Hello,
I am an American-Latvian (holder of both passports) soon traveling to Riga to help some of my relatives move. I will be traveling with my brother who is also American-Latvian, but does not yet have his Latvian passport.

* I’ve checked and double checked, and since we’re both fully vaccinated, he should be allowed into the country, correct?

* I know that we will need to fill out the Covidpass.lv site within 48 hours before we arrive to Riga, will we also need to show our CDC vaccination cards to get the LV digital vaccination certificate? Where can this be done? I thought I saw a post here that said at the airport itself? Or maybe we need to go to a Doctor’s office or hospital?

* I’m having trouble remembering, is there an ATM at the airport? Can I buy a SIM card at the airport, or should I go to a convenience/corner store to do so?

* Any recommendations for where we should go to get PCR COVID tests to return to the States? I found this listing, but I noticed at the bottom it said to get the results to click Connect > Resident, however we aren’t residents. https://covid19.gov.lv/en/covid-19/about-covid-19/who-can-be-tested-covid-19-free

Any help is much appreciated!

9 comments

  1. Yes, ATM is at airport and sim can be bought.

    PCR test is less than 30€ in most labs like Gulbja Laboratorija.

    For other things have no idea.

  2. Only the EU Digital Covid Certificate counts as proof for vaccination so in the eyes of law you are not vaccinated when entering Latvia which means that because USA is in the “yellow” list, you have to have a PCR test before and after entering Latvia as well as you have to self-isolate for 10 days.

    [https://www.spkc.gov.lv/lv/media/15449/download](https://www.spkc.gov.lv/lv/media/15449/download) (current list, will be updated next friday)

    [https://www.spkc.gov.lv/lv/valstu-saslimstibas-raditaji-ar-covid-19-0](https://www.spkc.gov.lv/lv/valstu-saslimstibas-raditaji-ar-covid-19-0)

    https://covid19.gov.lv/index.php/en/support-society/careful-travel/overview-entry-restrictions-and-security-measures

  5. I traveled from USA to Riga very recently. We presented our CDC cards to the airline when checking in. We also brought some corroborating documents, just in case. We filled out the covid pass website info, too. When connecting in Frankfurt, customs again looked at our CDC cards. When we landed in Riga, they just basically dumped us off into the street. No one was checking the covid pass QR code or anything. I don’t know if they only spot check those QR codes or what. If you want to play it extra safe, some of the taxis and bolt cars have a plastic divider to try to help keep air from mixing, so you may want to look for those on arrival, depending on your needs and comfort level.

    A few hot travel tips:
    The rules are constantly changing. It might behoove everyone traveling, including vaccinated people, to get a negative covid test before going to the airport. Also, on return flights. More countries are requiring them now, even for the vaccinated. If you wind up having to get a test at the airport, it will probably be much more expensive than getting it done elsewhere. Just be sure to get one that the airline and country will accept.

    For your face mask, consider getting one where the straps loop around your head instead of looping around your ears. Otherwise, your ears will feel like someone is trying to tear them off.

  6. Your mileage can really vary on this… I traveled to Riga from the US on a Latvian passport with a US issued vaccination card, along with a US Citizen traveling with me. We were both able to show our vaccination cards upon check in for the AirBaltic flight to Riga without an issue.

    The Covidpass questionnaire is basically an attestation by you that you’re vaccinated and not sick to get a QR code (that in my experience anyway, no one scanned or looked at).

  7. My partner went at the beginning of July. She has both a US passport and a Latvian passport. She had more trouble getting out of the US than anywhere else, even with a negative PCR test. Delta was convinced that Latvia wasn’t letting US citizens in. She only was allowed on the flights in Minneapolis and Atlanta because she had her Latvian passport. Check with the airline to ensure your brother can board.

  8. I think the best way to make COVID-19 PCR test is E. Gulbja laboratorija contactless machine, because: it is the cheapest way i found (25€), you will recieve the result in english (if you wish) in 24 hours after returning “the magic box” to the machine and it is fully humanless. Here is the link: https://www.egl.lv/en/bezkontakta-ierice/analizu-pirksana-automatizetajam-sanemsanas-un-nodosanas-punktam/?auth
    UPD: Forgot to mention, that you will not need to insert a stick inside the neck (sometimes harmful), you just need to put your saliva inside the test tube.

  9. Hi there! Thanks for this post, the comments have been really helpful. Anyone know how this works for the land border from Lithuania? I will be renting a car and driving from Vilnius to Riga – coming on a US passport with a CDC vaccination card and will also have a recent test with me. Appreciate everyone’s assistance!

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