Status of Foreign Armed Forces in the Republic of Latvia
Unofficial translation
This Law is in effect since 7 March 1997
This Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 6 February 1997
Published: Vēstnesis (Messenger) No 54 on 21 February 1997
Contains amendments proclaimed till 8 December 2004
Amendments of:
22.02.2001 Law (L.V., 6 March, No.36; Ziņotājs (Informer), 2001, No.7)
20.06.2002 Law (L.V., 5 July, No.101; Ziņotājs (Informer), 2002, No.16)
25.11.2004 Law (L.V., 8 Dec., No.195; Ziņotājs (Informer), 2005, No.2)
Chapter I
General Provisions
Section 1. Scope of Operation of this Law
(1) This Law defines status of foreign armed forces in the Republic of Latvia while carrying out their official duties in the scope of international co-operation, as well defines procedures for land transit of foreign armed forces through the Republic of Latvia.
(2) Persons comprising foreign armed forces shall be:
1) military persons comprising the respective foreign armed forces; and
2) civilians employed by the respective foreign armed forces.
(3) A person who is a stateless person or a citizen of a state, which has not signed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Member States' Agreement or the "Partnership for Peace" Member States' Agreement on the Status of Their Armed Forces, may not be considered a civilian comprising foreign armed forces. A person who is a Latvian citizen, or a non-citizen, or an alien, or a stateless person having a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Latvia, may not be considered a civilian comprising the foreign armed forces.
(4) This Law is not applicable to persons who enjoy privileges and immunities in the territory of Latvia in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
(As amended by Laws of 20 June 2002 and 25 November 2004)
Section 2. Legal Basis for the Stay of the Foreign Armed Forces
(excluded by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 3. Crossing of State Borders of the Republic of Latvia and Stay in the Republic of Latvia
(1) Persons comprising foreign armed forces are entitled to cross the state border of the Republic of Latvia and stay in the territory of Latvia in accordance with procedures set by this Law.
(2) When crossing the state border of the Republic of Latvia, persons comprising foreign armed forces shall present the following documents:
1) military persons – a passport or other travel document recognised by the Republic of Latvia and issued by the state deploying the person;
2) civilians – a passport.
(3) When crossing the state border of the Republic of Latvia, the unit commander (person in charge) shall present the unit's Personnel List approved by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia. A notification on having crossed the state border of the Republic of Latvia shall be made on this list.
(4) Bringing in and control of motor transport vehicles, aircraft and ships, as well as cargos and armament shall be conducted in accordance with procedures defined by laws and other regulatory acts of the Republic of Latvia.
(5) Persons comprising foreign armed forces who stay in the Republic of Latvia while carrying out their official duties in the scope of international co-operation shall not register with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior.
(As amended by Laws of 20 June 2002 and 25 November 2004)
Section 3.Land Transit of Foreign Armed Forces through the territory of the Republic of Latvia
(1) Decision on land transit of foreign armed forces through the territory of the Republic of Latvia shall be made by the Minister of Defence after co-ordinating it with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior, if the territory of the Republic of Latvia is crossed by maximum 500 foreign military persons concurrently. If more than 500 foreign military persons are anticipated to cross the territory the Republic of Latvia on land transit concurrently, such decision is made by the Cabinet of Ministers.
(2) The Minister of Defence shall make his/her decision on land transit of foreign armed forces through the territory of the Republic of Latvia on the basis of the application submitted to the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia by the country anticipating to send a unit of its armed forces on land transit through the territory of the Republic of Latvia. The document certifying that the target country agrees to host the respective unit shall be attached to the application. If more than 500 foreign military persons are anticipated to cross the territory of the Republic of Latvia on land transit concurrently, the Minister of Defence shall submit the above documents to the Cabinet of Ministers for decision-making.
(3) Military Police shall escort units of foreign armed forces when crossing the territory of the Republic of Latvia on land transit.
(Wording of Law of 25 November 2004)
Section 4. Armament and Logistics Supplies
(1) Foreign armed forces shall co-ordinate with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia the type and amount of their armaments and logistics supplies, which the foreign armed forces will bring into the Republic of Latvia.
(2) The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia shall issue a permit to the foreign armed forces to bring in and take out their armament, and shall carry out record-keeping and control of the brought in armament in conformity with the agreed lists.
(3) Combat equipment shall be unloaded and kept separately from its ammunition when transported over the state border of the Republic of Latvia and in the territory of the Republic of Latvia. This equipment shall be transported in packing, if stated so in the combat equipment manual. Armament systems of combat equipment must be secured against getting loose.
(4) Weapons shall be unloaded, kept in packing and kept separately from their ammunition, unless stated otherwise in the weapons manuals, when transported over the state border of the Republic of Latvia and in the territory of the Republic of Latvia.
(5) Caterpillar vehicles shall be transported in the territory of the Republic of Latvia by special vehicles designed for their transportation, unless caterpillar vehicles are suited for or their caterpillars are fitted for driving on roads with asphalt surfacing.
(As amended by Laws of 20 June 2002 and 25 November 2004)
Section 5. Regulations on Carrying and Use of Weapons
During their stay in the Republic of Latvia, persons comprising foreign armed forces shall have the right to carry and use weapons only while conducting tasks of their official duties.
(Wording of Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 6. Jurisdiction
(1) During their stay in the Republic of Latvia, persons comprising foreign armed forces shall observe the laws and regulations of the Republic of Latvia and international agreements binding to the Republic of Latvia.
(2) If a person comprising foreign armed forces commits an administrative offence in the Republic of Latvia, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia may request the armed forces commander of the respective foreign country to withdraw such person from the territory of Latvia earlier than within the specified period of time.
(3) If Latvian law enforcement authorities have arrested a person comprising foreign armed forces, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia shall be informed of this.
(As amended by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Chapter II
Organisation of Military Exercises and Manoeuvres
(Chapter excluded by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 7. Land Force Military Exercises or Manoeuvres
(Excluded by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 8. Air Force Exercises
(Excluded by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 9. Exercises in the Territorial Waters of the Republic of Latvia
(Excluded by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Chapter III
Special Provisions
Section 10. Telecommunications
(1) Services of public telecommunications network shall be provided in accordance with the Law On Telecommunications of the Republic of Latvia.
(2) Foreign armed forces may set up and use as many temporary telecommunication devices (including radio communications systems) for their own needs as necessary for achieving the goals of the military exercises or manoeuvres. Setting up and usage of equipment for distributing radio and television programmes shall be prohibited.
(3) The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia shall regulate connection of telecommunications devices of foreign armed forces to the public telecommunications network of the Republic of Latvia.
(4) Permits to set up and use radio communications systems of the foreign armed forces shall be issued by the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia on the basis of the relevant request from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia.
(5) Foreign armed forces shall carry out all necessary measures to avoid interference with the Latvian telecommunications network, which might be caused by telecommunications or other electrical devices of foreign armed forces. If foreign armed forces' radio stations have caused interference to radio stations located outside the territory of Latvia, or if damages have been incurred to foreign armed forces' radio stations by interference of such radio stations, the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia shall take action in accordance with the provisions of the International Telecommunications Union Constitution and Convention (as amended), as well as in accordance with the Radio and Television Law of the Republic of Latvia.
Section 11. Driving Licences for Vehicles of Persons Comprising Foreign Armed Forces
Driving licences or permissions issued by state deploying persons comprising foreign armed forces, shall be recognised in the Republic of Latvia as valid for driving the respective vehicles in the Republic of Latvia
(As amended by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 12. Movement of Foreign Armed Forces' Vehicles in the Territory of Latvia
(1) Vehicles and their trailers shall be registered in the respective foreign state. These vehicles shall have the registration number plates of the respective foreign state conforming to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, and the identification mark of the respective state, or a temporary identification mark issued by the Road Traffic Safety Directorate of the Republic of Latvia.
(2) The record-keeping and registration of vehicles and their trailers brought into the territory of Latvia from foreign states for a period of up to one month shall be carried out by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia.
(3) Persons comprising foreign armed forces shall observe the road traffic regulations.
(4) While transporting hazardous cargos requiring a special permit, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia shall be responsible for obtaining such permit in accordance with the laws and regulations of the Republic of Latvia.
Section 12.Land Force Military Exercise and Manoeuvres
Land Force' joint military exercises and manoeuvres shall take place in the training centres and shooting grounds of the National Armed Forces of Latvia.
(As amended by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 13. Resolution of Disputes and Claims
Disputes and claims between the Republic of Latvia and the armed forces' unit of the respective foreign state staying in the territory of Latvia shall be resolved by negotiation.
(As amended by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 14. Exemption from Taxes
Foreign armed forces and persons comprising their contingent shall be exempt from the following taxes and duties, when staying in the territory of Latvia:
1) customs duties, value added tax and excise duty of armaments and materials brought into the Republic of Latvia; and
2) any income taxes specified in the Republic of Latvia in relation to income that is acquired for performance of service duties. Income, which is acquired from other activities in the Republic of Latvia, shall not be exempted by this Law from taxes specified in the laws of the Republic of Latvia.
(As amended by Law of 20 June 2002, which came into effect on 20 July 2002)
Section 15. Health Protection
The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia shall carry out measures to ensure necessary sanitary and hygiene conditions at the locations of the foreign armed forces' units.
Section 16. Environmental Protection
Foreign armed forces shall carry out measures to prevent contamination of environment while staying in the territory of Latvia, but in cases where a harmful impact is inevitable and a damage to topsoil, transformation of soil, contamination, damage to flora etc. has occurred, the environment shall be restored. If restoration is not possible in accordance with the Law On Environmental Protection of the Republic of Latvia, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the foreign armed forces shall agree on compensation for the damages caused to the environment.
Section 17. Right to Wear Uniforms
Military persons of foreign armed forces shall have the right to wear uniforms during the period of their stay in the Republic of Latvia. Specific marks issued by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia shall be attached to the uniforms.
Section 18. International Agreements
If international agreements signed by the Republic of Latvia and ratified by the Saeima, stipulate other provisions than stated in this Law, the provisions of the international agreement shall be applicable.
Acting on behalf of the President
Chairman of the Saeima A.Čepānis
Riga, 21 February 1997
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