Visa requirements
Patients, whose country of residence is not included in the number of countries, with which the Republic of Latvia has a visa-free regime agreement, as well as those patients, who do not fall into the category of persons exempt from the requirement to obtain a visa, must apply for a visa to enter Latvia.
The procedure for obtaining a visa, depending on the specific embassy, lasts 1-2 weeks.
List of all diplomatic and consular missions of Latvia is available on the web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Procedure for obtaining a visa
Purpose of the entry of a medical tourist in Latvia shall be approved by an invitation issued by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia (hereinafter referred to as the OCMA)*, and by an invitation letter, drafted by the host health care institution, should the hospital be included in the list titledHealth Care Facilities Registered for the Provision of Medical Tourism Services of health care facilities under the supervision of Health Inspectorate of the Republic of Latvia
Clinics of Healthcaretravel are included in this list, and their invitation letter shall serve as the basis for obtaining a visa.
The list of documents that must be submitted to the diplomatic and consular missions of Latvia for obtaining a Schengen visa for entry, in order to receive medical services:
1. Valid travel document;
2. Application for a Schengen visa;
3. Invitation issued by OCMA or invitation letter drafted by the medical institution;
When submitting visa application documents to the mission, the medical tourist can provide a copy of the invitation letter from the health care institution, sent from the official e-mail address of the given health care institution.
4. Proof of sufficient financial means to cover the accommodation costs during the planned stay, as well as the return to the country of residence;
5. Proof of effected advance payment for the treatment and proof of sufficient financial funds for receiving medical services;
6. Insurance policy
Host person and responsibility of the host person
In the case of medical tourism the host person from Latvia shall be the respective health care
institution providing the particular service. The host person must assume the same responsibility for the foreigner, which the host persons have in all other cases, according to the requirements of the relevant regulations, including, that the foreigner will leave the Schengen area before the expiry date of the visa.
If the person, who will be provided with the medical services, would require the presence of an accompanying person, the invitation shall be issued also for such accompanying person.
(* Health care institutions are obliged to issue the OCMA invitation only to citizens of the countries subject to requirement for preliminary assessments in accordance with the Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia No. 554 Regulation Regarding States for the Citizens of which in Issuing a Visa or a Residence Permit an Additional Assessment shall be Performed)
Actions of health care institution in case of patients’ failure to arrive
Should the foreigner fail to arrive in the respective health care institution to receive the planned services on the agreed date, the health care institution shall immediately notify of this fact the respective mission as well as the state border guarding service.
Countries whose citizens may enter Latvia without a visa
EU Member States, European Economic Area countries and the Swiss Confederation:
• Austria;
• Belgium;
• Czech Republic;
• Cyprus;
• Denmark;
• Finland;
• France;
• Germany;
• Greece;
• Hungary;
• Estonia;
• Ireland;
• Iceland;
• Italy;
• Lithuania;
• Liechtenstein;
• Luxembourg;
• Malta;
• The Netherlands;
• Norway;
• Poland;
• Portugal;
• Slovakia;
• Slovenia;
• Spain;
• Sweden;
• Switzerland;
• United Kingdom;
• Bulgaria;
• Romania.
Countries and territories whose citizens do not need visas under the terms of the Directive Nr.539/2001 of the Council of the European Union of 15 March 2001:
• Albania (refers to holders of biometric passports only);
• Andorra;
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina;
• United States;
• Australia;
• Bahamas;
• Barbados;
• The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), (refers to holders of biometric passports only);
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (refers to holders of biometric passports only);
• Brazil;
• Brunei;
• Chile;
• Guatemala;
• Honduras;
• Croatia;
• Israel;
• Japan;
• New Zealand;
• Canada;
• Korea (South Korea);
• Costa Rica;
• Malaysia;
• Mauritius;
• Mexico;
• Montenegro (refers to holders of biometric passports only);
• Monaco;
• Nicaragua;
• Paraguay;
• Panama;
• El Salvador;
• San Marino;
• Seychelles;
• Saint Kitts and Nevis;
• Serbia (refers to holders of biometric passports only, does not apply to holders of passports of Serbia issued by the Special Coordination Directorate (in Serbian language Koordinaciona uprava);
• Singapore;
• Uruguay;
• Vatican;
• Venezuela;
• Special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China:
o holders of Hong Kong SAR passports only;
o holders of passports of the Macao SAR only.
• Taiwan (refers to holders of such passports of Taiwan, which contain personal identity number, in English Personal Id. No).
List of all diplomatic and consular missions of Latvia is available at the web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.mfa.gov.lv
Source - Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs and the Ministry of Health
