Latvian authorities plan to\u00a0ban regular bus service to\u00a0Russia and Belarus, including routes that transit through the country. The Transport Ministry has drafted the amendments and submitted them for the government\u2019s consideration, the Latvian news outlet Delfi reported.<\/p>\n
Currently, one regular bus route runs between Latvia and Russia, operated daily by\u00a0the company Norma-A under the Ecolines brand. The permit for that route is\u00a0valid until January 9, 2027, and there are no\u00a0plans to\u00a0extend it.<\/p>\n
Latvian authorities banned irregular bus passenger transport to\u00a0Russia and Belarus starting November 1, 2025. That ban runs through October 31, 2026, and officials plan to\u00a0extend it\u00a0for another year.<\/p>\n
The Transport Ministry acknowledged that restricting regular routes from Latvia would have limited practical effect, since passengers can still travel via connecting routes through Estonia and Lithuania, or\u00a0use minibus services that fall outside the rules governing bus transport.<\/p>\n
The ministry stated that it\u00a0\u201cwill continue assessing security aspects and economic and international obligations, in\u00a0order to\u00a0reach a\u00a0coordinated decision at\u00a0the level of\u00a0the Baltic states and the European Union.\u201d<\/p>\n
Latvian authorities have repeatedly urged residents to\u00a0refrain from traveling to\u00a0Russia and Belarus, and the State Security Service has warned of\u00a0recruitment risks.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0May 2026, when reports<\/a> emerged of\u00a0plans to\u00a0ban regular bus service from Latvia to\u00a0Russia, the carrier Ecolines estimated the direct damage from such a\u00a0move at\u00a0roughly four million euros a\u00a0year, with additional losses from an\u00a0idle bus fleet adding another roughly two million euros a\u00a0year.<\/p>\n Regular bus routes are one of\u00a0the cheapest ways to\u00a0travel to\u00a0Russia and Belarus from European countries. However, passengers on\u00a0such buses often have to\u00a0spend many hours at\u00a0the border, including because of\u00a0checks by\u00a0Russian security services.<\/p>\n At\u00a0Meduza, we\u00a0are committed to\u00a0transparency about our use of\u00a0artificial intelligence in\u00a0the newsroom. The story you\u2019re reading was written by\u00a0one of\u00a0our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an\u00a0AI\u00a0model configured to\u00a0follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is\u00a0the result of\u00a0extensive testing and refinements to\u00a0ensure our English-language coverage is\u00a0timely and accurate. A\u00a0Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.<\/p>\n If\u00a0you find any errors in\u00a0this translation, please contact us\u00a0at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n