COVID-19

If there is an electronic signature, you can send an application approved by electronic signature by e-mail: pasts@vp.gov.lv. The application can also be sent to the Latvija.lv portal (registration with online banking data). You can do this in this section “Application to the Authority”.

The application shall contain detailed information which may be useful for the detection of a crime or offence, as well as his or her personal data, address and contact phone.

Definitely! At the end of the emergency, changes to the regulation of epidemiological security measures have entered into force.

The limits should be maintained as both high morbidity rates and high rates of hospitalised Covid-19 patients remain.
The power to continue to impose restrictive measures on the rights of persons for epidemiological security purposes without announcing a special legal regime has been delegated to the Cabinet by the legislator - Saeima - by adopting the Covid-19 infection distribution management law.
As a result, part of the existing security measures have been transferred to Cabinet Regulation No 360 “Epidemiological Safety Measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 infection”, with amendments which entered into force on 7 April. Learn more!

It is important that a large number of people do not know where they are directly infected by Covid-19, so we call for the safety measures to be taken.
We also call for further use of the opportunity to work remotely, if the specific nature of the work allows, and not to gather more than two households outside!

Latvia may only be appointed in urgent cases:

• work,
• training, studies,
• family combination,
• receipt of medical services,
• transit,
• unaccompaniing minors,
• return to the permanent place of life,
• funeral.

Learn more!

Only certain categories of persons listed in paragraph 37 of the BOM Regulation No 360 “Epidemiological security measures to limit the spread of Covid -19” may enter Latvia through EU external border crossing points. Upon arrival in Latvia, a person from foreign countries must comply with the 10-day self-isolation. If persons have been in a country other than the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom for the last 14 days, a second test shall be carried out immediately upon arrival in Latvia.

When travelling from countries where the 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases per 100 000 inhabitants exceeds 50, 10-day self-isolation should be observed. The list of countries from which the 10-day self-isolation is to be observed on arrival in Latvia can be found in the section on the website of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) entitled “National incidence rates with COVID-19”.

As from 11 February, persons from the European Union and the European Economic Area countries, the Swiss Confederation and the United Kingdom with international passenger transport or a private vehicle will only be able to enter Latvia in urgent cases to limit the risks of spreading Covid-19 infection:

• work,
• training, studies,
• family combination,
• receipt of medical services,
• transit,
• unaccompaniing minors,
• return to the permanent place of life,
• funeral.

It is important that passenger carriers should not accommodate passengers who have not indicated the purpose of travelling in the covidpass.lv system.

Anyone entering Latvia using international passenger transport services must show a negative result of the Covid-19 infectious molecular biological PCR test (conducted from nasal and oral smears). The proof must not be longer than 72 hours. On the other hand, persons who have re-skated Covid-19 in the last 3 months must present a medical statement or a medical document certifying that the person is not infectious

If the passenger is not able to show the test result - printed or electronically in a smart device - or a doctor's statement, it will be refused boarding. The test result or medical statement must be in the official language of English, French, Russian or country of departure. The use of the services of the carrier will only be possible by producing a negative test result. This provision also applies to those who intend to come to Latvia with a private vehicle. The result of the test will have to be indicated in the covidpass.lv questionnaire, which will be verified by the Latvian Border Guard and the police. [1]

There are also exceptional cases where the test is not to be carried out before entering Latvia:

• Children under 11 years of age
• For transport personnel and crew members, seafarers travelling to or from their workplace, transit passengers who do not leave the aerodrome-controlled area, representatives of the diplomatic corps
• The test will not be required for border residents who cross borders daily due to work, education and similar needs and can show proof of employment or education

As of March 17, persons returning from non-essential trips to third countries must undergo a Covid-19 test for their means. In the event of a positive result, you should immediately go to the 10-day self-containment hotel where you are required to stay for your own funds. Learn more!

Persons crossing Latvia in transit must do so within 12 hours from the submission of a certificate to the website, covidpass.lv. Learn more!

After returning from foreign countries with high incidence of Covid-19, it is mandatory that 10-day self-isolation be observed, but for certain categories of persons (medical practitioners, educational staff, etc.) a 14-day self-isolation, which may be interrupted in certain cases on day 10.

Non-compliance with self-containment in the workplace and during work

Derogations may be granted to foreign residents from risk countries who:

• arrival in Latvia is necessary for the fulfilment of the obligations of Latvian merchants (self-isolation may not be applied during the performance and place of work duties) (learn more!)
• the purpose of arrival in Latvia is participation in international sports events (learn more!)

More about entering Latvia ON THE website “If returned/entered Latvia”.

[1] Latvian nationals with private transport may also visit Latvia with a positive test result. The main thing is to have proof of a positive/negative test. However, it should be noted that when travelling to Latvia with private road transport, the entry restrictions imposed by other countries may have to be faced, including through transit.

If a person has been in a country other than the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom for the last 14 days, the person shall be required to perform the Covid-19 test immediately at the nearest available test point. If this is not possible, the person shall immediately go in self-isolation to the tourist accommodation from the LIAA list and remain there until the test is carried out and the results are expected.

 
The costs of testing, transport and accommodation and catering services at the tourist accommodation shall be borne by the person from his own resources!
Learn more!

As from October 12, when crossing the border of the Republic of Latvia, an electronic questionnaire will be completed on a dedicated website in covidpass.lv. The website will be available from any smart device.

The completion of the declaration is mandatory for all immigrants, and it must be performed not earlier than 48 hours before the border of the Republic of Latvia is crossed. The person must indicate his or her name, surname, personal identity number, contact phone for communication and address of the actual place of residence in which the person will be reached, as well as the countries and dates of departure in which the person has stayed during the last 14 days prior to arrival in the territory of the Republic of Latvia, etc. For each adult, the statement must be completed separately, for minors, the statement shall be completed by the parents or legal guardians.

After completing the certificate questionnaire, the migrant will receive a personalised QR code that will certify the submission of the data. If the QR code is lost, the “receive QR code” function is created on the home page by re-entering the e-mail address.

If the place of maintenance is changed during the 10-day self-isolation period or if it is necessary to leave Latvia to his or her country of residence, the State Police shall be notified thereof.

Notification of changes may:

• informing the policeman who is in contact with the person in order to ensure that self-isolation is observed;
• by sending a written statement to the pasts@vp.gov.lv;
• by contacting the police station where the person is staying in the service area;
• if, prior to arrival in Latvia, it is known that the time of stay in self-isolation will be less than 10 days, this information (time of departure, etc.) may also be indicated in the electronic certificate on the site covidpass.lv, which is completed before entering Latvia.

Persons who have returned from the so-called “red” countries (list of countries) must comply with the 10-day self-isolation.

Home quarantine must be observed for 14 days since the last time there was close contact with the sick. If a person lives with the sick, the 14-day report shall start from the day on which the patient has recovered. Home quarantine contacts can be interrupted by testing on day 10 and receiving a negative result.

The requirement for the use of mouth and nose masks (medical or non-medical (hygienic or fabric) face masks is now mandatory:

• in public indoor areas, including in workplaces where more than one person is in the room;
• in public outdoors, in places where there is an intensive flow of people;
• in public transport, in a taxi or in a passenger car carrying out commercial passenger transport. The requirement to use a face mask also applies to drivers who are not in a fully separated cab from passengers (6.3). Point ¹).

Mouth and nose masks may not be used:

• children below 7 years of age;
• persons with obvious problems with mobility or mental health, due to which the person lacks the ability or skills to use the mouth and nose.

Section 6.3.1 of the BOM Regulation No 360 “Epidemiological precautions to limit the spread of Covid-19 infection” also lists other exceptional cases where mouth and nose cover may not be used, such as professional orchestras, choirs, theater and dance collective, sportsmen and journalists.

As has been the case so far, strict assembly restrictions have continued to be imposed across the country. All public activities on site, including fireworks and salute, shall be abolished and prohibited. Only walks and pickets involving a maximum of 10 persons shall be allowed.

Private events and private gatherings, with the exception of one household, are also prohibited. As of April 7, private measures under two households are allowed for up to 10 persons, but only outdoors.

The rules shall allow visits if it is necessary to ensure the care of the person or if the person resides in the household within one but not more than two households.

The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control calls on people who provide assistance to lone elderly people (e.g. food or medicines) or care for someone who cannot take care of themselves, to use a face mask and, if possible, to take a distance to avoid the risk of infection.

At funerals and the holding of christening ceremonies, no more than 10 persons may gather in urgent cases at the same time (excluding persons directly associated with the provision of funeral or christening), but not more than two households.

Mouth and nose masks are used during such gatherings. The funeral and christening ceremony may also be held indoors.

In order to reduce the spread of Covid-19 infection in public transport after 7 April, the safety measures previously laid down, which must be provided by carriers and respected by passengers, remain in force.

For passengers

• All passengers (including children 7 years old) should be required to use the cover of their mouth and nose.
• The mouth and nose may not be used in children below 7 years of age and in people with disabilities or mental disorders.
• Public transport should not be used by citizens who have a positive Covid-19 test or have been identified as contacts.

For carriers

• Regular disinfection and ventilation of vehicles must be ensured.
• If it is not possible to provide a physical barrier from passengers, drivers should be obliged to use the cover of the mouth and nose.
• If, due to the nature of the vehicle, it is not possible to control the boarding and disembarkation of passengers, seating positions shall be marked in the vehicle, ensuring compliance with the separation requirements.
• In the mornings and in the evenings where the most drivers are present, larger-capacity vehicles must be provided as far as possible, or additional vehicles must be provided.

Passengers are invited to assess the need to use public transport and to choose a time when passengers are less, i.e. not in peak hours when people go to work or from work.

As from 7 April 2021, all shops (with a total sales area under 7000 m ²) outside the commercial centres may be operated on site. Spot trading is no longer restricted by lists of goods. Spot trading shall take place in strict compliance with the epidemiological security rules.
Large malls (above 7000 m ²) only allow the operation of service facilities and separate stores:

• pharmacies, including veterinary pharmacies,
• optics stores,
• refuelling stations,
• shops marketing food for not less than 70% of the product mix,
• shops in which hygiene products are marketed for not less than 70% of the product mix,
• bookstores.
• On-the-spot receipt of goods purchased in distance trading in malls is prohibited!

The organisation of street trade (or fairs) is allowed, while approving a secure trade protocol for all outdoor trade. Learn more!

The following services are not provided in order to minimise the gathering of people indoors, thereby reducing the distribution of Covid-19 to the public:

• beauty services, pinging and tattooing services (manicure, pedicure, podologist and hairdresser services permitted),
• internal rental of sports equipment,
• photo services on site (except for the performance of work duties and the manufacture of photographs for documents, it is permitted to provide individual photographic services at the outdoor),
• entertainment and wellbeing services (including bars, nightclubs, discos, acvaparks, pyggies, SPA, rinks, gamerooms, children's parties, entertainment and entertainment centres, trampoline parks, children's playrooms, children's sitting rooms (including malls)),
• indoor sports clubs,
• indoor activities of cultural sites and exhibition venues, including libraries (excluding open-air areas of museums which can work in order to ensure the unidirectional movement of visitors, the absence of human flows and respect for two metres),
• on-the-spot catering services (excluding the distribution of food for take-off and on-site activities in manufacturing plants, educational establishments where it is necessary to ensure that the catering site is not publicly available do not overlap the flows of groups of persons who do not have daily contact, only one person is present at the table during catering, two metres between the tables).
• No engines are happening!

Learn more!

Catering venues may only issue food for co-collection.

This restriction does not apply to kindergarten and production establishments where it is not possible to ensure the delivery of food for co-intake. In exceptional cases, in addition to other requirements, the following conditions shall be

• the catering site is not publicly available;
• ensuring that the flows of groups of persons without daily contact do not overlap physically;
• only one person is present at one table during catering;
• there is a 2-meter distance between the tables.

In order to help public catering companies to provide safe catering services, the Latvian Restaurant Society, in consultation with the Food and Veterinary Service, has developed guidelines for good hygiene practices for the supply/take of food.
Learn more!

The key to trade is to ensure effective and strict compliance with separation standards. All marketing sites, including the market and street marketing sites, must use masks, take 2 metres' distance, increase hygiene, provide precautionary information. Facial shields should only be used with a mask. The provider of an economic service shall be prohibited from serving a customer who does not use or incorrectly uses the cover of the mouth and nose. This means that, for example, in the shop, the salesperson will not serve the customer if the person does not use the cover of his mouth and nose. In a well-visible location (in addition to the precautions), visitors should be invited to use the National Contact and Warning Mobile Application Stop Covid.

At the point of sale:

• the responsible person who organises the fulfilment of safety requirements at the trading venue must be identified;
• have established an internal control system for the implementation of epidemiological security measures to be presented to the official as necessary;
• a single visitor must provide not less than 25 m ² of the publicly available space;
• information must be provided at the entrance to the shop, including in a foreign language, on the maximum number of visitors;
• where the area of the place of supply of an economic service is less than 25 m ², one visitor may be present at the same time;
• where the infrastructure permits, a distinction must be made between the exit from the entrance;
• the control of the flow of visitors shall be organised by means specified in the internal control system (the total number shall not exceed the maximum number of visitors at the point of sale);
• visitors shall only be admitted one at a time (one household representative), except with children under 12 years of age with whom one adult may be present;
• it is prohibited to organise and promote short-term special offers that could motivate citizens to go and stay in trading places, thereby creating a rallying risk.
• at the same time there shall be no more than the maximum allowable number of visitors, which shall be determined by the sum of the number of visitors allowed at the point of sale;
• information, including in foreign languages, on the maximum number of visitors to the trading centre together shall be placed at the entrance in a prominent place;
• control the flow of visitors at the entrances and exits of the mall, in hallways, in toilets and elsewhere (outside the service and the place of delivery), where there is a reinforced gathering of visitors;
• in malls with an area exceeding 7000 m ², it is necessary to install a digital visitor flow tracking tool.

The trading venue, trading centre or market may be closed for up to 7 days for failure to comply with security measures.

The following safety requirements must be complied with at street outlets or fairs:

• visitors and sellers must use mouth-and-nose masks;
• it is permitted to accommodate up to 20 trading places;
• physically demarcate the area of the fair;
• entertainment events (thematic holidays, entertainments) are not taking place during the organisation of street trade.

In order to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus, open open-air trails and museum outdoor exposures have been opened for visitors, but indoor museum exposures have been closed.
It is recalled that in nature trails, museum outdoors, environmental and natural objects visited by large numbers of people, face masks should be used for all visitors aged 7!

On the other hand, the digital environment brings together and restores the resources of the informational campaign, calling on citizens to enjoy the most diverse cultural developments virtually without visiting authorities.

Learn more here!

In order to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus, open open-air trails and museum outdoor exposures have been opened for visitors, but indoor museum exposures have been closed.
It is recalled that in nature trails, museum outdoors, environmental and natural objects visited by large numbers of people, face masks should be used for all visitors aged 7!

On the other hand, the digital environment brings together and restores the resources of the informational campaign, calling on citizens to enjoy the most diverse cultural developments virtually without visiting authorities.

Learn more here!

Only personnel whose duties cannot be carried out remotely due to the specific nature of their work may be employed.

If, due to the specific nature of the work, the employer has an obligation to:

• adopt measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 infections in workplaces;
• establish the responsibility for the implementation of these measures;
• to provide workers with the necessary personal protective equipment;
• inform employees of measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 infection at the workplace.

In order to reduce the risk of infection with Covid-19, we call for the following principles to continue to be followed:

• ensure that only one employee is present in the office at a time;
• in open-type offices, provide for a larger area per employee, for example, as in the event of an emergency, not less than 15 m ² of the available space area;
• if the office is large and there are several employees, provide as much distance as possible between employees, ensuring, as far as possible, the installation of protective barriers;
• if it is not possible to comply with the above conditions, a work schedule shall be drawn up, for example by determining which employees (officials) come to work in person every other day. The head of the institution should evaluate the best solution for organising work processes in order to minimise contact between employees.

Road traffic offences

During the extreme situation, there are restrictions on road traffic offences in Riga region, in the handling of administrative infringements cases!

• Cases shall not be dealt with on-the-spot, which shall not affect the amount of the penalty applicable.

• The possibility of taking a decision without being present, or the possibility of being present, will be explained to the infringer by drawing up a protocol.

• If the infringer wants the case to be examined in his or her presence, the inspector must indicate it on the spot or request the postponement of the proceedings by sending an application/request to the Riga Regional Board of the VP.

• Without a request for postponement, the decision will be taken without the presence of the infringer.

• The procedures for appealing decisions shall not be changed.

• Only administrative infringement cases in which the infringer's vehicle has been removed will be dealt with on-site.

An application/request may be submitted electronically to the Latvija.lv portal (under the heading “E-mail to the Authority”) or electronically by e-signature, by e-mail to the kanc.kpp@riga.vp.gov.lv. The application shall specify the personal data and the number of the administrative file (protocol).

In the case of questions, contact the VP RRP Bureau for Administrative Traffic Violations:

Informative phone 67829155; informative e-mail sapib@riga.vp.gov.lv

Driving the vehicle under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs 67829177

Road accidents 67829163; 67829191

Other administrative irregularities 67829198, 67829168

Search Department if the vehicle involved in the road accident has left the accident site 67829234, 67829199

You must ask the inspector what your next action is.

Important information for owners of hunting and self-defense weapons!

The State Police shall ask the owners OF weapons TO assess RESPONSIBLY the need to obtain:

• the first authorisation for the purchase of a weapon/authorisation for the purchase of a weapon;

• marketing authorisation;

• a permit for the carriage of weapons.

In cases where, however, it is necessary to obtain those authorisations, contact the responsible officials first before going to the authority:

Riga Region – 67829131

Vidzeme Region – 64801732

Latgale Region – 65403389

Kurzeme Region – 63404546

Zemgale Region – 63004230

Or with your Permission System Inspector by phone number, which is indicated on your gun permit. And then take appropriate action on the instructions of the inspector.

In the case of non-compliance with the limits set out in the Covid-19 infection management law, the penalty can reach EUR 2000 for individuals and EUR 5000 for legal persons. (Section 50 of the Law on Management of the spread of covid-19 infection).

The State Police, in cooperation with the local government police, shall monitor whether persons comply with self-isolation. There are also public places where people could gather, and when they receive information, the police will respond accordingly and assess potential irregularities. State police are calling on residents to be accountable and to comply with certain precautions. Each case will be assessed individually. Restrictive measures aim mainly at preventing or disrupting the mass gathering of individuals. If the restrictions are breached, a penalty could be imposed.

If you have information about someone who does not comply with the restrictions and prohibitions, do and call the police - 110! You are at the distance of one call to possibly save someone's life and reduce the spread of the virus!

You will find answers to other frequently asked questions by calling the single Covid-19 reference phone 8345.

Current outbreak OF COVID-19 infection

Additional information - HERE