Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Riga, Latvia (April 7, 2020)
Location: Latvia
Event: Latvia Extends State of Emergency Until May 12, 2020
On April 7, 2020, the Government of Latvia announced an extension of the State of Emergency until May 12, 2020. The current restrictions, including social distancing measures, will remain in place. For a complete list of the restrictions visit the Declaration of the Emergency Situation in Latvia on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Rinkevics announced that there would likely be repatriation flights to Latvia after April 15 and the flights would be listed soon. This could mean more flights out of Latvia. Please make sure to regularly check the links on our COVID-19 information page for updates on departure options.
The U.S. Embassy in Riga reiterates The State Department’s Level Four Global Health Advisory “U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.”
Current Departure Information:
From Latvia:
While there are currently no scheduled passenger flights out of Latvia, Americans should check Air Baltic for possible flight additions.
The Latvian Ministry of Transportation website has up-to-date information on departure options from Latvia.
The Stena Line ferry company has the following ferries scheduled:
April 8, 23:59 – VENTSPILS- NYNÄSHAMN ferry
April 9, 10:00 – VENTSPILS- NYNÄSHAMN ferry
April 10, 10:00 – LIEPAJA – TRAVEMINDE ferry
To inquire about availability, please email them at info@stenaline.com and check their website regularly.
From Estonia:
U.S. citizens who do not show symptoms of COVID-19 and who have proof of onward travel from Tallinn can cross the Latvian land border with Estonia to depart. Lufthansa has scheduled flights from Tallinn to Frankfurt on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until April 18.
Visit the COVID-19 Page and Alerts and Messages on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Estonia for up-to-date departure information.
From Lithuania:
U.S. citizens, who have proof of onward travel from Vilnius, can also cross the Latvian land border with Lithuania to depart.
For up-to-date information on departure opportunities from Lithuania, please visit the Visit the COVID-19 Page and Alerts and Messages on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania.
If you are planning on crossing either border to depart, please email us at askconsular-riga@state.gov.
U.S. citizens transiting through other European airports such as Frankfurt or Amsterdam will not be allowed to leave the airport while transiting. They must stay at the airport between flights. Please email us for more information.
Actions to Take:
- Email us directly at askconsular-riga@state.gov if you are trying to depart Latvia for the U.S.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Latvia.
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the U.S.
- Follow travel.state.gov on Facebook and Twitter.
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Riga, Latvia
Samnera Velsa iela 1
Riga LV-1510
+371 6710 7000
+371 6710 7000 (after hours)
askconsular-riga@state.gov - After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +371 2920 5708
- State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 - Latvia Country Information
- Enroll in Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
