Latvia: providing services and travelling for business

Read this page in combination with the guidance for the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The authoritative source for Latvian market regulations is the Latvian government. This guidance links to official Latvian sources wherever possible.

Trade and services regulations in Latvia

If you are a business offering services in Latvia, you will need to follow regulations about:

• getting an authorisation or a licence to provide a service
• complying with local business regulations
• nationality requirements which could prevent you from providing services in some sectors

The Latvian e-government portal for service providers can help you to:

• find out about providing services in Latvia
• understand local regulations
• complete any relevant administrative procedures online

Consider appointing an English-speaking lawyer in Latvia to help you comply with specific regulations.

To check if these apply to you, contact the appropriate competent authority.

Trade reservations

To sell or provide services to customers in Latvia, you must follow local laws. If in doubt, you should get professional advice.

Reservations are part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. They reserve the right of each party to keep or make new laws restricting investment, or the sale of services, in ways that would otherwise breach the rules in the agreement.

Check which reservations apply to the sale of services from the to Latvia. This includes an interactive tool to find reservations that are already in place.

VAT on sales of digital services

To use the 's VAT Mini One Stop Shop (MOSS) to declare sales of digital services to consumers, businesses need to register for MOSS in an member state.

Find out more about paying VAT on sales of digital services.

Ownership of companies registered in Latvia

If you have a business, you might face restrictions on your ability to own, manage or direct a registered company in Latvia or any other country.

For information about setting up and running a business in Latvia, visit the e-government portal for service providers (website in Latvian).

Read more about this in our guidance relating to the and Switzerland.

Ownership of legal firms registered in Latvia

If you're a legal professional who has investments in law firms in Latvia, you should contact the Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates (website in Latvian) for further information on the implications for your investment.

Business travel and entry requirements

business travellers and service providers may need a visa, work permit or other documentation. Check if you need a visa or permit for Europe.

The Latvian Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs website has more information about:

• visas, including intra-corporate transfers
• work and residence permits
• supporting documentation
• other conditions

Check which actions travellers visiting Europe need to take.

Social security payments for employees

Check if you need to pay National Insurance in the or social security contributions in Latvia.

Recognition of professional qualifications

To check what you need to do in Latvia, read our guidance on professional qualifications in the and Switzerland.

If you need to take action to secure the recognition of your professional qualification in Latvia, these sources can help you:

The Centre for Professional Qualifications ( CPQ) provides practical assistance and advice to:

• professionals who qualified overseas and are interested in working in the
• professionals seeking to practise overseas

statutory auditors working in Latvia

For statutory auditors, the Latvian Ministry of Finance should be able to provide further information.

lawyers working in Latvia

If you're a -qualified lawyer working in Latvia, either using a Latvian or a professional title, you should contact the local bar association in the region in which you are working or the Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates for specific advice.

Data transfer and

As part of the wider - Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the free flow of personal data from the to the will continue after 1 January 2021 for no longer than 6 months, until adequacy decisions come into effect.

As a sensible precaution during this 6 month period, it is recommended that you work with organisations that transfer personal data to you to put in place alternative transfer mechanisms to safeguard against any interruption to the free flow of to personal data.

Read guidance on using data in your personal business or other organisation.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.