Latvia applies the Schengen Area visa framework to all foreign nationals entering its territory. Citizens of European Union member states, European Economic Area countries, and Switzerland enter Latvia with a valid national identity card or passport. No visa requirement exists for these travelers regardless of intended stay duration. The Schengen Agreement took effect in Latvia on December 21, 2007, eliminating internal border controls with neighboring Estonia and Lithuania while establishing common external border procedures with Russia and Belarus.
Nationals from approximately 60 countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom enter Latvia without a visa for stays up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This calculation counts backward from each day of stay. A traveler who spends 40 days in Latvia and other Schengen states must wait until 90 days after their first entry before accumulating new days. The 90-day limit applies cumulatively to the entire Schengen Area, not to Latvia individually. Time spent in Croatia, which joined Schengen on January 1, 2023, counts toward this total for entries after that date.
Passport validity requirements mandate that travel documents remain valid for at least three months beyond the intended departure date from the Schengen Area. Immigration officers at Riga International Airport and land border crossings regularly deny entry to travelers whose passports expire within this three-month window, regardless of citizenship. The passport must also have been issued within the previous 10 years. Some countries issue passports with validity periods exceeding 10 years, but Schengen states do not recognize the additional time.
China, India, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, and South Africa are among countries whose citizens require a Schengen visa before arriving in Latvia. Applicants submit documentation to Latvian diplomatic missions or authorized visa centers in their country of residence. VFS Global operates application centers in multiple countries under contract with Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The standard processing time extends 15 calendar days from application submission, though this may extend to 30 days during peak travel seasons or 60 days when additional administrative review is required.
The Schengen visa fee stood at 80 euros for adult applicants and 40 euros for children aged 6 to 12 as of 2024. Children under 6 receive fee waivers. Applicants must provide proof of accommodation for the entire stay, round-trip flight reservations, travel medical insurance covering at least 30,000 euros in emergency medical expenses and repatriation, and bank statements demonstrating sufficient funds. The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not publish a specific daily amount, but visa officers typically expect evidence of access to at least 50 euros per day of intended stay.
Air arrivals to Latvia concentrate at Riga International Airport, located 10 kilometers southwest of Riga city center. The airport processed 4.1 million passengers in 2023. Direct flights connect Riga to approximately 80 destinations during summer scheduling periods, though winter service contracts to roughly 50 routes. AirBaltic, Latvia's flag carrier, operates its primary hub at Riga International Airport with connections throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Ryanair and Wizz Air maintain seasonal services to multiple European cities.
Land border crossings connect Latvia to four neighboring countries across 27 official checkpoints. The Estonia-Latvia border operates without passport controls due to both countries' Schengen membership. The Lithuania-Latvia border similarly permits unrestricted movement for travelers within the Schengen zone. The Russia-Latvia border maintains six official crossing points, with Terehova-Burachki on the A212 highway serving as the primary route between Riga and Moscow. The Belarus-Latvia border offers three official crossings, though political instability in Belarus since 2020 has reduced crossing frequency.
Latvia closed its borders to all travelers on March 17, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The country reopened to European Union citizens on May 15, 2020, and progressively added countries to its safe travel list through 2021. As of 2024, Latvia no longer maintains COVID-19 related entry restrictions, though the government retains authority to reimpose health-based border controls under European Union regulations. The State Border Guard publishes current entry requirements on its website at www.rs.gov.lv.
Ferry services connect Latvia to Sweden and Germany through the Port of Riga and the Port of Ventspils. Tallink operates overnight ferry service between Riga and Stockholm with departures occurring five to seven times weekly depending on season. The crossing requires approximately 18 hours. Stena Line previously maintained routes between Ventspils and several German ports but suspended Latvian services in 2012. Private yacht arrivals must clear customs at designated ports of entry in Riga, Liepāja, or Ventspils before proceeding to other Latvian harbors.
Bus services entering Latvia operate primarily through Riga International Bus Station, located at Prāgas iela 1. Lux Express and Simple Express connect Riga to Tallinn with journey times of approximately four hours and thirty minutes. Ecolines operates routes from Riga to Warsaw, Vilnius, Saint Petersburg, and Berlin. International bus passengers from non-Schengen countries undergo passport control at border crossings, though these checks typically occur while the bus remains stationary at the frontier rather than at a separate facility.
Rail connections to Latvia operate through Riga Central Station, though international passenger service has diminished substantially since 1991. The Moscow-Riga overnight train ceased operations in 2020. No direct passenger rail service currently connects Latvia to Lithuania, though Latvian Railways announced plans to restore the Riga-Vilnius route by 2026 as part of Rail Baltica infrastructure development. A daily train connects Riga to Valga on the Estonian border, where passengers transfer to Estonian Railways services continuing to Tallinn.
Latvia maintains 24 diplomatic missions and 43 honorary consulates in foreign countries as of 2024. Citizens of countries requiring visas should contact the nearest Latvian embassy or consulate to determine specific documentation requirements. When no Latvian representation exists in a particular country, visa applications may be submitted through the diplomatic mission of another Schengen state operating under a representation agreement with Latvia. Estonia and Lithuania represent Latvian visa interests in several African and Asian countries.
The State Border Guard recorded 6.3 million border crossings into Latvia during 2023. This figure includes both Latvian citizens and foreign nationals crossing at air, land, and sea entry points. Russians constituted the largest group of foreign nationals requiring visas to enter Latvia, representing approximately 180,000 visa applications processed by Latvian diplomatic missions in 2022. The number declined sharply in 2023 following European Union decisions to restrict tourist visa issuance to Russian citizens.
Latvia participates in the Schengen Information System, a database sharing alerts about persons and objects across all Schengen member states. Border guards access this system to verify whether arriving travelers face entry bans, have been reported missing, or are wanted for arrest. An entry ban issued by any Schengen country prevents entry to Latvia regardless of visa validity. These bans typically result from previous immigration violations, criminal convictions, or perceived threats to public security.
Minors under 18 traveling to Latvia without both parents must carry notarized parental consent letters. Latvia requires these documents when a child enters the country with one parent, other relatives, or organized groups. The consent letter must specify the child's full name, accompanying person's details, travel dates, and parent's signature authenticated by a notary. Border guards request these documents inconsistently, but travelers lacking proper consent forms have been denied entry at Riga International Airport.
Latvia does not operate a visa-on-arrival system for any nationality. All travelers requiring visas must obtain them before departure from their home country or country of residence. Travelers arriving without required visas face automatic denial of entry and return on the next available flight to their origin point. Airlines flying to Latvia verify visa requirements before boarding and deny boarding to passengers lacking proper documentation. Carriers face fines of up to 5,000 euros per passenger transported without valid entry authorization.
Latvia introduced biometric residence permits in 2012 for foreign nationals granted temporary or permanent residence. These permits feature the holder's photograph and fingerprints embedded in an electronic chip. Third-country nationals holding valid Latvian residence permits may travel throughout the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without requiring additional visas. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in Riga processes all residence permit applications at its office on Alūksnes iela 5.