Ukraine to Latvia

On arrival in Latvia via the border crossing points, a border check will be carried out for persons with biometric passports.

Ukrainian civilians who arrive in Latvia from another European Union country and have other travel documents but do not have a valid visa to enter the Schengen area will be given visas.

If a person arrives without travel documents, the identity of the person will be confirmed in cooperation with the competent Ukrainian authorities.

A Ukrainian citizen staying in Latvia on the basis of a residence permit is obliged to declare his place of residence in Latvia within one month from the moment of receiving the residence permit card. Information on how to declare your place of residence in Latvia is available here.

Transport to Latvia

Pets

If you have a pet traveling with you from Ukraine, please contact your nearest veterinarian to arrange a visit as soon as you settle down. The veterinarian will examine, register, chip and vaccinate the animal free of charge. Phone +371 67095245. Website of the Food and Veterinary Service: www.pvd.gov.lv

If you arrive in Riga, there is a volunteer-operated welcome booth inside Riga Bus Station. The booth is open 8:00 to 24:00 every day.

Contacts

Information on crossing the state border (24/7) is available by calling the State Border Guard +371 67913569, +371 67913568
The website of the State Border Guard website www.rs.gov.lv www.rs.gov.lv
The website of the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia www.iem.gov.lv/lv

Residents of Ukraine can receive advice and practical support at the support center, including:

• apply for a visa,
• submit applications for issuing personal codes and receive personal codes,
• apply for a benefit in a crisis situation, guaranteed minimum income, benefit and housing benefit, certificate for receiving food parcels,
• receive a package of food, household and hygiene products ,
• receive information about registration in schools and kindergartens,
• receive information about educational opportunities in Latvia,
• receive consultations on employment,
• apply for child, pension and disability benefits of Ukrainian civilians,
• receive free Latvian SIM cards and e-tickets for the use of public transport,
• receive information about the non-governmental sector's opportunities to help,
• receive psychological counseling from the center "Skalbes"

Support in other cities

• Daugavpils

• Jelgava

• Jūrmala

• Liepāja

• Rēzekne

• Rīga

• Ventspils

Other municipalities: more information here

Starting from July 20, municipalities can make a decision on accommodation for up to 60 days, if it is not possible to provide accommodation for up to 120 days in the relevant municipality. The municipality will be able to make a decision on accommodation for up to 60 days only if the municipality has reached 80% of the actually possible number of accommodated Ukrainian civilians and it is not possible to provide accommodation in another municipality.

If you need accommodation, please contact the 24/7 hotline +371 27380380 If you are in Riga, you can also contact the Riga city hotline +371 80000800 (workdays from 8am to 6pm) Ukrainians in Latvia are mainly accommodated in hotels and tourist accommodation facilities, as well as in the families of Latvian residents.

Certain groups of persons who, for objective reasons, may find it difficult to provide housing after the period of accommodation provided by the state, have the possibility to receive accommodation support also after a period of 60 or 120 days, but no longer than until December 31 of this year.

Individuals who are eligible for accommodation after the 60 or 120 day period are disabled; provides care for persons with disabilities; is of retirement age according to the retirement age set in Latvia; acquires education in person at a pre-school, primary education, general secondary or vocational secondary education institution or transfers to studies at the next level of education, obtains education at a higher education institution or continues education in Ukraine through distance learning or remotely at a primary education, general secondary or vocational secondary education institution; is a woman registered as pregnant; is one of the child's parents or an emergency guardian who takes care of the child up to the age of two; provides care and care for a preschool-aged child and the child does not have the opportunity to attend a preschool educational institution; is a child of preschool age who does not have the opportunity to attend a preschool educational institution. Explanation of the groups of persons who have the right to receive accommodation support after 60 or 120 days under the Ukrainian Civilian Support Law is available here.

Households can receive compensation of 100 euros per month for the first person accommodated and 50 euros per month for each subsequent person, but not more than 300 euros per month. If a natural person owns several properties in which Ukrainian civilians are accommodated free of charge, compensation may be received for each property in which Ukrainian civilians are accommodated. The application for compensation must be submitted to the municipality within 14 days of the start of accommodation.

Both legal person and individual, accommodating civilians in Ukraine free of charge may be reimbursed for a period exceeding 120 days, but not beyond 31 December 2022, if they are accommodating persons who are unable to provide accommodation on their own (see above). More information is available here.

Ukrainian civilians whose housing costs are higher than their income or who do not fully cover their housing costs can apply for housing benefit. Benefits are granted and paid by the municipal social service. For the first three calendar months, the benefit is paid without an assessment of the material situation, while after the end of the first three months - with the assesment of the material situation. Information on the application procedure and the required documents is available here.

The municipality may enter into a lease agreement with a private individual (landlord) for the accommodation of Ukrainian civilians. In this case, the municipality will pay a private person (landlord) a fee for the use of the dwelling in the amount of 100% of the agreed rent, which will include all payments related to the use of the dwelling, including utility payments, but not more than 300 euros per month for the dwelling. An individual in this case does not charge rent to a resident of Ukraine. The support is available for up to 120 days, but no longer than 31 December 2022. More information here.

Short-term accommodation

If you wish to look for accommodation on your own, for short term options we recommend using:

• Booking.com
• AirBnB.com

Long-term accommodation

For long-term options of apartments we suggest these websites:

• SS.com
• City24.lv
• CityReal.lv
• Zip.lv
• RentInRiga.lv

Several Latvian companies and non-governmental organizations offer children the opportunity to participate in various interest education activities at a discount or free of charge. The wide offer is available at https://propozycii.lv/

Every child who has arrived in Latvia as a refugee from Ukraine has the opportunity to receive education in the state language or in the minority language at the pre-school and primary education level. Also, children will be able to attend interest education groups without any restrictions. Information on admission procedures in schools is available on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science.

The Children's Clinical University Hospital (BKUS) provides all necessary medical care to children from Ukraine. To apply for medical assistance and examinations, please call +371 256 801 40 . Information on the support provided can be found on the BKUS website. Information on vaccination for children is available here.

Children and youth from Ukraine have the opportunity to participate in summer camps in Latvia for free. Camp programs for Ukrainian and Latvian youth offer both Latvian language lessons and various other types of events and creative activities that will improve communication and interaction skills. The list of camps and their locations can be found here.

Information on what to do if:

• the child has arrived in Latvia without parents or an adult known to him,
• the child has arrived in Latvia with another Ukrainian family, but without his parents,
• the child has come to his acquaintances, relatives, but without parents,
• if a group of children from the Ukrainian orphanage arrives in Latvia

is available here.

Information on children rights in Latvia is available here.

Possibilities to exchange hryvnias to EUR in cash are limited in Latvia. It is recommended not to withdraw cash from cash machines.

If you have Ukrainian hryvnia in cash, go to Tavex, Romkons, Eiro ars currency exchange points in Riga. One person can exchange hryvnia for up to 100 euros per week.

If you want to transfer hryvnia to a bank account in Latvia, you must first perform a currency conversion.

VISA and MasterCard payment cards issued by Ukrainian banks are operational in Latvia, but technical problems may occur. These payment cards can also be used to withdraw money from ATMs.

In order to open an account and issue a payment card, it is necessary to visit the bank's customer service center in person, bringing with you a travel document or ID issued in Ukraine or a TUA (ID) issued in Latvia. It should be noted that most banks serve customers in person only upon previous appointments. Thus, please contact the specific bank before visiting.

More information is available here and on the websites of the following Latvian banks: SEB, Citadele, Swedbank, Luminor, Industra Bank, Regional Investment Bank.

Ukrainian civilians have the right to visit all state museums in Latvia free of charge. The list of museums can be found on the website of the Ministry of Culture.

Books in English, Ukrainian and Russian are available in Latvian municipal libraries. Libraries provide a chance to use all the common areas with computers and Internet connection, use working space, socialize, and participate in all of the organized events.

The Latvian startup community is ready to warmly welcome techfugees, startups and their families in Latvia. Here are some of the major resources for tech entrepreneurs seeking practical information and assistance with relocation, setting up business in Latvia, as well as integrating into the local startup community.

The Latvian Startup Guide - spotlights benefits and opportunities of the Latvian startup welcome pack. It also contains useful information at a glance regarding moving to Latvia and everyday living. Reach us at info@startin.lv