Safe travel
Safe travel

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAVELERS ABROAD DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

You can find the latest information on safe travel for Latvia HERE, for Lithuania HERE and for Estonia HERE.

Security requirements for airports and air carriers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the following rules apply at most airports (including Riga Airport):

  • Only passengers who board their flight and have a valid flight ticket (or boarding pass) are admitted to the terminal of the departure.
  • Only passengers wearing personal protective equipment (face masks) may enter the terminal and the aircraft, they must wear them all the time, including during the entire flight. 

Please check these requirements before departure.

Security requirements when traveling to different countries

When traveling from Latvia, the safe travel procedures established by the competent public administration authorities of the Republic of Latvia, the operating air carrier and the host country must be observed. Note that the list of countries affected by Covid-19 currently includes all countries in the world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends refraining from unnecessary travel. Travelers are personally responsible for the correct and timely fulfillment of the requirements set by the host country, which must be met before the start of the travel. Please note that when traveling to/from different countries, you may be required to take Covid-19 tests, obtain special travel insurance, and fill in entry documents.

Most countries have introduced electronic questionnaires for migrants, which need to be completed within a certain period of time before entry. Without such a document, entry may be denied. Before traveling, check the official tourism portal of the country of entry and make sure whether you need the above document. 

The Republic of Latvia has joined the EU interoperable Covid-19 certificate. A valid EU interoperable COVID certificate is a document that certifies that the holder of it has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or has recovered from COVID-19 virus, or that the holder has been tested COVID-19 and the result thereof is negative. When traveling abroad, persons with this certificate may be subject to less stringent epidemiological restrictions. This certificate is currently recognized in all countries of the European Union. Many countries only accept travelers with such a certificate.

 It is desirable that all documents required for traveling are in English so that the check-in agent at the airport, when checking passenger for a flight, would have no doubt on compliance of the documents and does not cause additional inconvenience to the passenger and allow the passenger to depart. If the passenger is not able to submit the original of the document in English, we recommend that it be translated and notarized.

Each country can set its own entry requirements and restrictions during a Covid-19 pandemic, and they change frequently. Before purchasing a travel and also before departure, please read the entry rules of your destination country on its official website.

Security requirements for returning at the place of the start of the travel Latvia HERE, Lithuania HERE and Estonia HERE

List of countries subject to special precautionary and restrictive measures

On the website of the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, you can see the information in the tables on the weekly average 14-day cumulative morbidity per 100,000 population in many countries around the world.

Country breakdown:

  • High risk countries (Emergency break solution) – countries where an epidemiological situation has been identified that could pose a serious threat to public health;
  • High-risk countries in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/ EEA): the 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases exceeds 75 cases per 100,000 population;
  • Low-risk countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/ EEA): the 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases does not exceed 75 cases per 100,000 population;
  • Countries and territories outside the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/EEA) The countries listed in Annex I to the “Council recommendation on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction”. 

When returning to Latvia from abroad, please read this list so that you are informed about the need to perform the COVID-19 test and/or observe self-isolation.

The list is updated every Friday, please follow the current information. 

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