Travelling to Latvia from EU, EEA, Switzerland and UK

If you travel to Latvia from EU, EEA countries, Switzerland or the UK, you are not required to show proof of vaccination, take COVID-19 tests or self-isolate when you arrive in Latvia.

Travelling to Latvia from outside EU, EEA, Switzerland and UK

If you plan to travel to Latvia via a country outside of the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the UK, check the travel advice for the country you are transiting. You will also be required to show a vaccination certificate or recovery certificate or proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival in Latvia.

Proof of vaccination status

Latvia will accept the UK’s proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination record and proof of COVID-19 vaccination issued in the Crown Dependencies. Your final vaccine dose must have been administered at least 14 days prior to travel and you need to have had a vaccine authorised by the European Medicines Agency or by the World Health Organisation.

Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centres is not designed to be used as proof of vaccination and should not be used to demonstrate your vaccine status.

Exemptions

The following are exempted from the requirements of confirming vaccination and testing when arriving from outside EU, EEA, Switzerland and UK:

• Children under 12 years of age,
• Employees of the transport and passenger service provider, crew members,
• Air passengers who do not leave the border control area in the airport during their transit and remain there for up to 24 hours,
• EU citizens and permanent residents declared in Valka municipality and Valga,
• Citizens and permanent residents of EU countries who cross the Latvian land border on a daily basis, for example, due to employment or education.

Check your passport and travel documents before you travel

Passport validity

If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.

Your passport must be:

• Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

Contact the embassy of the country you are visiting if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

Visas

You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training.

If you are travelling to Latvia and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.

To stay longer, to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you will need to meet the Latvian government’s entry requirements. Check with the Latvian Embassy what type of visa and/or work permit you may need.

If you are travelling to Latvia for work, read the guidance on visas and permits.

If you stay in Latvia with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

Passport stamping

Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through the Latvia as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.

You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.

You may also need to:

• show a return or onward ticket
• show you have enough money for your stay

If you are resident in Latvia, read our Living in Latvia guide for passport stamping information.

Health insurance

You are required to have health insurance when you enter Latvia. This must include repatriation costs. Those who require visas for Latvia (other than EU family members) will need to show their policies upon arrival in Latvia.