The main factor contributing to old-age pensions is the mandatory state social insurance contributions, so it is important to follow up on whether and to what extent they are made.

Latvia operates a three-tier pension system:

• Level 1 (national mandatory unfunded pension scheme), where social security contributions are accrued for your pension and paid to today's pensioners;
• Level 2 (State funded pension scheme), which aims to increase your retirement capital and also the size of your pension by accruing part of the social contributions and investing in the financial and capital markets – securities and bank deposits;
• Level 3 (voluntary private pension fund), which provides you with the possibility to make an additional provision for your pension on a voluntary basis, by investing part of your income in one of the private pension funds or accruing insurance.

Choose the most convenient way to get information about Tier 1 capital for pensions:

• open e-service “Information on Tier 1 capital for pensions", complete it and submit it;

• write an application, sign with secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Choose the most convenient way to get information about participation at the 2 nd pension level:

• open e-service “Information on participation at Level 2", complete it and submit it;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Choose the most convenient way to get information about the expected amount of an old-age pension:

• open e-service “Information on the expected old-age pension", complete it and submit it;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Useful links

Information on Old-age pension

Regarding the pension system in Latvia, read the Ministry of Welfare more on the website.

Get additional information about the Latvian pension system on the website manapensija.lv.

Mandatory State social security contributions (social security security) shall be a mandatory payment in a special budget account, which gives the right to a socially insured person to receive social insurance services.

The social security security rate, if the worker is insured for all types of social security, shall be 34,09%, of which:

• 23,59% is paid by the employer;
• 10.50% is paid by the worker.

Of the total mandatory contribution rate of 34.09%, 1% is directed towards the financing of healthcare services.

Since the main principle of the functioning of the pension system is that the higher mandatory national social security contributions are made today, the higher the pension will be tomorrow, it is important to follow whether the employer pays social security contributions for you.

Minimum mandatory national social security contributions (minimum contributions) shall be a compulsory payment for each person to be paid by the employer at least from the national minimum monthly salary. The minimum amount of contribution per quarter shall be EUR 1500 or EUR 500 per month and shall be introduced as from 1 July 2021.

Choose the most convenient way for yourself to make sure you are subject to mandatory national social security contributions:

• open, complete and submit the e-service “Information on Social Insurance Contributions and Insurance Periods”;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Useful links

Learn more what it is mandatory State Social Insurance Contributions.

The State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) shall have at its disposal all data relating to the length of the personal insurance (employment) from 1996. Until then, the accumulated periods of work and the same periods must be certified by documents to you. Therefore, it is important to check the information on your length of insurance (employment) by 1996 at the disposal of the SSIA.

The total length of insurance (employment) shall be used to determine the right to a pension. The years of insurance up to 1996 can also have a significant impact on the amount of the pension, so it is important for each person to prove all the insurance periods up to 1996.

If a loophole is identified, you must go to any SSIA customer service centre with your workbook or other evidence of insurance (working time books are no longer in use at the moment, but they are needed in determining the length of insurance (employment) for persons who have worked before 1 January 1996).

If the work book is lost, you must turn to previous jobs or the National Archives of Latvia. If the documents are missing and the archive fails to obtain the information, it shall be possible to refer the matter to the Administrative Court with a request to establish the legal fact of seniority.

Important!

Documents certifying the length of insurance (employment) up to 1996:

• workbook;
• colhozler's book;
• evidence of training relating to the period of training after the acquisition of secondary education;
• cardability certificate;
• the contract of employment and the document relating to its performance;
• an archive statement;
• a document certifying the payment of insurance contributions;
• disability statement;
• A document issued by the Ministry of the Interior, the Prosecutor's Office, the Archives or the Court regarding the period of political repression;
• other documents certifying the working period or equivalent period.

Choose the most convenient way to verify your data on registered seniority by 1996:

• open, complete and submit the e-service “Information on Registered seniority by 1996”;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Useful links

For advice, go to anyone SSIA Customer Service Center.

If a workbook is lost, look at previous jobs, or The National Archives of Latvia.

If it is necessary to establish the legal fact of seniority, select the nearest Department of the Administrative Court.

Level 1 of the State pension system does not have to apply – it is the mandatory state unfunded or non-accruing pension scheme involving all citizens from the age of 15 who themselves pay or are subject to social security contributions. This level means you're saving for your retirement and taking care of today's pensioners. This means that the longer you work and the higher the social contributions you will pay, the higher you will receive in old age.

The projected pension is based on information at the disposal of the SAA on socially insured persons:

• the accrued capital of Tier 1 of the pension after 1 January 1996;
• the calculated pension capital for the length of insurance (employment) until 1996 (if any accrued).

Choose the most convenient way to get information about Tier 1 capital for pensions:

• open e-service “Information on Tier 1 capital for pensions", complete it and submit it;

• write an application, sign with secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Choose the most convenient way to get information about the expected amount of an old-age pension:

• open e-service “Information on the expected old-age pension", complete it and submit it;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Level 2 of the pension system makes it possible to create additional provisions for the State old-age pension provided by Tier 1 of pensions. It aims to increase your pension capital and the size of your pension by accruing some of the social contributions and investing in financial and capital markets – securities and bank deposits.

Note that:

• if you were born after 1 July 1971, you work and are at least 15 years old, then you have been added automatically to Pension Level 2. You only have to choose your investment plan and fund manager.
• if you were born between 2 July 1951 (inclusive) and 1 July 1971 (inclusive), you have the option to voluntarily join Tier 2 of the pension system. To do this, you have to submit an application for selecting or changing your pension Tier 2 investment plan. At the same time as the choice of the fund manager and the investment plan, you will be registered as a member of the Tier 2 pension;
• when enrolling in Tier 2 of pensions, no additional social security contributions are required. If you pay or pay national social insurance contributions, you are socially insured. That means you're in state pension insurance.

Choose the most convenient way to get information about the expected amount of an old-age pension:

• open, complete and submit the e-service “E-Supply for the Choice or Change of Pension Level 2 Investment Plan”;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Choose the most convenient way to get information about the expected amount of an old-age pension:

• open, complete and submit an e-service “Pension Level 2 Participant Account Statement”;

• write an application, sign with secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

Useful links

Learn more about investment plans.

For more information on the use of capital accumulated at Tier 2 of pensions, see on the SSIA website the available description.