Latvia: borders open for some int’l students

Published 27/01/2021

International students are able to travel to Latvia, the country’s government has announced, although a number of travel restrictions are still in place.

Foreign full-time and exchange students can come to Latvia if their educational institution has issued a written confirmation that it is necessary for them to enter the country.

“The decision has been taken to provide foreign students with equal opportunities to received high quality education”

There are also a number of restrictions in place. Students must provide a negative Covid-19 test which must be taken not earlier than 72 hours before. They also have to self-isolate if they are coming from a country with high case numbers.

“Foreign full-time and exchange students can come to Latvia, provided that the educational institution has issued a written confirmation regarding the inclusion of the person in the list of students and that arrival in Latvia is necessary for the acquisition of study programs,” a spokesperson from the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science told The PIE News.

According to the spokesperson, proof of a negative test can include a test result, medical certificate, antibody certificate, or other medical document showing an individual is not infectious.

Evidence must be presented to the carrier, such as an airline; otherwise any individuals will be denied boarding.

“The decision has been taken to provide foreign students with equal opportunities to received high quality education,” a statement from Study in Latvia said.

“All studies in Latvia are still carried out remotely. When studying from their home country, a number of students have not been able to enjoy full access to the study process due to limited internet capacity and the asynchronous nature of communication when residing in a different time zone.”

Universities have been tasked with supporting students who are required to self-isolate. The Latvian government said that institutions should maintain continuous communication with each international student.

This includes communicating about how they will learn remotely, the requirements for achieving learning outcomes, and new travel and arrival conditions.

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