Cabinet Regulation No. 157 — what it actually lays down

Cabinet Regulation No. 157 (MK noteikumi Nr. 157) is the single piece of legislation that contains almost the whole state language proficiency check: the levels, the exemptions, the registration deadlines, the structure of the check, the pass threshold, the state fee and the appeal procedure. Whenever a question about the check is disputed, the answer is to be found there — not in correspondence, on forums or in the brochures of preparation courses.

This article is a map: which paragraph covers what, what the regulation lays down and — just as importantly — what it does not.

What it is and since when it has been in force

The regulation was adopted on 8 March 2022 and entered into force on 1 January 2023. It has been amended several times since then:

Amendment	Date	What changed
MK noteikumi Nr. 36	24.01.2023	the state fee was introduced and the title of the regulation itself was changed
MK noteikumi Nr. 254	23.05.2023	amendments to the procedure
MK noteikumi Nr. 176	18.03.2025	responsibility for running the check was transferred to another institution
MK noteikumi Nr. 539	09.09.2025	amendments to the procedure

Two practical consequences. First, always look at the consolidated version, not the original 2022 text — the content of the paragraphs has changed since then. Second, the 2025 amendments changed the institution that runs the check, which is why older materials and even the footers of some PDFs still carry the previous name, and why some links lead to pages that no longer exist.

The previous rules were MK noteikumi Nr. 733 (2009), which are no longer in force. That does not mean old certificates have stopped counting: paragraph 13.2 and Annex 4 of the regulation carry the grades of certificates issued before 1 September 2009 over to the current levels.

The paragraph people look for most: paragraph 6

Paragraph 6 sets the level for both residence statuses in a single sentence:

"A person is entitled to apply for the status of a long-term resident of the European Union or for a permanent residence permit if they have acquired the state language at least at basic level, degree 2 (A2)."

One sentence, two statuses, one level. There is no higher level for one and a lower one for the other. The requirement itself comes from the statutes — Section 24, paragraph five of the Imigrācijas likums (Immigration Law) and Section 3, paragraph one, point 2 of the law on the status of a long-term resident of the EU — but it is the regulation that says which level it is.

Alongside that there is an entirely different group of requirements: Annex 1 contains a list of occupations in which the required level runs from A1 to C2 depending on the post. There the level is determined by the job, not by residence status, and it applies to Latvian citizens and non-citizens too.

Paragraph 7: who does not take the check at all

Paragraph 7 lists six cases in which state language proficiency is confirmed without taking the check: education in Latvian within the formal education system; a minority programme completed before 1 September 2025 together with the centralised examination in Latvian in grade 9; the European School baccalaureate examination in Latvian; the health-related limitations listed in Annex 2, with the corresponding medical opinion; being under 15 years of age; being 75 years of age or older.

Right beside it is paragraph 9 on an adapted check for people with the limitations listed in Annex 2 — that is not an exemption but a different way of running the check, and paragraph 48 then applies the pass threshold only to those skills that were actually taken.

More on this in the article who is exempt from the A2 check.

Registration, schedule and fee

Question	Paragraph	Content
Publication of the schedule	21.	the time and place are made public at least two months in advance
Ways of registering and the deadline	22.–23.	no later than 7 working days in advance; by post — postmarked at least 10 working days in advance
Taking the check abroad	26.	get in touch at least three months in advance
The state fee and exemptions from it	28.¹–28.³	52 euro; Latvian citizens, non-citizens and citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland do not pay
Deadline for paying the fee	28.⁴, 28.⁶	no later than 7 working days in advance; otherwise you are not admitted to the check
No refund of the fee	28.⁷–28.⁹	neither for a failed check nor for failing to turn up

Paragraph 23 also contains one rule worth reading carefully: the application states the level and degree at which the person will take the check. You register for a level — you do not land in one according to your result.

More on the deadlines in the article registration and the fee for the A2 check.

The structure of the check and how it is run

The parts of the check and how they are conducted are laid down in paragraph 29 and paragraphs 36–44. At A2 there are four parts, each worth 15 points, 60 in total: listening (klausīšanās) 25 minutes, reading (lasītprasme) 30 minutes, writing (rakstītprasme) 35 minutes on paper and speaking (runātprasme) 10–15 minutes individually.

The same place contains the rules that decide the day in practice: in the written parts there are no more than ten candidates in one room, aids are not allowed, and a candidate may be removed from the check for breaching the rules. Paragraph 33.5 provides that marking takes place only if the person takes all the parts, and paragraph 44 covers what happens if one of the parts is interrupted.

Paragraph 47: the pass threshold

This is the second most searched-for paragraph after the sixth:

"The check has been passed successfully if the assessment of the person's state language proficiency in each skill (listening, reading, writing and speaking) is not lower than 60 percent of the maximum number of points."

At A2 that means at least 9 points out of 15 in each skill separately. There is no threshold on the total, and a strong skill does not compensate for a weak one. The arithmetic with examples is in the article how many points you need in the A2 check.

The decision, the result and challenging it

Paragraph 46 sets out the mechanics of marking: listening and reading are marked by an information system, while writing is marked by two independent assessors, and if their assessments differ by more than three points a third one is called in.

Paragraph 49 lays down what goes into the decision: the points and percentages for each skill and in total, but the level and degree — only if the check has been passed; otherwise the entry reads "Nenokārtoja" ("did not pass"). Paragraph 51 — the result is in the e-service from the seventh working day. Paragraphs 53–55 — challenging the result before the appeal commission under the procedure of the Administratīvā procesa likums (Administrative Procedure Law), and after that before the administrative court.

Paragraph 56 answers the question of which decision prevails where there are several of them: the chronologically latest one, with one exception — the earlier decision remains in force if the person took a higher level or degree and did not pass it.

What this regulation does not lay down

This section is as useful as the previous ones, because this is exactly where most of the incorrect claims come from.

• The regulation lays down no general waiting period after a failed check. The only six-month ban it provides for concerns removal from the check for breaching the rules of the check (paragraph 34).
• This regulation does not govern the naturalisation check. That is laid down by MK noteikumi Nr. 973 on the basis of the Pilsonības likums (Citizenship Law), and there the format is different, the arithmetic is different and no CEFR level is named at all — which is why claims that the naturalisation check "corresponds to" some particular level do not come from the legislation.
• The table of percentages and levels published in connection with the centralised examination in Latvian is not the marking scale of the adult check. It is the logic of Annexes 5 and 6 — converting a school examination result into a level. In the adult check you register for a level and then either pass it or do not.
• The regulation does not lay down how often the checks take place in a year. The only deadline it sets for publication is two months in advance (paragraph 21); the actual dates are in the schedule.
• The point bands used in marking have not been published. It is known what is assessed, not how many points correspond to which degree of error.

How to read the regulation for your own case

Three practical steps. First, open the consolidated version — the regulation has been amended five times, and an old text can mislead. Second, find your paragraph, not a general retelling: paragraph 6 for status, paragraph 7 for an exemption, Annex 1 for an occupation, paragraph 47 for marking. Third, remember that the regulation lays down the procedure, not the circumstances of your case — the deadline and the legal basis in your particular residence matter have to be checked where that matter is being dealt with.

If you are going to take this check

The regulation tells you what will be asked of you; it does not help you learn it. On this site all four parts can be tried out free of charge in the format of the check, writing and speaking in training mode with artificial-intelligence feedback, and short answers to the most common questions are collected here.

This article is not legal advice. It is a retelling of legislation, and the regulation changes. Before registering or submitting documents, check the current version and your own particular case in the primary source.