Latvia

Capital: Riga (RIX)
Dialing Code: + 371
Time Zone: UTC / GMT +2
Daylight Savings Time: Last Sunday of March - last Sunday in October: UTC / GMT +3
Language: Latvian
Best Time to Go: May - September
Currency: Euro (EUR)

Travel Tips

Use hotel recommended restaurants and transport to avoid scams against tourists
Mains water in hotels and towns is safe to drink
Latvians are very proud of their national heritage and visitors should be respectful of this. Latvians prefer to be direct and tend to avoid small talk

Last updated 1 October 2026

Public Holidays

January: 1
April: 3, 5 - 6
May: 1, 4, 10, 24
June: 23 - 24
November: 18
December: 24 - 26, 31

Visa Requirements

Latvia is a member of the Schengen Agreement

If applying for a Latvian visa, please contact the Embassy of Hungary (the visa requirements for Latvia are the same as for Hungary)

Health / Vaccinations

None

Hepatitis A & B, Tick-Borne Encephalitis (Not available in SA), Rabies, Tetanus, Polio

South African Representative Abroad

Representation accredited from Stockholm, Sweden