Latvia international travel guide in 2024

Latvia travel details 🇱🇻

Latvia has a population of 2M with main currency as Euro. The languages spoken are Latvian. Latvia travel safety advice is Exercise normal safety precautions. Automatic teller machines are very common in Latvia. Internet speed in Latvia is on average 16.7 Mbps.In Latvia you drive on the right side.

Latvia travel advice

⬤ Exercise normal safety precautions

We continue to advise exercise normal safety precautions in Latvia. We also continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to areas near the border with Belarus. We advise: Exercise normal safety precautions overall in Latvia. Higher levels apply in some areas.

Issue Date : Dec 21, 2023

Latvia weather

Latvia essential details

Plugs

Latvia uses 230V, 50Hz with sockets and plugs Type C and Type F.

Languages

The languages that are typically spoken are Latvian

Money in Latvia

Currencies

Latvia uses the euro (symbol: €), code EUR.Banknotes come in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros. Euro is subdivided into 100 cents. Coins come in denominations of 2 and 1 euros and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Cards

Widely accepted Credit cards are widely accepted within Latvia (at hotels, shops, and restaurants, travel agencies, car-rental agencies etc.). Visa, MasterCard and Maestro are the most widely accepted. American Express is less common. Diners Club is pretty rare. Discover, JCB, UnionPay and RuPay are unknown.

ATM

Automatic teller machines are very common in Latvia. You can find them in both large & small cities, tourist areas etc.You do not need a chip & PIN card to use an ATM — your standard magnetic card will work fine.

Internet in Latvia

Internet

Internet speed in Latvia is on average 16.7 Mbps. WiFi coverage in Latvia is very high. Most hotels, hostels, cafes, restaurants and bars have it.

Phones

You can buy a SIM card for about €7.95, which includes 2 GB of data plan. You can choose from 3 telecoms: Bite, LMT or Tele2. Latvia uses GSM mobile networks GSM 900 and GSM 1800. If you don't want to buy SIM card in Latvia upon arrival, make sure to check the roaming charges with your telecom provider before your departure so there are no surprises when you return home.

Calling

To call Latvia, dial +, then 371 (the country code for Latvia), then the area code and the local number. For local calls within Latvia, start with the area code. In the case above area code is 6 .

Driving in Latvia

Road rules

In Latvia you drive on the right side. Most cars have manual transmission (stick). Unless otherwise posted, the speed limits for cars and motorcycles are as follows: 50 km/h (31 mph) in all built-up areas, 90 km/h (55 mph) on undivided highways, 90 km/h (55 mph) on motorways and 90 km/h (55 mph) on expressways. Right turn on red lights is strictly forbidden unless an additional green semaphore arrow allows it. It is illegal to drive with blood alcohol content higher than 0.05%.

On the road

Road assistance is available at 1888 (LAMB), +371 28268007 (Baltic Auto) or 20007086 (Autoevakuators247). For general news on Latvia's traffic use Latvia.lv. Most popular petrol stations in Latvia are Circle K, Neste Oil, Latvijas Nafta, Astarte Nafta, Astarte-Nafta, Neste, Statoil and Orlen. Petrol (unleaded) gas options are called bezsvina or Bezsvina (95/98). Petrol costs about €1.07 per liter.Diesel option is called Dizelis.

Emergecy

Police

999

Ambulance

+1 664-491-2802

Fire department

911

Latvia map

Latvia visa advice

If you're considering exploring Latvia beyond the usual transit spots, our comprehensive guide on Latvia transit visa offers deeper insights and broader options for travelers of different nationalities. For those transiting through other countries en route to Latvia, understanding Latvia Transit Visa requirements is crucial to ensure a smooth journey.