Guidance

Latvia: providing services and travelling for business

Guidance for UK businesses on rules for selling services to Latvia.

From:
Department for Business and Trade, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Department for International Trade and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Published
6 March 2019
Last updated
11 June 2021 — See all updates

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 UK 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
  • EEA 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 UK to Latvia. This includes an interactive tool to find reservations that are already in place.

VAT on sales of digital services

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

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

Ownership of companies registered in Latvia

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

If you’re a UK 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

UK business travellers and service providers may need a visa, work permit or other documentation.

Check our travel to Latvia for work guide for detailed information on:

  • types of visa and work permit routes available
  • exemptions that may apply to you or the activity you are planning to undertake

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 UK 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 EEA and Switzerland.

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

UK statutory auditors working in Latvia

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

UK lawyers working in Latvia

If you’re a UK-qualified lawyer working in Latvia, either using a Latvian or a UK 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 GDPR

On 28 June 2021, the EU formally adopted ‘adequacy decisions’ for the UK, delivered through:

‘Adequacy decisions’ allow for the ongoing free flow of personal data from the EU/EEA to the UK.

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

Updates to this page

Published 6 March 2019
Last updated 11 June 2021 + show all updates

  1. Added 'Trade reservations' guidance. Updated 'Recognition of professional qualifications' with new UK contact point.

  2. Updated the following sections to reflect the changes created by the UK and EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement: overview, trade regulations, VAT on sales of digital services, business travel and entry requirements, social security payments for employees, recognition of professional qualifications, and data transfer and GDPR.

  3. Guidance for ‘Recognition of professional qualifications’ and ‘Social security payments for employees’ updated.

  4. Change to title to include travelling for business

  5. Update to 'Business travel and entry requirements' section

  6. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Contents

Related content