measures, including one-time benefits for starting employment or self-employment.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the flow of Ukrainian citizens arriving in Latvia this year has remained relatively stable — on average, 500–600 people per month register for temporary protection status. At the same time, the inflow of Ukrainians is significantly lower than in the first years of the war.
In 2025, the number of people whose temporary protection status was revoked increased substantially, as many failed to apply for a new residence permit within a month after the expiry of their visa or previous permit. As of October 1, 2025, there were 31,152 Ukrainian citizens registered in Latvia’s Population Register, including 17,167 women, 13,985 men, and 6,977 minors.
The Ministry notes that the employment situation among Ukrainians in Latvia has gradually improved. According to the Ministry of Finance, in June 2025, a total of 9,909 Ukrainians were formally employed in Latvia. Since 2022, both the number of employed persons and their income levels have shown steady growth.
For the implementation of support measures in 2025, the government allocated 65 million euros, while 39.7 million euros has been earmarked for 2026. Given this reduction in funding,
the Ministry considers it necessary to review the scope of support and services provided to Ukrainian civilians.
Currently, the state grants a one-time employment start-up allowance equal to one minimum monthly wage to Ukrainians who start an employment relationship or register as self-employed. However, since many Ukrainians are already integrated into the Latvian labour market or are engaged in economic activity, and because other general employment support mechanisms are available, the continuation of this allowance is no longer deemed necessary, the Ministry explains.
At the same time, Ukrainians in Latvia will continue to have full access to services provided by the State Employment Agency on the same terms as Latvian citizens.
The draft law stipulates that, going forward, Ukrainians will have the same rights and extent of fare discounts on subsidized regional public transport routes as other passenger categories defined in national regulations on fare discounts.
The amendments also specify that Ukrainians will no longer be exempt from patient co-payments when receiving healthcare services. They will be required to cover the co-payment themselves, just like Latvian residents.
However,
Ukrainians will continue to have equal access to state-funded healthcare services
within the national mandatory health insurance system, on the same terms and scope as other residents of Latvia.
The draft law also provides that the state will no longer cover costs related to pet registration and the fulfillment of mandatory veterinary requirements for animals owned by Ukrainians.
Previously, to facilitate the movement of Ukrainians — for work, education, or relocation purposes — they were allowed to use public transport free of charge. However, given that the refugee situation in Latvia has stabilized, most Ukrainians have now settled in permanent residences, and in order to ensure equal treatment with other members of society, they will henceforth have the same transport fare discount rights as other eligible passenger groups in Latvia.
The amendments must still be approved by the Saeima before entering into force.
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