All businesses in the republic must be registered in the Enterprise Register before they can engage in commercial activities. As stated by the government in accordance with Commercial Law, a company must have a certificate of registration before it can carry out business activities within or outside the territory. Several forms of business entities are established in the nation: sole traders, partnerships, limited liability companies, etc. Amongst business owners and foreign investors, the most common kind of entity is the sabiedriba ar ierobezotu atbildibu (Latvian limited liability company) shortened as SIA. It is a private company not allowed to sell its shares to the public. A limitation of this structure is that all its founding members must be natural persons with a maximum of five founders.
If you are a business owner looking to establish yourself in the republic, or simply interested in expanding your business to the EU, you will need to set up a company or a branch of your foreign company. After this, you will need to apply for a license to begin operations. This article provides information on the types of licenses if your business provides health and social services.
Incorporating a company
Starting a new company has a long process with several steps to follow and requirements to meet. For a foreign company looking to enter the EU market, you will need to set up a branch office. Local persons residing in the country but not citizens can set up any form of business structure provided they satisfy the requirements. The first step to establishing a company is knowing the type of entity to set up. Next, is preparing the necessary documents and registering with the Enterprise Register for entry into any of the trade registers depending on the type of business. Appointing the board and its members comes next. Then, register with the state revenue service for taxes. And lastly, apply for a business license for the legal operations of the company within and outside the territory.
Getting a business license
A certificate of registration is important for a company to exist in the country but having a permit and license is more important. Without a license, certain activities are restricted to businesses in a locality. Not all services require the issuance of a license, however, to run a business without hindrances, it is best to acquire a permit from the respective authorities. Licenses are usually issued by different boards depending on the type of service. These boards do not only issue licenses, but they also monitor the operations of the company to ensure they abide by the rules and regulations within the stipulation of the license. The different kinds of licenses under health and social services are:
Registration of social service providers
Businesses involved in the registration of social services must obtain this license from the Ministry of Welfare of the Republic of Latvia. You can find more information on it at http://www.lm.gov.lv/lv/socialo-pakalpojumu-sniedzeju-registrs
Registration of disinfectants, disinsectization, and deratisation service providers
This license is issued to persons who provide registration services for disinfectants, disinsectization, and deratisarion providers by the Health Inspectorate. Learn more about this license at http://www.vi.gov.lv/lv/sakums/pakalpojumi/vides-veseliba/risks/_2132 .
Registration of medical treatment institutions
Also issued by Health Inspectorate, the license allows businesses to register medical treatment institutions in the region. More information on the license is available at http://vi.gov.lv/lv/veselibas-aprupe/arstniecibas-iestazu-registracija .
Special permit (license) for veterinary pharmaceutical activity
For the operation of a veterinary pharmacy, a veterinary medicinal product wholesaler, and manufacture or import of veterinary medicinal products. It is granted by the Food and Veterinary Service unit. Information is available at http://www.zm.gov.lv/partikas-un-veterinarais-dienests/statiskas-lapas/veidlapas?nid=2097#jump for further details.
Opinion on the site’s readiness for start-up/continuation
Mandatory for child camps, educational establishments, and child monitoring service providers. Companies must apply for this to the Health Inspectorate. Upon issuance, they can engage in the listed activities. More information on the license is available at https://www.latvija.lv/lv/PPK/dzives-situacija/apakssituacija/p184/ProcesaApraksts.
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