Practicalities 

Guide "Compass for living in Latvia for students - third country nationals"

Информативный материал "Kомпас для студентов из третьих стран – жизнь в Латвии"

Entering Latvia

All non Latvian students must obtain a residence permit. EU citizens can obtain one free of charge after arrival to Latvia by applying to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. Citizens of non EU member states should apply for a residence permit before entering Latvia through one of the Latvian diplomatic missions. Immigration formalities could take up to one month starting from the day of submission of the application for residence permit. Therefore we urge all students accepted to submit their residence permit applications as early as possible.

There are processing fees associated with the application for residence permit for non-EU students. If there is Latvian diplomatic mission in the Student's country of residence that accepts applications for residency permit then the processing fee would be 50 EUR (fifty EUR). This fee has to be transferred to the RGSL account after the acceptance letter from RGSL has been received.

If there is no Latvian diplomatic mission (or it’s far from the student’s home city) in the student’s home country, non-EU students can  send  the documents (which should be legalized in their home country) required for a residency permit to the RGSL directly. The RGSL will then submit the documents to the relevant authorities on the student's behalf. The processing fee for such cases is 250 EUR (two hundred fifty EUR) to cover costs related to the examination and legalisation of documents in Latvia as well as for the processing of documents submitted. This fee has to be transferred to the RGSL account after the acceptance letter from RGSL has been received.  

When applying for a residency permit at any Embassy or Consulate of the Republic of Latvia, or when entering the Republic of Latvia, a foreign national will be required to present a valid health insurance policy, guaranteeing the coverage of costs associated with health care incurred in the Republic of Latvia, including those of repatriation in the event of serious illness or death. 

Moreover, the Student is required upon arrival in Latvia and commencement of studies at RGSL to possess a return air ticket to his/her home country. In case a return ticket cannot be issued, the Student shall make a security deposit to RGSL of 1000 EUR (one thousand EUR). At ex-matriculation or after termination of the agreement, any remaining amount of the security deposit shall be refunded to the Student.

For more detailed information and addresses of all Latvian embassies and consulates, please check the home pages of the Latvian Ministry for Foreign Affairs: www.mfa.gov.lv and the Immigration Department at www.pmlp.gov.lv. Both pages provide information in English.

Housing

The RGSL does not have its own dormitory; however accommodation can be arranged at partner institution dormitories. All students admitted to the programme will receive information about housing opportunities in Riga. In most cases students from other countries prefer to rent apartments together in groups of two or three.

Rough estimated costing in Riga: housing: 150–350 EUR per month; living expenses: 250 EUR per month as a minimum.

RGSL can assist you with more detailed information on housing facilities in Riga and with the names of other admitted students from your country.

Bank transfer details:

SIA „Rīgas Juridiskā augstskola”
Strēlnieku iela 4 k-2,
Riga LV–1010, Latvia
Reg.No.: LV40003386183
Bank: Swedbank, HABALV22
Account No. LV09HABA000140J039336 (LVL, USD, EUR)