Passport by appointment: In Krāslava, the migration office operates twice a month
Since the local Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) branch closed in April 2022, residents of Krāslava can only renew passports or ID cards when a mobile service visits twice a month. An LSM programme examined how locals have adapted to the new arrangement.
Until April 2022, residents of Krāslava could renew a passport or ID card simply by visiting the local branch of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP). That branch was then closed, and since then the service has only been available on a limited basis.
Now, PMLP staff travel to Krāslava twice a month to allow local residents to handle their documents. This means people must plan their visits in advance, working around the limited availability of the service.
How residents have adjusted
The LSM programme "Obsudim vecherom" looked into how residents of Krāslava have adapted to the new system since the branch's closure, and whether that adaptation has been successful. The programme examines the situation that has arisen after the region lost its permanent, in-person office.
The question of service availability outside Riga and the largest cities is relevant in several regions of Latvia, where branches of state institutions are being closed or their operations scaled back, forcing residents to adjust to less frequent visiting hours.
