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Moving to Latvia

Latvia country facts, largest cities, hub labels and reports.

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Across 198 passports, 93 passports enter visa-free and 105 passports need a visa for Latvia. Check your passport below.

Visa-free
93
Visa required
105

198 accepted passport rules · rules effective as of 2026-09-05

Visa and entry rules

Short stay and entry198 source-backed passport answersHighly SkilledOfficial route overview and current conditions.Remote Or Digital NomadLatvia has an official one-year long-term visa for remote work for qualifying third-country nationals employed by or self-employed in an OECD member state, with remote-work evidenc.Self EmployedLatvia’s self-employed residence route requires an audited business plan, evidence of start-up funds and proof of means; a licence or certificate is required where needed.Entrepreneur StartupNon-EU founders may qualify when establishing a startup based in Latvia; the startup may have up to five founders and the residence permit route is valid for up to three years.Permanent ResidenceApplicants generally need five years with a Latvian temporary residence permit, a permanent place of residence, means of support and Latvian language knowledge at A2 level, subject.WorkOfficial route overview and current conditions.

Sources checked through 5 Sept 2026.

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Latvia?

The national unemployment rate was 6.9 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)13

This is the Eurostat labour-force survey series used as the canonical national answer. Other published definitions exist and are shown in the table below.

What is the median gross salary in Latvia?

The median gross salary was 1,238 EUR/month in 2024.

Half of employees earn less than this. Mean gross and national-accounts averages use different definitions and are shown in the table below. national-accounts average — shown in the table below.

  • Median gross salary, monthly: 1,238 EUR/month · CSB Latvia RIG110 — Latvia monthly gross median wages, 20241
  • Average gross salary, monthly: 1,583 EUR/month · 2026-07-25 · Eurostat — National accounts aggregates (nama_10_a10) and employment (nama_10_a10_e)12
MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary, monthly1,238 EUR/month31 Dec 2024CSB Latvia RIG110 — Latvia monthly gross median wages, 20241Official · national figure
National unemployment rate6.9 %31 Dec 2025Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)13Official · national figure

Public employment service in Latvia

Official job-search, registration, counselling and training routes. Private recruitment agencies are not included.

State Employment Agency — Public employment service

Nodarbinātības valsts aģentūra (NVA)

Job SearchTraining
Open official service

A national service does not prove that an office exists in every city. City pages show an office only after an exact address is linked to that city. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Taxes in Latvia

National rates and comparable published scenarios. Personal tax depends on income, household and residence circumstances.

What does an average earner take home in Latvia?

A single person on an average wage keeps about 15,777 EUR/year of about 21,321 EUR/year gross per year — 74% of pay.

Standardized OECD Taxing Wages (standardized scenario): single person, no children, earning the average wage. The same scenario is published for every covered country, so take-home shares compare directly.

Gross-to-net decomposition, 2025
ComponentAmount / year
Net wage earnings, kept15,777
Income taxes−3,305
Employee social contributions−2,239
Gross wage earnings21,321
  • Gross-to-net pay for a sample household: single person no children — 21,321 gross → 15,777 net a year (2025, national currency) · Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition
Top income-tax rate36 %
Corporate tax rate20 %
Employee income tax, yearly8,784 EUR/year
Employee social contributions, yearly7,187 EUR/year
Verified from the linked official or intergovernmental records. Open the primary source. Sources checked through 3 Aug 2026.

Benefits newcomers may qualify for in Latvia

Public schemes where an official source defines an eligible migration or residence status. Amounts and conditions are kept in their native terms.

ProgrammePublished amountSource and application

Allowance to a refugee or person granted alternative status (subsistence support) — Arrival and reception support

97–139 EUR / Monthly

State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA)

Open official application
Eligibility and amount details

The current VSAA service page gives EUR 139.00 per month for an adult, EUR 139.00 for one spouse and EUR 97.00 for the other spouse, and EUR 97.00 per month for a minor; a refugee may receive the benefit for 10 months within a 12-month period and a person with alternative status for 7 months within a 12-month period.

The official VSAA service page states: ‘The allowance shall be paid to a refugee or to a person who has been granted alternative status from the age of 15.’ It also states that a refugee or person granted alternative status who lacks sufficient means is entitled to an allowance to cover subsistence costs, with the published working-age, study, disability and unemployed/job-seeker conditions. and alternative_status_holder_in_latvia.

Bezdarbnieka pabalsts (Unemployment benefit) — Unemployment support

Percentage-based / Monthly

State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA) / State Employment Agency (NVA)

Open official application
Eligibility and amount details

For unemployment periods from 1 January 2026, the VSAA notice states that the minimum unemployment-benefit basis is 60% of twice the State Social Security Benefit amount; the 2026 reference is 60% of EUR 374, or EUR 224.40 per month as the minimum basis. Other benefit amounts vary with insured earnings and insurance record.

The official VSAA service page states: ‘The allowance shall be paid to a refugee or to a person who has been granted alternative status’. The same official material requires the applicable working-age claimant to be employed or, if not employed, registered with the State Employment Agency and holding unemployed or job-seeker status, while the VSAA unemployment-benefit service requires loss of employment, unemployed status and at least 12 months of mandatory unemployment-insurance contributions within the preceding 16 months. and alternative_status_holder_in_latvia_entitled_to_unemployment_benefit, each subject to those unemployment-insurance conditions.

Guaranteed minimum income (GMI) social assistance — Minimum-income support

131–187 EUR / Monthly

Municipal social service

Open official application
Eligibility and amount details

The Ministry of Welfare 2026 table sets the guaranteed minimum income threshold at EUR 187 per month for the first or only household member and EUR 131 for each other household member; the payable municipal assistance is calculated against the applicable threshold and household resources.

The official Latvian Ministry of Welfare entitlement page states that ‘foreigners who have been issued a permanent residence permit or have been granted the status of a permanent resident of the European Union in the Republic of Latvia and their family members’ have the right to basic social assistance. It also states that ‘persons who stay/reside in the Republic of Latvia and who have been granted alternative status, as well as family members of these persons who stay/reside in the Republic of Latvia’ have that right. and alternative_status_holder_in_latvia_and_family_member, subject to the household, income, asset and other statutory conditions.

Housing benefit (municipal social assistance) — Housing support

Amount set per household by formula / Monthly

Municipal social service

Open official application
Eligibility and amount details

The Ministry of Welfare states that housing benefit is the difference between the household's guaranteed minimum income thresholds and eligible housing expenses less the household's total income under the applicable laws and regulations; the amount varies by household and eligible costs.

The official Latvian Ministry of Welfare entitlement page states that ‘foreigners who have been issued a permanent residence permit or have been granted the status of a permanent resident of the European Union in the Republic of Latvia and their family members’ have the right to basic social assistance. It also states that ‘persons who stay/reside in the Republic of Latvia and who have been granted alternative status, as well as family members of these persons who stay/reside in the Republic of Latvia’ have that right. and alternative_status_holder_in_latvia_and_family_member, subject to the household, income, housing-cost and other statutory conditions.

State Family Benefit — Family and child support

Amount set per household by formula / Monthly

State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA)

Open official application
Eligibility and amount details

The current VSAA State Family Benefit table gives EUR 25 per month for one child, EUR 100 for two children, EUR 225 for three children and EUR 100 per child for four or more children; a EUR 160 monthly supplement is published for each child with a disability.

The official VSAA State Family Benefit page says that the benefit may be received by a person who permanently resides in Latvia together with the child, including ‘foreigners’, and who has an assigned personal identification number and active status in the Register of Natural Persons for both the person and the child. The page excludes a person who has received a temporary residence permit in Latvia. , subject to the child, caregiver and age conditions stated on the same page.

ImmigrationDB shows published rules; it does not decide personal eligibility. Confirm your status, contribution record and household circumstances with the responsible authority before applying. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Can migrants receive medical care in Latvia?

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Latvia when the official insurance or residence conditions are met.

Verified 2026-08-03. Open the official coverage rules.

Language courses and integration in Latvia

Government programmes, public integration services and exact provider records. The section expands only from fields present in the source; missing prices, refunds or contacts are not replaced with estimates.

4verified programmes
1cities with exact local records
2verified location records

2026 Latvian language courses for Ukrainian civilians — State Language Course

Society Integration Foundation

For Ukrainian civilians in Latvia.

LatvianIn Personfree
Open official information

Latvian language training for Ukrainian civilians in Jelgava — State Language Course

Zemgales reģiona Kompetenču attīstības centrs (ZRKAC)

For Ukrainian civilians with temporary protection, children, young people, adults.

LatvianIn Personfree
Open official information

Riga integration and support services for Ukrainian residents — Welcome Program

Riga City Municipality

For Ukrainian residents in Riga.

Latvian
Open official information

Riga municipality supported free Latvian language courses — Municipal language course

Riga City Municipality

For Riga residents whose native language is not Latvian.

LatvianIn Personfree
Open official information
Country programmes describe the national or named local framework. Availability in a city is shown only when a source names that place exactly. Sources checked through 2026-08-10.

Living and moving context for Latvia

Latvia had GDP per capita of US$23,579 and life expectancy of 76.4 years. The national unemployment rate was 6.9% in 2025. There were 3.398 doctors per 1,000 people. Average gross salary was €1,583 per month in 2024, while national median net income was €675 per month in 2024. The 2024 groceries price-level index was 80 on an EU27=100 basis. Monthly estimates were €256 for groceries and €79 for utilities; household electricity was €0.288/kWh and gas €0.052/kWh. A separate household model estimated monthly net income at €1,443 for one person, €1,707 for a couple and €1,968 for a family. For 2024, the employee calculation gave €8,784 a year in income tax and €7,187 in social contributions.

#1 by populationRīga595,474 residents · Capital hub#2 by populationDaugavpils77,944 residents#3 by populationLiepāja67,068 residents

Latvia cities by population

The largest published cities appear first. Population is taken from the reusable official city layer; hub labels come from the existing city taxonomy.

Open city finder
CityPopulationNet rent, €/m²/monthMedian gross salary, €/month
RīgaCapital hub595,474Population5.77Net rent, €/m²/mo994Median gross salary, €/mo
Daugavpils77,944Population4.50Net rent, €/m²/mo772Median gross salary, €/mo
Liepāja67,068Population1.18Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Ogre57,668Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo995Median gross salary, €/mo
JelgavaMigration hub54,912Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Jūrmala52,001Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Valmiera50,656Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo973Median gross salary, €/mo
Tukums43,439Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Cēsis41,324Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Bauska40,500Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Jēkabpils38,833Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Mārupe37,370Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Ropaži35,175Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Talsi34,801Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Dienvidkurzeme32,822Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
VentspilsMigration hub32,723Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Sigulda31,480Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Ķekava31,273Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Madona29,922Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
Aizkraukle28,246Population—Net rent, €/m²/mo—Median gross salary, €/mo
All published cities in Latvia

Reports with this country

Accepted report pages with a row for this country.

All reports
City hubs with the lowest published recorded-crime rate Cities with the highest physician coverage Countries with the highest published family income after groceries and utilities Countries with the highest published single income after groceries and utilities Countries with the lowest published household electricity price Countries with the lowest published groceries and utilities total
Foreign residents229,681 people31 Dec 2025Official source · Eurostat
Population1,866,124 people31 Dec 2024Official source · World Bank
Median gross salary, monthly1,238 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · CSB Latvia RIG110 — Latvia monthly gross median wages, 2024
National unemployment rate6.9 %31 Dec 2025Official source · Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)
Public healthcare access for foreign residentsConditional3 Aug 2026Official source · Nacionālais veselības dienests (National Health Service of Latvia)
Area64,590 km²31 Dec 2023Official source · World Bank
77 country facts · 49 cities · Last checked 2026-09-06

Latvia facts

Current source-backed observations, grouped the way the city pages are, with geographic scope and observation periods.

Population and profile

How many people live in Latvia?

The published population was 1,866,124 people in 2024. Source: World Bank43

National, resident population scope. Foreign-resident and migration-background figures are separate metrics in the table below.

How many foreign residents live in Latvia?

The foreign-resident population was 229,681 people in 2025. Source: Eurostat5

Residents without Latvia citizenship. The migration-background population is a broader measure and appears in the table below.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign residents229,681 people31 Dec 2025Eurostat5Official · national figure
Population1,866,124 people31 Dec 2024World Bank43Official · national figure

Legal, tax and other context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public healthcare access for foreign residentsConditional3 Aug 2026Nacionālais veselības dienests (National Health Service of Latvia)25Official · national figure
Area64,590 km²31 Dec 2023World Bank44Official · national figure
Cost level against the capital80 index (EU27=100)31 Dec 2024Eurostat — Comparative price levels and HICP (prc_ppp_ind, prc_hicp_midx)9Official · national
Gross-to-net pay for a sample householdsingle person no children — 21,321 gross → 15,777 net a year (2025, national currency)31 Dec 2025Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition37Official · country household scenario
Population by year1,907,675 people (2020)1 Jan 2020Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN)35Official · country annual series
Salary by professionService and sales workers — 941 EUR/month (2022)31 Dec 2022Mean monthly earnings by sex, occupation and size class of the enterprise (2022)23Official · country occupation
Doctors per 1,000 residents3.4 per 1,000Not statedPhysicians (per 1,000 people), World Development Indicators34Official · national figure
Household electricity price0.288 EUR/kWh31 Dec 2024Eurostat — Household energy prices (nrg_pc_204 electricity, nrg_pc_202 gas)11Official · national
Employer social contribution rate23.59 %3 Aug 2026Valsts ieņēmumu dienests (VID, State Revenue Service of Latvia)38Official · national figure
People employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing71,180 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in mining and quarrying2,780 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in manufacturing112,020 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning9,790 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in water supply, sewerage and waste management6,350 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in construction57,420 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in wholesale and retail trade; motor vehicle and motorcycle repair137,990 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in transportation and storage63,820 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in accommodation and food services31,080 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in information and communication39,900 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in finance and insurance17,140 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in real estate21,220 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in professional, scientific and technical services37,210 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in administrative and support services34,640 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
People employed in public administration, defence and compulsory social security65,040 people2024ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure
Unemployment across cities in LatviaOf 34 cities with data, 11 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Typical city (median): about 5.8%

unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Latvia per band1 city: 2% to under 3%12–33 cities: 3% to under 4%33–411 cities: 4% to under 5%114–53 cities: 5% to under 6%35–67 cities: 6% to under 7%76–74 cities: 7% to under 8%47–82 cities: 8% to under 9%28–91 city: 9% to under 10%19–102 cities: 13% to under 14%213–14

Unemployment rate (%)

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the unemployment rate in Latvia?

The national unemployment rate was 6.9 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a).

How many people live in Latvia?

The published population was 1,866,124 people in 2024. Source: World Bank.

What is the median gross salary in Latvia?

The median gross salary was 1,238 EUR/month in 2024. Source: CSB Latvia RIG110 — Latvia monthly gross median wages, 2024.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Moving to Latvia: salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/countries/latvia/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_moving-to-latvia-salary-cost-of-living_abc8a6001a3f,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Moving to Latvia: salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/countries/latvia/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Moving to Latvia: salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/countries/latvia/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

Every number above comes from one of these records. Open the original source for its geographic scope and publication date.

  1. CSB Latvia RIG110 — Latvia monthly gross median wages, 2024 CSB Latvia RIG110 · api.stat.gov.lv · checked 2026-07-29
  2. ec.europa.eu ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-12
  3. EF EPI ef.com · checked 2026-08-03
  4. European Medicines Agency ema.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-20
  6. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-07
  7. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  8. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  9. Eurostat — Comparative price levels and HICP (prc_ppp_ind, prc_hicp_midx) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-14
  10. Eurostat — Distribution of income by household composition (ilc_di04) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
Show 39 more sources
  1. Eurostat — Household energy prices (nrg_pc_204 electricity, nrg_pc_202 gas) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-14
  2. Eurostat — National accounts aggregates (nama_10_a10) and employment (nama_10_a10_e) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
  3. Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
  4. Eurostat crim_off_cat (ICCS0101, NR) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
  5. Eurostat demo_pjan ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
  6. Eurostat earn_mw_cur ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
  7. Eurostat hbs_exp_t121 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
  8. Eurostat ilc_di03 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
  9. GDP per capita (current US$), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
  10. Globalization and World Cities (GaWC), Loughborough University gawc.lboro.ac.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  11. Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
  12. Life expectancy at birth, total (years), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
  13. Mean monthly earnings by sex, occupation and size class of the enterprise (2022) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-30
  14. MIPEX mirovni-institut.si · checked 2026-08-03
  15. Nacionālais veselības dienests (National Health Service of Latvia) vmnvd.gov.lv · checked 2026-08-03
  16. OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
  17. OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
  18. OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
  19. OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
  20. OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
  21. OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
  22. Official Statistics Portal Latvia — NOR023 recorded crimes and crime rates 2021–2025 Official Statistics Portal Latvia · api.stat.gov.lv · checked 2026-07-29
  23. Physicians (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
  24. Physicians (per 1,000 people), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
  25. Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
  26. SPRK (Sabiedrisko pakalpojumu regulēšanas komisija) — Annual broadband report 2024 SPRK (Sabiedrisko pakalpojumu regulēšanas komisija) · sprk.gov.lv · checked 2026-06-12
  27. Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition Taxing Wages 2026 · sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-29
  28. Valsts ieņēmumu dienests (VID, State Revenue Service of Latvia) vid.gov.lv · checked 2026-08-03
  29. Valsts ieņēmumu dienests (VID, State Revenue Service of Latvia) vid.gov.lv · checked 2026-08-03
  30. VID Latvia vid.gov.lv · checked 2026-06-12
  31. WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
  32. WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
  33. World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
  34. World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
  35. World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
  36. World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
  37. World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
  38. World Bank SP.POP.TOTL api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-05
  39. OECD — Taxing Wages (DF_TAXINGWAGES) tax wedge and net income OECD · oecd.org · checked 2026-07-14