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Latvia offers international entrepreneurs an attractive entry point: Estonian-style; 0% retained, 2026 SME 15%+6% option. The Latvian SIA (sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību) is the dominant corporate form for SMEs, holdings, and trading entities, and we hold a stock of pre-formed, never-traded SIAs ready for immediate ownership transfer through the Latvijas Republikas Uzņēmumu reģistrs (UR).
ShelfCompanies24 has been arranging company formation and the transfer of pre-registered Latvian entities since 1995. We work with a network of Latvian corporate-service providers, accountants, and banks to deliver a consolidated, start-to-finish service, whether you need your Latvia company ready in 48 hours or a brand-new one built from scratch in 5 days.
Ready-Made Shelf Companies in Latvia, buy a pre-registered Latvian SIA with clean history and UR entry. Transfer in 48 hours.
Company Formation in Latvia, register a new Latvian SIA, AS or other Latvian corporate vehicle. End-to-end service: UR filing, tax registration, banking. 5 days timeline.
Bank Accounts for Latvian Companies, corporate account introduction with banks active in Latvia. Multi-currency and online banking included.
| Legal form | Typical use | Liability |
|---|---|---|
| SIA | SME, default | Limited to share capital |
| AS | Public/listed | Limited to share capital |
Most Latvia clients choose the SIA (sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību) for the combination of limited liability, ownership flexibility, and predictable UR treatment.
The 2026 headline corporate tax position in Latvia is 20% nominal / 25% effective on distributed.
0% on retained / 20% nominal (25% effective via taxable-base divided by 0.8) on distributed, Estonian model since 2018. New 2026 alternative: 15% CIT + 6% PIT for individual-shareholder companies.
VAT, withholding-tax, and treaty-network specifics are jurisdiction-dependent and best discussed in a free first call, your consultant will map your operational profile to the correct Latvian tax treatment before you commit to a structure.
A Latvian corporate bank account is critical to operating the company, and one of the practical bottlenecks foreign owners hit when they apply directly. Our consultant introduces you to the right banking partner for your profile (high-volume international transfers, EUR/USD/GBP multi-currency, e-commerce processing, custodial, or simple operating-account-only).
A pre-formed Latvian SIA with clean UR entry typically passes bank KYC more smoothly than a newly formed entity, which is why operators in a hurry to begin trading specifically request a shelf company.
Operators looking at Latvia often also evaluate similar jurisdictions:
There are two ways to start a business in Latvia with ShelfCompanies24, and the difference between them is time. Taking over a pre-formed SIA from our stock means the share transfer is documented and the UR update filed within 48 hours, and the register amendment completes in 3 to 7 working days, so you can sign contracts in the company’s name from day one. Forming a new SIA takes 5 days, because the Latvijas Republikas Uzņēmumu reģistrs and the tax authority each add their own processing time, but it lets you choose the nosaukums, the share structure and the statūti yourself. Both routes end in the same place: a UR-registered SIA with its own reģistrācijas numurs, a juridiskā adrese in Riga, a corporate bank introduction and ongoing compliance support.
Most people who set up a Latvian company never move to Latvia, and the largest single group searching for Latvian formation sits in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom. If you are based in the US or the UK you do not need to travel: you can sign at a Latvian consulate, use an eIDAS qualified electronic signature where you hold one, or grant a notarised and apostilled pilnvara to our Riga attorney, who signs on your behalf. Neither the dalībnieki nor the valdes loceklis need Latvian or EU residency. We handle the apostille, the sworn translation and the UR interface end to end.
With a pre-formed Latvian SIA the share transfer is documented and the UR update filed within 48 hours; the register amendment completes in 3 to 7 working days; you can sign contracts in the company’s name from day one. A newly formed SIA takes 5 days end-to-end because the Latvijas Republikas Uzņēmumu reģistrs and the tax authority each add their own processing time.
Both are Latvian corporate vehicles registered with the UR. The SIA is the standard SME limited-liability form chosen by most operators. The AS is typically used for larger, capital-raising or listed structures. Most foreign owners arriving in Latvia pick the SIA unless they have a specific reason, listing plans, multiple investor classes, or a partner-structure preference, to choose otherwise.
Decide first whether you need the company this week or can wait. A pre-formed SIA is transferred within 48 hours and the register amendment completes in 3 to 7 working days; a new SIA is registered in 5 days. Either way you need a name, a juridiskā adrese in Latvia, at least one dalībnieks of any nationality, at least one valdes loceklis and a NACE activity code. VID tax registration and the beneficial-owner filing follow once the company is on the register, and we handle both.
The 2026 headline rate in Latvia is 20% nominal / 25% effective on distributed. 0% on retained / 20% nominal (25% effective via taxable-base divided by 0.8) on distributed, Estonian model since 2018. New 2026 alternative: 15% CIT + 6% PIT for individual-shareholder companies. VAT/sales-tax, withholding-tax on dividends, and treaty-network impact depend on your operating profile, a free first call with our consultant maps your business model to the correct Latvian tax treatment.
An off-the-shelf company in Latvia is a gatava SIA: a sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību registered in the Uzņēmumu reģistrs purely to be held in reserve and sold on. It has never invoiced, never employed anyone and never opened an operating bank account beyond the pamatkapitāls deposit, and it has filed only nil declarations with VID. You buy the shares rather than waiting for a new registration, which is why it is available in days.
All ShelfCompanies24 shelf entities in Latvia were incorporated solely to be held in reserve. They have never traded, never opened a customer-facing bank account, never invoiced a third party, and never accumulated tax losses, so the UR record shows pure dormancy. This avoids the loss-utilisation and beneficial-owner-disclosure complications that a real ex-trading company would carry.
Choose a shelf SIA when you need to be trading immediately, when banking onboarding speed matters, or when a counterparty insists on dealing with an established legal entity. Choose new formation when you want to design the constitution, share classes, or registered name from scratch and you can wait 5 days for the UR entry. Both options come with the same service, banking introduction, and post-formation support.
No. Latvia is an EU member state and a Eurozone country, with a public Uzņēmumu reģistrs, a beneficial-owner register, full CRS and FATCA exchange and one of the stricter AML regimes in the bloc since the 2018 banking clean-up. What attracts international owners is not secrecy but the distributed-profits tax model: 0% corporate tax on profits kept inside the SIA, and tax only when profit is paid out. Anyone offering you a Latvian company as an offshore vehicle is misreading the jurisdiction.
Yes. A Latvian SIA can have a single dalībnieks of any nationality and a single valdes loceklis, and neither needs Latvian or EU residency. There is no work permit and no local partner requirement. The company does need a juridiskā adrese in Latvia, which we provide, and a beneficial-owner filing naming every natural person controlling more than 25% of the shares, votes or profit rights. Latvian banks apply enhanced KYC to non-EU beneficial owners, which is worth planning for before you file.
Ready to discuss your Latvia corporate setup? Contact our Latvian desk, we reply within one working day with a service tailored to your needs. Specify whether you want a pre-formed SIA ready in 48 hours or a fresh formation taking 1 to 3 weeks.