Travellers to Latvia must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation, according to new immigration procedures introduced on September 1.
Travellers who reside in countries outside the EU who do not have a visa or residence permit issued by Latvia are required to submit their travel information at eta.gov.lv. This includes foreign nationals holding a valid Schengen visa not issued by Latvia.
Required information includes:
- Purpose of travel (entry)
- Planned time and place of stay
- Travel route
- Contact information
Travellers must register at least 48 hours before arriving in Latvia, even if they are transiting. They will receive an automatic notification via email 48 hours later. If the initial travel plans have changed, the new information must be submitted no later than 48 hours before entering Latvia.
Information must be submitted by the traveller and not on behalf of another person.
Persons exempt from the ETA:
- Citizens of the EU, NATO, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a member state of the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation or the Federative Republic of Brazil
- Other third-country citizens who have visas and residence permits issued by Latvia
- Persons with diplomatic immunity.
