Latvia
Phone Code
+371
Capital
Riga
Population
1.9 Million
Native Name
Latvija
Region
Europe
Northern Europe
Timezone
Eastern European Time
UTC+02:00
On This Page
Latvia is the middle of the three Baltic states, sharing borders with Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia and a 500-kilometre Baltic Sea coast. The country gained independence from the Russian Empire in 1918, was occupied by the Soviet Union from 1940 (with a parallel Nazi occupation 1941–44), restored its independence in 1991, and joined the European Union, NATO and Schengen Area in 2004 followed by the eurozone in 2014. Riga, the capital — population around 615,000 — holds the largest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in any European city, a UNESCO-listed medieval Hanseatic old town and a population that has anchored Latvian, German and Russian cultural exchanges for the better part of a thousand years. Beyond Riga, the country opens out: Jūrmala's belle-époque seaside resort with its wooden villa quarter, Gauja National Park's red-sandstone cliffs and ruined crusader castles at Sigulda, Turaida and Cēsis, the Baltic-German Baroque palace at Rundāle that once hosted the Duke of Courland, and the western coast at Cape Kolka where the Gulf of Riga meets the open Baltic. Latvian itself is one of only two surviving Baltic-language descendants of Indo-European, alongside Lithuanian, and forms a distinct branch unrelated to either German or Russian. The Song and Dance Festival — held every five years and recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage — gathers tens of thousands of choral singers and folk dancers in Mežaparks and remains the country's most powerful expression of national identity.
Visa Requirements for Latvia
Latvia is a full member of the Schengen Area, so standard Schengen rules apply at every border. Citizens of the European Union, EEA and Switzerland enter freely with a national ID card or passport. Citizens of around sixty visa-exempt third countries — including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of Latin America — may enter visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the entire Schengen Area, not Latvia alone. Travellers from countries on the Schengen visa list apply for a Schengen short-stay visa at the Latvian embassy or consulate responsible for their place of residence, or at any other Schengen mission representing Latvia. A passport valid for at least three months beyond the planned departure date is required for entry; six months is the safer benchmark for visa applications. Travel medical insurance covering at least EUR 30,000, return travel arrangements and proof of accommodation and funds are standard supporting documents. The ETIAS travel authorisation system will apply to currently visa-exempt travellers when it enters operation.
Common Visa Types
Schengen Visa-Free Entry (90/180 Days)
Tourism, business, family visits and short courses for citizens of around sixty visa-exempt third countries.
Schengen Short-Stay Visa (Type C)
Tourism, business, conferences, family visits or transit for nationals on the Schengen visa list.
National (Long-Stay) Visa — Type D
Stays longer than 90 days for studies at the University of Latvia or Riga Stradiņš University, work, research, family reunification or seasonal employment.
EU/EEA/Swiss Entry
Free movement for nationals of the EU, EEA and Switzerland — tourism, work, study, residence — under treaty rights.
Important Travel Information
Travel Guide
Latvia rewards travellers who like dense, walkable cities anchored by serious architecture and short trips into pine forest, sea and castle country. Riga is the obvious base: its UNESCO-listed Hanseatic old town holds Dome Cathedral, the House of the Blackheads, Three Brothers row of medieval merchant houses and St. Peter's Church spire, while the parallel boulevard ring beyond the moat opens into the densest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in any European city — over 800 of them, many designed by Mikhail Eisenstein (filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein's father) on Alberta and Elizabetes streets. Beyond Riga the distances are short: Jūrmala's belle-époque seaside resort sits 30 minutes by commuter train through pine forest; Sigulda, Turaida and Cēsis cluster within 90 minutes on the way to Estonia and form Latvia's medieval Livonian heartland of crusader castles and the Gauja red-sandstone cliffs. The Baroque palace at Rundāle — designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the same Italian architect who built the Winter Palace in St Petersburg — repays a half-day from Riga. The western coast at Cape Kolka, where the Gulf of Riga meets the open Baltic, holds Latvia's wildest stretch of beach and the Livonian fishing villages of Slītere National Park. Riga itself remains the cultural heart: the Song and Dance Festival every five years, the Riga Cathedral organ concerts (the instrument was the world's largest when built in 1884), and a Christmas market that claims — with documentary evidence — the first decorated Christmas tree (1510).
Ways to Experience This Destination
More than 800 Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) buildings — the densest concentration of any European city — line the streets of central Riga, especially Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela. Mikhail Eisenstein, father of the filmmaker, designed dozens of the most ornate facades. The Riga Art Nouveau Museum on Alberta iela is set in a restored period apartment.
Riga's medieval old town is UNESCO-listed and remains one of the best-preserved Hanseatic cores in northern Europe. Dome Cathedral, the House of the Blackheads, the Three Brothers row of merchant houses, St Peter's Church spire and the Riga Castle compound make a compact two-day circuit on foot.
The Gauja National Park — Latvia's largest — runs from Sigulda east towards Cēsis and concentrates the country's medieval Livonian heritage. The crusader castles at Sigulda, Turaida and Cēsis, the bobsleigh track at Sigulda, and the Gauja's red-sandstone river cliffs form a logical day or weekend trip from Riga.
Jūrmala — a 33 km strip of pine-shaded beach 30 minutes by commuter train from Riga — preserves a wooden-villa belle-époque resort architecture rare elsewhere on the Baltic. Cape Kolka in the far north-west, where the Gulf of Riga meets the open Baltic, is the country's wildest beach landscape and the Livonian fishing villages of Slītere National Park.
Rundāle Palace, the Baltic's grandest Baroque ensemble, was designed in the 1730s by Bartolomeo Rastrelli — the same Italian architect who later built the Winter Palace in St Petersburg — for the Duke of Courland. A half-day from Riga, it anchors a manor-house circuit through the Zemgale plain that few visitors discover.
The Latvian Song and Dance Festival — held every five years and inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list — gathers tens of thousands of choral singers and folk dancers in Mežaparks for the closing concert. The next festival is in 2028; smaller choral events fill the calendar between editions, and Riga Cathedral's 1884 organ remains a year-round draw.
Money & Currency
Euro (EUR)
Currency code: EUR
Practical Money Tips
Latvia uses the Euro — joined the Eurozone in 2014; no currency exchange needed for Eurozone visitors; Riga is the priciest Baltic capital
Latvia adopted the Euro (EUR) on 1 January 2014, replacing the Latvian Lats. Visitors from the Eurozone, UK (with GBP), Switzerland (CHF), and US need to exchange their home currency. GBP and USD exchange well at Riga's currency offices (most concentrated around the Old Town and central station). CHF is exchangeable in Riga city centre. The best exchange rates are at licensed currency exchange offices (not at hotel desks). Airport rates at Riga International are acceptable for small amounts on arrival. Among the three Baltic capitals, Riga is consistently the most expensive — though still significantly cheaper than Helsinki or Stockholm.
ATMs widely available in Riga and major towns — Swedbank and SEB are the most reliable for international cards
ATMs are plentiful throughout Latvia. Swedbank, SEB, Citadele, and Luminor/DNB machines reliably accept international Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro cards. Riga has hundreds of ATMs; regional towns like Jūrmala, Sigulda, Cēsis, and Daugavpils are well covered. Rural areas and smaller nature reserves (Gauja National Park villages) have fewer ATMs but coverage is generally adequate for tourists. Standard fees: EUR 1.50–3.00 per transaction for foreign cards, plus your own bank's charges. Contactless and chip-and-PIN withdrawals both work.
Latvia is highly cashless — Apple Pay and Google Pay widely accepted in Riga; contactless card payments standard everywhere
Latvia has one of the highest contactless payment adoption rates in the EU. In Riga, Apple Pay and Google Pay work at virtually every NFC-enabled terminal — restaurants, cafés, shops, supermarkets, petrol stations, and public transport (Rīgas Satiksme buses and trams use tap-to-pay). Visa and Mastercard are accepted everywhere in Riga and in tourist-facing businesses throughout the country. A few exceptions: some traditional market stalls at Riga Central Market, small roadside kiosks, and rural guesthouses prefer cash. Carry EUR 20–40 for these situations.
Budget guide: coffee EUR 2–4; lunch in Old Town EUR 10–18; Riga guesthouse EUR 25–50/night; Jānis restaurant meal EUR 12–25
Riga is affordable by Western European standards. Coffee and pastry: EUR 3–6. Lunch at a restaurant in or near the Old Town: EUR 10–18. Rye bread and fresh produce at Riga Central Market: very cheap — EUR 5–10 for a bag of local food. Three-course dinner at a mid-range Latvian restaurant: EUR 25–40. Day trip to Jūrmala or Sigulda by train: EUR 1.50–2.50 each way. Guesthouse or budget hotel in Riga: EUR 25–60/night. Luxury hotel in the Old Town: EUR 120–250/night. Public transport (single ticket): EUR 1.15 on the bus, free with a Rīgas Satiksme card if you tap under 90 minutes between buses.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
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