Health & safety
Health and Safety in Latvia
Riga ranks among the safest European capitals, and Latvia as a whole carries a low realistic risk for visitors. The genuine planning points here are practical rather than defensive — what to expect from emergency services, water, and everyday urban caution.
Updated 2026-08-16
Crime is genuinely low, with normal old-town caution
Riga's crime rate sits comfortably among the lowest of Europe's capital cities, and violent crime targeting tourists is rare. The realistic risk is the same as any busy old-town district anywhere — opportunistic pickpocketing in crowded tourist spots, late-night bar areas and on public transport — covered by ordinary awareness rather than any special precaution. Outside Riga, in the smaller towns and countryside that make up most of Latvia's touristic circuit, the baseline risk drops even further.
Tap water is genuinely safe
Tap water throughout Latvia meets EU drinking-water standards and is safe to drink straight from the tap in Riga and across the country — bottled water is a preference, not a necessity, and buying it specifically for safety reasons is unnecessary. This holds true in restaurants, hotels and private accommodation alike, unlike some destinations where "safe in the city, questionable in the countryside" is the real rule.
Emergency numbers and language
Latvia's single emergency number, 112, connects to police, fire and ambulance services and is answered in Latvian, Russian and English, so a language barrier isn't a genuine obstacle in an emergency. As an EU and Schengen member with a well-developed healthcare system in Riga and the larger towns, Latvia's medical infrastructure is broadly reliable by Western European standards, though EU/EEA visitors should still carry a valid EHIC or GHIC and non-EU visitors are well served by standard travel insurance, as the reciprocal coverage arrangements EU citizens rely on don't apply to them.