Moving to Latvia

Moving your belongings

What do I need to know about moving my belongings to Latvia, taxes and restrictions?

Moving companies can help you move your belongings safely and easily.

If you are planning to move to Latvia from a country outside the European Union and need to import personal belongings, it is important to know:

Personal belongings (e.g., furniture, clothing, private vehicles, bicycles) are exempt from import duties and value added tax (VAT).
Tax exemption does not apply to alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles, items intended for profit;
personal belongings must have been used in your previous place of residence for at least six months.

You must have resided in a non-EU country for at least 12 months without interruption.
To import your belongings, you must undergo a customs procedure and submit an electronic customs declaration, for a list of documents to be submitted see website.
Personal belongings are declared under the commodity code “Personal belongings of natural persons changing their permanent residence”.
Provide documents proving previous residence and use of the imported goods.
They may not be sold, pawned or rented for 12 months after entry.

To prepare for crossing the border from the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, we recommend reading this information on (in Latvian), as well as being familiar with these road maps for crossing the border (in Latvian).

Importing a private vehicle

Can I bring my car in?

If you move from your permanent residence in a third country to your permanent residence in Latvia, you can import your personal belongings, including a private car registered in a third country, with exemption from customs duties: import duty and value added tax. You can receive exemption from customs duties if certain criteria are met.

More information on the use of cars registered abroad in Latvian traffic here.

Moving pets

If you enter the European Union from a third country with your pet (dog, cat, ferret or other animal) and are transporting it for non-commercial purposes, the animal must:

be marked with a microchip
vaccinated against rabies
have been tested for rabies antibodies, and all the information must appear on the animal’s health certificate

When entering with pet birds, please make sure:

1. They meet one of the following conditions:

they have been isolated for 30 days prior to departure at the place of export in the third country
the birds have been vaccinated and re-vaccinated at least once against avian influenza of subtypes H5 and H7 with a vaccine approved for the species concerned, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, within the last six months and not later than 60 days before dispatch from the third country
the birds have been isolated and tested for avian influenza H5 and H7 antigens or genomes for at least 10 days prior to export

2. The birds are identifiable (must have an individual number that allows the origin of the bird to be determined), the identification system (e.g. clip, ring, microchip, transponder, ear tag) must also be specified.

3. Are accompanied by a veterinary certificate following the requirements of the European Union or is accompanied by a written declaration from the owner that the movement of the bird to the European Union is for non-commercial purposes.

Make sure in advance that the third country from which you intend to import birds into Latvia is on the list of countries from which birds are allowed to be imported.
Birds imported from Andorra, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Vatican City are subject to the same requirements as birds imported from EU countries.

Customs controls will check the animal’s documents and identity to make sure it meets the requirements. If the animal does not meet the requirements, it may be returned to the country of origin or quarantined under official supervision until the health requirements are met. In case of non-compliance, the cost of quarantine must be borne by the owner of the animal. If the animal cannot be returned or quarantined and poses a risk to the public, it can be euthanised without financial compensation.

State Revenue Service Customs

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +371 67120000

More information: see here