Country guide

Latvia

Destinations

Visa & entry

eu passport	Free movement, no visa, no stay limit (EU/EEA citizen rights).
us passport	Visa-free Schengen tourism up to 90 days in any 180-day period (2026).
uk passport	Visa-free Schengen tourism up to 90 days in any 180-day period (2026); passport must be less than 10 years old on arrival and valid 3+ months beyond planned departure from Schengen.
tax residency days	183 days in a 12-month period is the general EU/Latvian tax-residency trigger (standard rule, not separately re-verified this session).
notes	EU Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric registration (fingerprints + photo) now required at Schengen external border on entry, free of charge, record valid 3 years. Border officers may ask for proof of accommodation, travel/medical insurance, return ticket, sufficient funds. Russian citizens currently refused entry except diplomatic/spousal cases (per UK FCDO advice, 2026).

Money

currency	Euro (EUR)
card acceptance	Widely accepted in cities and tourist areas; not independently re-verified for rural Cape Kolka / Pāvilosta this session.
atm networks fees limits	ATMs widely available including Riga Airport and small towns (Wikivoyage); specific network/fee/limit figures not verified this session.
tipping	Not obligatory; rounding up the bill by roughly 5-10% is common and appreciated but not required (Wikivoyage, 2026).

SIM & internet

notes	Not independently verified this session; Latvia's main mobile operators are commonly cited as LMT, Tele2 and Bite but this was not confirmed via a primary source in this research pass -- treat as open question.

Insurance

kite excluded by standard policies	Standard EU travel/EHIC-GHIC-type cover generally excludes kitesurfing as an 'extreme/adventure sport'; not specifically re-verified for Latvia this session.
recommended	Travel insurance with watersports/kitesurfing extension and medical repatriation cover recommended by UK FCDO for Schengen entry generally.

Health

vaccines	No special vaccines beyond routine/home-country recommendations found; check TravelHealthPro/NHS pre-trip (per FCDO template).
tap water	Not verified this session; EU country, generally presumed potable but not confirmed via primary source here.
emergency numbers	112 (general EU emergency number); 110 police, 113 medical cited by Wikivoyage.

Driving

road safety	Drive on the right. Headlights must be on at all times year-round. Winter tyres mandatory 1 Dec - 1 Mar. Speed limits 50 km/h urban, 90 km/h non-urban (Wikivoyage, 2026).

Regulation

protected areas	Cape Kolka sits within Slītere National Park; specific kitesurfing/launch restrictions inside the park were not confirmed by a primary source this session -- flagged as open question.

Calendar & costs

currency	EUR
year	2026

airline: airBaltic (national carrier, hub Riga)
policy: Kiteboarding/surfing/windsurfing equipment carried as declared sports equipment, must fit in one baggage unit; up to 5 sets per passenger; must be pre-booked, capacity per flight is limited.
fee: EUR 39.99-44.99 per set one-way if booked on airbaltic.com/call centre; EUR 49.99 if added via Manage Booking; EUR 50+ via other sales channels; EUR 75 if bought at the airport. Non-refundable. Business class / Club VIP members get one set free.
limits: Max 23 kg per set standard, up to 32 kg absolute max; EUR 60 overweight fee for sets over 23 kg.
year: 2026
source: airbaltic.com baggage/sports-equipment page (fetched 2026)

Open questions

Does Latvia offer a digital nomad / remote-work visa? UK FCDO guidance page did not mention one and a direct check of pmlp.gov.lv (Latvian migration authority) returned 404 this session.
Confirm mobile operator coast coverage (Cape Kolka, Pāvilosta) and eSIM availability -- not sourced this session.
Confirm whether kitesurfing/launching is restricted inside Slītere National Park at Cape Kolka.
Cost-of-living figures (beer/meal/coffee/rent) not obtained -- Numbeo returned HTTP 429 this session.