Information for travellers to Latvia on the provisions for preventing the spread of COVID-19

All persons travelling to Latvia must fill out an electronic form on the Covidpass.lv website not earlier than 48 hours before entering Latvia and provide the requested information concerning vaccination, testing, or recovery from COVID-19.

Restrictions on entry to Latvia depend on the country the person is travelling from and on whether the person has been vaccinated, or recovered from COVID-19.

Overview of entry requirements

* The fact of vaccination or recovery is evidenced only by an interoperable digital EU certificate (either in an electronic smart device or printed out) or a vaccination certificate issued in the EU, the EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. A recovery certificate is valid for 11 to 180 days from the start of the illness. A person who fails to present such certificates is subject to requirements applied to non-vaccinated persons and persons who have not recovered from the disease.

** The following tests may be taken:

• a PCR test 72 hours before boarding the carrier’s vehicle or entering Latvia, or
• an antigen test 24 hours before boarding the carrier’s vehicle or entering Latvia. 

Persons who intend to enter Latvia on a vehicle of a passenger carrier, shall present an EU COVID Certificate, or a document issued in EU Member States, EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom certifying vaccination or recovery, or a negative COVID-19 test result issued in any country. Passengers who are unable to produce a valid certificate will be denied boarding.

The test result may be presented in the English language or the language of the country of departure.

***After entering Latvia, the person registers for a PCR test online and takes a test at their own expense at the nearest testing station within 24 hours. Until the test result is received, the person stays at their place of residence or place of lodging (if there are no direct contacts and no facilities are used jointly with persons who have not travelled) or at any of tourist accommodations indicated on the list of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia.

Exempt from any tests are:

• children under 12 years of age;
• employees, crew members of freight and passenger transport service providers;
• seafarers and members of the merchant marine on their way to or returning from a ship;
• airline passengers who are travelling in transit without leaving the controlled transit area of the airport for up to 24 hours;
• EU Member State citizens and permanent residents whose declared place of residence is in the Valka municipality (Latvia) and Valga (Estonia);
• EU Member State citizens and permanent residents who cross the land border of Latvia with other EU Member States on a daily basis, e.g., for employment or education;

For detailed requirements and a comprehensive list of persons exempt from the test, see Chapter V² of the Cabinet of Ministers Regulation, “Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of COVID-19 Infection”.

For detailed requirements and a comprehensive list of persons exempt from the test, see Chapter V² Cabinet of Ministers Regulation, “Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of COVID-19 Infection”.

**** Self-isolation lasts for 10 days, and it must also be observed upon arrival from an EU Member State, an EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, if they have been categorised as a high risk country.

Self-isolation may be interrupted if the person takes a PCR test on the 7th day after departure from a high risk or a very high risk country, and the test result is negative. The result must be recorded in a test certificate.

Self-isolation need not be observed by children younger than 12 years of age (and until 1 September 2021, this includes other minors) who are travelling together with adults who are exempt from the self-isolation requirement. However, in such cases, for ten days after leaving a high risk country, these children must avoid close contact with people outside their household, they do not attend public events, organised groups, and do not use public transport.

Only the following persons may enter Latvia from a high or very high risk  country which is not an EU Member State, an EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom:

• nationals of Latvia, their family members, holders of residence permits in Latvia, foreigners who are travelling across Latvia in transit to return to the country of their permanent residence;
• nationals of an EU Member State, an EEA country, Switzerland and their family members and the permanent residents of those countries, as well as citizens of the United Kingdom and their family members crossing Latvia in transit to return to their country of residence, including Latvia;
• employees and crew members of freight and passenger transport service providers,
• seafarers and merchant mariners on their way to or returning from a ship,
• foreign nationals the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia has confirmed are connected with the fulfilment of agreements and commitments made by Latvian businesses,
• foreign diplomats and their family members crossing Latvia in transit for the performance of their official functions, the holders of diplomatic passports of Latvia and the officials and staff of the consular service and their family members who are returning from a country where they have been posted or who are on the way to their country of posting;
• nationals of Latvia who are members of the official delegations of Latvia or who must arrive at their place of employment in the framework ofan intergovernmental project;
• full time students and exchange students so long as an institution of higher education has provided written proof of the student’s enrolment and their arrival to Latvia is required to take part in a study programme;
  
• athletes, sports workers, and representatives of international sports organisations whose arrival in Latvia as accredited persons is related to participation in an international sports event organised by a sports federation or its member according to procedures laid down in the Sports Law;
• foreign nationals whose arrival in Latvia for receipt of medical treatment (diagnostics and therapy) has been approved by the Health Inspectorate, and the person accompanying them, if recognised to be necessary by a medical institution, or if the traveller is accompanying a child;
• cultural professionals whose arrival in Latvia is related to the provision of cultural services and organizing public events and whose groups have been confirmed to be contributing in this manner by the Minister for Culture;
• athletes of the Latvian adult team, Latvian Olympic team or Latvian Paralympic team, and also Latvian team athletes who are leaving the country to take part in international league events of Olympic, Paralympic, and technical sports and disciplines, and sports employees that provide services to them and that are on the list of individual athletes which is coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Science and who are returning to the Republic of Latvia after participation in the sports competitions abroad;
• foreign nationals and their family members, if the visitor has been employed by a scientific institution as senior researcher or researcher for the term exceeding six months;
• aircraft passengers who cross the territory of Latvia in transit without leaving the airport precinct and staying therein for not more than 24 hours, if they can present a confirmation that they are in transit and waiting for their next flight.

A full list of categories is given in Section 38 ⁴⁶ of the Cabinet of Ministers Regulation, “Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of COVID-19 Infection”.

Entry into Latvia from a very high risk country if that country is an EU Member State, and EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom is permitted for the following reasons only:

• employment,
• studies,
• family reunification,
• receiving medical services,
• transit
• accompanying minors,
• returning to one’s permanent place of residence,
• a funeral.

The person must indicate the specific purpose of their visit to Latvia in the Covidpass.lv questionnaire. Documents or other reliable proof confirming that purpose must be presented on demand to the State Border Guard or the State Police. The person does not have to present the document if the relevant information confirming a purpose of entry is already available in national information systems, for instance, the population register.

Persons crossing Latvia in transit must leave the country within 12 hours from the submission of the questionnaire at the Covidpass.lv website. Exceptions are set out in Chapter V². of the Cabinet Regulation, “Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of the COVID-19 infection”.

Further information:

!The Facebook account of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is accessible here.

!Information on restrictions and precautionary measures related to COVID-19 is accessible here.

!For detailed information on conditions for entry in Latvia, see Chapter V² of the Cabinet Regulation, “Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of the COVID-19 infection”.

!Information on the spread of COVID-19 and precautionary health and safety measures is available here.

!Information on testing for COVID-19 is available here.

Contact information

• Consular matters (visas, legalisation of documents, entry from abroad, 
  • for calls made within Latvia, tel. 80005905;
  • for calls made from abroad, tel. +371 67015905;
• SPKC information phone (e.g., to find out more about the rules on self-isolation) +371 67387661;
• 24-hour helpline on COVID-19 (calls within Latvia) 8345;
• the State Border Guard phone to get information on border crossing issues +371 67075616;
• the Latvian Ministry of the Interior phone for questions on filling out the Covidpass.lv form +371 67219111.

Note. The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contains only official information at its disposal. This information may be incomplete, since other countries are entitled to impose changes to entry procedures and conditions of stay at short notice. Therefore, the Ministry suggests that those issues be clarified at the diplomatic of consular mission of the respective country. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot assume responsibility for losses and inconveniences caused by failure to observe the recommendations provided here. Travel warnings published on the Ministry website have a recommendatory character without prejudice to the right to leave Latvia laid down in Article 98 of the Satversme (Constitution).