An additional Covid-19 test is obligatory for persons arriving to Latvia from third countries until 15 June

Today, on 13 April, amending Cabinet Regulation No. 360 of 9 June 2020 “Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of Covid-19 Infection”, the Cabinet of Ministers extended to 15 June, the date until which persons entering Latvia by air, land, etc., from a country that is not a member state of the European Union or the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation, or the United Kingdom, must have an additional mandatory Covid-19 test done upon their arrival in Latvia, as well as, in the case of not getting tested at all or testing positive, they must isolate for 10 days in one of the Latvian tourist accommodations from the LIAA-administered list, for which safety protocols have been developed. Please note that such persons must cover the costs of testing, transport, accommodation, and meals at the tourist accommodation from their own personal funds.

As announced previously, from 12 March of this year, persons entering Latvia by air, land, etc., from a country that is not a member of the European Union or the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation, or the United Kingdom, must have an additional Covid-19 test done at the nearest possible testing point upon their arrival in Latvia. Please note that taking the test is also obligatory for children and already vaccinated persons. This condition also applies to persons who enter Latvia via other EU Member States by land, sea, etc. The requirements do not apply to persons in certain exceptional cases which are referred to in the Cabinet Regulations and published on the website of the Ministry of Economics.

At the same time, persons arriving to Latvia from a country that is not a member of the EU or the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation, or the United Kingdom must observe 10-day self-isolation at their place of residence or at tourist accommodation in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and the risk of infecting other persons living in the same household.

If the test result is negative, the person can self-isolate at their place of residence. If the test is positive or if the person doesn’t get tested at all, they must provide this information on the covidpass.lv site and immediately isolate (or continue isolation) in freely chosen Latvian tourist accommodation from the LIAA-administered list of tourist accommodations with all the necessary safety protocols in place for receiving Covid-19 patients and their contact persons. The traveller is obliged to inform the tourist accommodation about their status as a person who has arrived from a country that is not a member of the European Union or the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation, or the United Kingdom, and who has not been tested or has tested positive.

If the person has been tested and has tested positive, the tourism service provider is obliged to ensure the transportation of the person to the tourist accommodation for isolation. Similarly, the tourism service provider is obliged to inform the State Police about all persons who have purchased a tourism service to countries other than the European Union, the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation, and the United Kingdom, regardless of whether the travel is booked via Riga or other airports, and enter all traveller data in the information system on the website covidpass.lv.

In turn, the tourist accommodation is obliged to inform the State Police if, during the isolation period, the person does not stay in at night or is absent from the tourist accommodation for an extended period of time.
If a person can document that they have had Covid-19, have recovered, and are no longer infectious, a general practitioner may decide that the person shall not be subject to self-isolation conditions and issue or send Form No. 027/u electronically to the person with the following entry: “I certify that self-isolation conditions are not applicable to (name and surname of person) from .............(date) 2020.”

Detailed information on the procedures after arriving from so-called third countries is available in Cabinet Regulation No. 360 of 9 June 2020 “Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of Covid-19 Infection” (Sub-paragraph 56.4). Additional information, including answers to frequently asked questions, is published on the website of the Ministry of Economics.