Driving in Latvia

But if you’re planning a road trip to Latvia, it’s essential you’re fully prepared ahead of time as driving there has many differences to the UK. 

To make your trip to Eastern Europe as safe and effortless as possible, we’ve put together a guide to everything you need to know before you go, from required documents to rules of the road.  

Driving a rented vehicle? Jump to the advice for driving a hire car in Latvia section.

RAC European Breakdown Cover (Basic and Comprehensive) provides a wide range of benefits should you breakdown in Latvia to ensure you stay safe. 

To supplement this, RAC also offers travel insurance. Cover will include medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings, among many other benefits.

Need short-term insurance for your vehicle? Our temporary car cover is perfect if you're looking for flexible insurance for between 1 hour and 30 days.

• A valid, full UK driving licence (you must also be 18 or over)
• Your motor insurance certificate
• The V5 registration document for your own car or the hire car paperwork for a rental

Do I need a GB or UK sticker for driving in Latvia?

Since 28th September 2021, the distinguishing mark (or national identifier) displayed on vehicles registered in the United Kingdom that are driven abroad has changed from GB to UK.  

This means that vehicles registered in the UK must display the letters “UK” when driven in Latvia.   

The identifier can be incorporated in vehicle number plates (along with the Union Flag) or as a separate sticker. Note that vehicles featuring the letters GB together with the Council of Europe golden stars are no longer valid for driving abroad.

If your vehicle does not have the UK identifier within the number plate, you will require a UK sticker when driving in Italy. GB stickers will no longer be valid from the end of September.

Do I need an insurance green card?

From 2nd August 2021, drivers will no longer require an insurance green card for taking their vehicles to Latvia.

ETIAS – 2025

ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It is a visa program for visitors who don’t need a Schengen visa, who want to travel to the European Union and a few other European countries.

Visitors who purchase an ETIAS will be able to enter the 26 member states of the Schengen Zone as well as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania.

This will be launching in 2025. Learn more about ETIAS here.

Aside from the documents above, there are some legally-required items you must bring with you to drive in Latvia.

Unless your headlights can be adjusted, it's a legal requirement to carry headlamp converters (stickers for your headlights when driving on the right, so your lights don't dazzle motorists coming the other way).

A warning triangle is also compulsory to carry in vehicles in case of a breakdown.

It's also recommended to have:

• Spare bulbs for your car's external lights
• A fire extinguisher 
• A first-aid kit
• A reflective jacket
• A Green Card (this is no longer a requirement, but it could be useful to back-up your insurance documents and show you've got the minimum legal level of cover. To find out more, contact your insurance company)

You can pick up all the car kit you need from RAC Shop.

Is there anything that I shouldn’t take with me?

Be aware that you cannot take the following with you into Latvia:

• meat or products containing meat
• milk or dairy products

You cannot take the following unless you pay to have them inspected before you leave and get a ‘phytosanitary certificate’:

• fresh fruit (apart from bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians)
• vegetables
• plants
• plant products

• In Latvia, you drive on the right and overtake on the left. Vehicles from the right and emergency vehicles have priority
• There are no motorways in Latvia, but there are dual carriageways that run from Riga to other cities. You won’t have to pay a toll to use the roads
• If you're caught committing a motoring offence while driving through Latvia, you could be given an on-the-spot fine. The police can issue the fines, but they can’t collect them. You must pay or lodge an appeal within 30 days
• Seat belts should be worn in all seats where a belt is available
• Children under 150cm in height must use a special seat or the lap strap of an adult seat belt
• The drink-drive limit is 0.05%. For novice drivers with less than 2 years’ experience, the limit is lower, at 0.02%. Police can test any driver suspected of being over the limit, and refusing to take a test could see you fined

The speed limit is usually 50km/h in built-up areas unless otherwise indicated (in residential areas it’s 20km/h). On country roads, the limit is 90km/h, while on dual carriageways, it’s 100km/h

You are not allowed to use radar detectors or anything that interferes with police equipment

• Unleaded petrol and diesel are readily available, as is LPG. A special winter diesel fuel with a very high congealing point is available in winter. Most filling stations will accept credit cards
• You’re advised to use guarded car parks whenever possible as car thefts and break-ins are common
• In Riga, you must take care not to park on tramlines. If you park illegally, you may be issued with an on-the-spot fine

In an emergency

112 - Here's a really important bit of knowledge; you can dial 112 from anywhere in Europe and an operator will connect you to an emergency service in the country you're visiting.

Operators can answer your call in their native language, English or French.

Breaking down in Latvia

RAC offers great-value, flexible RAC European breakdown cover tailored to meet your needs. We also offer comprehensive travel insurance, including cover for medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings.

Not all of the information in the guide above will be relevant to those looking to rent a hire car in Latvia.

Though it might be a good idea to read through everything anyway, here are the most important things to know for drivers of rental vehicles:

Rental information

• The minimum age to hire a car is 21, although this can vary depnding upon your provider
• You need a full, valid UK driving licence and usually a second proof of ID (passport)
• Some car rental companies ask that you have held your licence for a minimum term - check with your hire company first
• Some companies require you to use a credit card for deposit
• You may not be able to drive outside of Latvia unless planned in advance - check with your hire company first
• Make sure you get car hire excess insurance before your trip to protect yourself from unexpected costs. It's almost always cheaper to do this with a separate insurer and in advance

Hire car driving tips

• Latvians drive on the right and overtake on the left - the opposite to the UK
• The Latvian speed limit is usually 50km/h in built-up areas unless otherwise indicated (in residential areas it’s 20km/h). On country roads, the limit is 90km/h, while on dual carriageways, it’s 100km/h
• Dial 112 in an emergency
• It’s compulsory to wear seat belts in the front and rear seats
• The blood alcohol content limit for drivers of private vehicles is 0.05%. That's lower than the 0.08% in England Wales and Northern Ireland, but the same as Scotland.

UK Government travel advice

See up-to-date travel advice

Fuel

Fuel prices in Latvia can be found in our up-to-date European fuel prices page.