Studying in Latvia

What a year costs

Tuition. Study in Latvia, run by the State Education Development Agency, states that fees range from under €1,600 a year for some bachelor's programmes to €15,000 a year for dentistry and €25,600 for an Executive MBA.

Rīga Stradiņš University's 2026-2027 fees for English-taught programmes show the spread:

• Medicine: €13,500 a year (six years); Dentistry: €15,500 a year (five years)
• Other bachelor's: from €3,300 a year
• Master's: €3,400-€5,000 a year
• Application fee: €100, non-refundable, and a €1,800 registration fee for medicine and dentistry

RSU asks for fees within two weeks of registering your offer. Check each university's schedule for your year of entry.

Living costs. Study in Latvia estimates €450-€700 a month for accommodation, food, utilities and transport. That is below the immigration threshold of €780 a month, so plan to the threshold at minimum.

The visa

Latvia issues a residence permit for studies, not a student visa. Your university files an invitation with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP). You then submit your application, usually at a Latvian embassy. If you are a visa-required national, once the permit is approved you collect a D visa to travel to Latvia and pick up your residence card.

Fees. PMLP's schedule sets a reduced review fee for students at accredited institutions: €70 for a decision within 30 days, €200 within 10 working days, €400 within 5 working days. The D visa is €60. Embassies may add their own consular charges: the embassy in Cairo, for example, quotes a €100 consular fee on top. Check the embassy you will use.

Processing. The Cairo embassy tells applicants PMLP review may take up to eight weeks, and the D visa a few days to two weeks after that. Allow three months in total.

The money. For a stay over 30 days you must show means of not less than the Latvian minimum monthly wage: €780 (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' figure, updated 2026). It was €740 in 2025, and embassy pages still quoting €740 are out of date. Embassies read this as a monthly figure; the Cairo embassy states it as "per month".

Insurance. You need travel medical insurance valid across Schengen for the initial entry; the Cairo embassy states a minimum cover of €42,600 for that. Ask your university what cover it expects for the rest of your permit.

Working while you study

No separate work permit is needed while study remains your main activity:

• Full-time bachelor's students: up to 20 hours a week in term, up to 40 hours a week in holidays
• Full-time master's and doctoral students: no restriction

The state Live Latvia portal, run by the Integration and Inclusion Agency of Latvia, adds an important condition: if you work more hours than you study, your main activity is no longer studying and you would need a residence permit for employment. You must also have a written employment contract.

After you graduate

This is Latvia's weak spot. According to Study in Latvia:

• Bachelor's graduates: your immigration status runs until graduation plus four months, to arrange further study or work
• Master's and doctoral graduates: the same four months, with the possibility of a further nine-month extension to look for a job

A policy brief published in May 2026 by the FREE Network describes the four-month window as "narrow and unrealistic" for securing qualified work.

PMLP also lists a residence permit for graduates who apply within three months of receiving their diploma. It requires means of €500 a month and, in PMLP's words, "does not include the right to employment". Do not confuse it with a job-search permit that allows work.

Start job-hunting in your final year, and talk to employers about the employment permit early.

Language

Latvia has a broad English-taught offer, especially in medicine, business and engineering. English requirements are set by each university; check the programme page for the tests and scores it accepts.

Your previous diplomas must be assessed by the Academic Information Centre, Latvia's recognition body, before admission.

Latvian is the only official language, and contracts, public services and graduate jobs outside international firms expect it. The law firm Lex & Finance describes a Latvian A2 requirement among the 2026 residence permit changes for several permit types; we could not confirm on an official page whether it reaches students, so check before any renewal or change of permit.

When to apply

Two intakes: autumn (main) and spring (fewer programmes). Study in Latvia gives typical deadlines:

• Autumn: non-EU students usually early June; EU students early July
• Spring: non-EU students mid-October or early November; EU students early December

Each university sets its own deadline, often through DreamApply. For non-EU applicants, the realistic deadline is earlier than the published one: add the Academic Information Centre recognition, the PMLP review of up to eight weeks, the embassy appointment and D visa, and aim to hold an offer by April for September.

What to watch out for

Outdated funds figures. The requirement follows the minimum wage, which rose to €780 in 2026. Several embassy and university pages still show €740. Show at least €780 a month, and more if your embassy asks.

The four-month cliff after graduation. Bachelor's graduates in particular have little time. If you want to work in Latvia after your degree, line up an employer before your final exams.

Your permit depends on study being your main activity. Master's students may work unlimited hours, but if work clearly overtakes study, PMLP can treat you as a worker without a work permit. Keep your credits on track.

Medicine fees are paid fast and are non-refundable. At RSU the €1,800 registration fee for medicine and dentistry is non-refundable and fees fall due two weeks after registration. Be sure of your visa prospects before you pay.

Where you file changes what you pay. The PMLP student rate is €70, but embassies abroad may add consular fees and quote higher totals. Ask the embassy for the exact amount in writing.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it, and note that official sources describe the post-graduation rules inconsistently: confirm your own position with PMLP before your final semester.