Latvia

EU/EEA citizens enter with an ID card or passport – no visa is needed.

If you stay in Latvia for longer than 3 months, you can get an EU citizen registration certificate (reģistrācijas apliecība) from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvalde, PMLP). According to PMLP, registration is not required for stays of up to 6 months, e.g. for studies shorter than a year. Study in Latvia, on the other hand, says that EU citizens do not have to register, but a residence document is useful, for example when opening a bank account. If you are coming for a full degree, ask PMLP or your university's international office what you need to do.

Students from outside the EU/EEA need a residence permit for studies. First, your university has to approve its invitation at PMLP. Then you apply for the permit – at a Latvian embassy or consulate abroad or, depending on your nationality, directly at PMLP in Latvia. You will need, among other things, your passport, the application form, a photo, your study agreement, proof of payment of the state fee and proof of funds – PMLP states €500 a month (checked in 2026). The permit is granted for your period of study plus four months; the card is issued for a year and renewed.

Note: the €500 figure on PMLP's studies page is undated, and the EU Immigration Portal quotes it as a 2021 amount. PMLP's general page on necessary means of subsistence (April 2026) lists €780 a month (the minimum wage) where the rules set no other amount – check the current figure with PMLP or your university's international office before you apply.

Health insurance: Study in Latvia lists it among the things to arrange before you leave. If you are insured in another EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and consider a private policy as well. Non-EU students need private health insurance for the residence permit – according to the EU Immigration Portal, with cover of at least €42,600, including repatriation.