Things You Should Know Before Studying in Latvia

1. Studying in Latvia is Affordable

Most of the programmes at Latvian higher education institutions charge tuition fees, but compared to competitive countries, Latvia’s undergraduate tuition fees are relatively cheap.

The tuition fees vary greatly, depending on the institution and the study programme. In international study programmes, the fees vary from 1,500 and 15,000 euros per academic year. Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences study fees are one of the lowest between universities in Latvia - 1,500 and 3,000 euro per year.

Living costs vary between cities, in the capital city it can be much higher than in region, for example accommodation in Valmiera costs from 90 euros (student hostel), but in Riga from 150 and higher. Transportation costs  starting from 25 euros, food -  from 200 euro per month.

2. Scholarships Available for International Students

Latvia provides various scholarship schemes for supporting international students interested in studying in Latvia. Currently, scholarships are granted to students, researchers and teaching staff for:

• degree studies in Latvian higher education institutions,
• research work in Latvian higher education institutions,
• participation in summer schools organized by Latvian higher education institutions.

Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences offers  5 scholarships for EU/EEA and non EU in each master’s study program – Business Environment Administration, Media and Information Literacy, Strategic Communication and Governance, Cybersecurity Engineering, Virtual Reality and Smart Technologies. Find out more https://va.lv/en

Scholarships are administered by the State Education Development Agency (Valsts izglītības attīstības aģentūra – VIAA). Find out more about scholarships on VIAA website → Scholarships

3. How to Choose Your University

There are many universities, colleges and institutions to choose from in Latvia, not only those who are located in capital city Riga, but also in region. Most colleges and universities in Latvia are publicly funded and accredited which means that you will receive the highest source of education to help you to obtain a job after studies.

The Latvian higher education system differs between academic and professional degree programmes. The academic programmes tend to be more theoretically oriented, the professional courses train for concrete professions. In both branches, you can acquire Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Diploma obtained in Latvia is highly appreciated not only in Europe, but also around the world.

To find your study program check websites of universities where you mostly can find all necessary information.

4. The Weather

If you’re planning to study in Latvia you should be prepared to live in colder weather for several months.  

Latvia is located in the temperate climate zone and therefore has four pronounced seasons. Travelers visiting Latvia can enjoy a real winter with subzero temperatures and snow, spring floods, warm summers, and colorful autumns.

The winter in Latvia usually lasts from mid-December to the beginning of March. Air temperature can vary from +5 degrees Celsius all the way down to -30 degrees. Now it is more typical to have warmer winters in Latvia. Anyway, you will need a good winter jacket, a hat, scarf, gloves, water proof winter boots, etc.

In Latvia, the spring may begin already at the end of February or as late as in late April, and the spring season lasts until the beginning of June. The average air temperature in spring is 0 to +15 degrees.

The summer in Latvia starts in June and continues until September. The average air temperature in the summer is around +19 degrees, but on some days it may rise to +30 degrees. The latter half of the summer may bring sudden thunderstorms.

Autumn in Latvia lasts from September to December. The average air temperature decreases from +10 degrees in September to 0 degrees in November.

Sometime at the beginning of the autumn, there is an Indian summer when temperatures rise to up to +20 degrees, whereas the first snow may fall already in October or November.

During the golden autumn period, foliage turns colorful red, orange, and golden across Latvia.

Find our more: https://www.latvia.travel/en/article/weather-latvia

5. Visa to study in Latvia

The requirements for a student visa in Latvia will differ based on whether the prospective student is a EU/EEA citizen or not.

Students from the EU/EEA do not need a visa to enter Latvia. Citizens from Russia, Belarus, Georgia, China and other countries need a visa to enter Latvia. These people are granted a Schengen visa, allowing them to stay in Latvia and other Schengen countries. Additionally, there are also countries outside of the EU/EEA whose citizens can take advantage of the same privilege. 

However, do take note that above mentioned individuals can only stay up to 90 days in Latvia within a six-month period. As such, students planning to stay for a longer time are advised to apply for a residence permit before arriving or within their first 90 days of stay in the country.

Please do note that there may be additional requirements depending on the chosen university so it is highly recommended to also check in with the university’s international coordinator.

Documents necessary to apply for a visa or residence permit:

• A letter of invitation from the chosen university
• The application form which can be found here
• A copy of the applicant’s passport (bring the original for presentation). Passport must be still be valid for a minimum of three months after the planned length of stay
• One photo (3x4 cm)
• Proof of sufficient funding (minimum of EUR 430) per month: original statement from the bank, stamped and signed plus a copy of the bank card (considered valid for 3 months from approval date)
• A document certifying the place of accommodation (considered valid for 3 months from approval date)
• Copy of a study agreement with the university
• State processing fee

The entire residence permit process will take more than 40 days.

Upon receiving the permit, students will need to present a health insurance policy (valid for all Schengen countries), and both the original and copied versions of fluorography or x-ray results issued by a reputable institution in Latvia.

6. Working While Studying

In Latvia foreign/international students who are studying may also work on or off campus as long as they have a valid residence permit.  All full-time students with a valid permit are allowed to work part-time for up to 20 hours per week during study semesters and full time during semester breaks.

7. Travel to Latvia

Quite a number of different airline companies serve Riga airport, including budget airlines, so it should not be too difficult to find a reasonable ticket. The website of Riga International Airport (opened to the list of companies flying to Riga and web addresses) can be found here: http://www.riga-airport.com/en/main/flights/airlines.

Another way of arriving in Latvia is by ferry. Riga has a ferry connection to Stockholm in Sweden, Ventspils is connected with Ninneshamn in Sweden and Travemunde in Germany, and the city of Liepāja also offers a ferry route to Travemunde in Germany.

International train routes are currently limited to connections with Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia and to Minsk in Belarus.

Riga is very well served by extensive bus connections. Bus routes connect Latvia with Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, the UK and Ukraine. Check with your local travel agency or transport provider to learn more about connections and prices.

8. Language learning courses

Universities may offer variety of language support. At Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences all international students can attend course “Latvian Language and Culture” to obtain basic phrases and knowledge of Latvian.  

_{Since 2018, ViA has been implementing three new Master's degree programmes in English, which have been developed as part of the project "Development and Approbation of New Master's Programs for the Promotion of International Competitiveness of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences" (No.8.2.1.0 /18/A/011.) In total, five Master's degree programmes in English will be developed: "Media and Information Literacy", "Virtual Reality and Smart Technologies", "Cyber Security Engineering", "Strategic Communication and Governance" and a tourism study programme in cooperation with Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in Finland.}

_{The total budget of the project is EUR 500 000, of which 85% is financed from the European Social Fund and 15% from the state budget of Latvia. The project will be implemented from April 2019 till November 2023 and is supported by the European Social Fund (ESF).}