Education and Relocation to Latvia

Moving to Latvia with children? Here is everything you need to know about the local education system, from kindergartens to universities, fully updated according to the latest reforms.

Language of Instruction: The 2026 Reality

 Critical Update: Following the transition to the "Unified School" (Vienota skola) reform, there are no longer any bilingual or Russian-language programs in Latvian public schools or kindergartens. * Instruction in all municipal and state institutions is 100% in Latvian.

• Education in English, French, or German is available, but primarily in private schools.

General School System

Education is divided into primary (pamatizglītība, grades 1–9) and secondary (vidējā izglītība, grades 10–12).

• Compulsory Education: Education is mandatory from age 5 (pre-school preparation) up to grade 9 (or age 17).
• Children start the 1st grade at the age of 6 or 7.
• Public and municipal schools are free of charge.

How to register a child from abroad:

To enroll your child, parents must submit an application to the school, a birth certificate (or ID document with a personal code), and the parent's ID. If your child studied abroad, the school principal will review their academic records. If necessary, schools provide individual language support and consultations to help foreign children smoothly integrate into the Latvian-language environment.

• Academic Year: Starts on September 1 and ends in early June.

Children can attend kindergarten from 1.5 years old. The final two years (ages 5 and 6) are mandatory for school preparation.

• Municipal Kindergartens: Free of charge, but parents pay for meals. Note: Due to long queues, it is highly recommended to register your child electronically via the Latvija.lv or E-Rīga portal immediately after birth or relocation.
• Private Kindergartens: Queues are short or non-existent. In 2026, the average cost ranges between €400–€600 per month (including meals). However, local municipalities often provide co-funding (līdzfinansējums) to cover part of this cost if there are no spots available in public daycares.

After the 9th grade, students choose between two paths:

1. General Secondary Education: Focuses on academic subjects to prepare students for university.
2. Vocational Secondary Education (Tehnikums): Combines secondary education with professional training (e.g., IT, design, engineering, hospitality, or medicine).

Popular Private International Schools in Riga:

If you prefer your child to study in English or other European languages, consider these international options:

• Exupéry International School (English/French)
• International School of Latvia (ISL) (English)
• Deutsche Schule Riga (German/English)
• King's College, The British School of Latvia (English)

Latvia offers competitive higher education with both state-funded and private universities.

• Language: While local programs are in Latvian, there is a wide selection of Bachelor's and Master's programs taught entirely in English for international students.
• Recognition: To enroll with a foreign diploma, your documents must first be verified by the Academic Information Centre (AIC) (Akadēmiskās informācijas centrs).
• Rankings: Latvia's leading universities, such as Riga Technical University (RTU) and the University of Latvia (LU), are steadily ranked among the top global universities in the QS World University Rankings.

 Application Deadline: For international students, applications usually close around July 1, though some universities have earlier deadlines for non-EU citizens.

Riga Technical University in the QS World University Rankings is among the universities with 651-700 place, and the University of Latvia from 701-750 place.

On the websites of universities in Latvia you will find a list of documents required for admission. The documents required by the university must be submitted no later than July 1 (the start date for accepting documents is approved by the Latvian Ministry of Education every year in March).

Almost in every district of Riga there is a children’s center for extracurricular hobbies. Children’s centers offer different classes of interest – floristics, ceramics, Lego, computer classes, oriental dances, theater studios … Normally, there are sports clubs in the centers.

A child can study in any group (or in several at once) absolutely free of charge or for a symbolic cost. The so-called co-financing from parents does not exceed 4 euros per month.

Attention! It is better to register in interest clubs and groups in Riga’s municipal centers already in August. The sooner you come to the centers, the more chances to get into free groups.

In Riga there are also a lot of private studios, courses and various clubs for children. It all depends on which area you prefer to go, in what language and in what direction. Very popular are language courses, clubs and studios in drawing, singing and dancing.

List of sports and art interest clubs of Riga https://katalogs-iksd.riga.lv/lv/izglitibas-iestades/interesu-izglitibas-iestades?lv/izglitibas-iestades/interesu-izglitibas-iestades

Some private interest clubs of Riga

Theatre studio for children in the ОСА theatre http://www.teatr.lv/
Study center Perspektiva https://www.centrsperspektiva.lv/
Annas 2 http://www.tjn.lv/
Many of interest clubs can be found on the ads portal ss.com – https://www.ss.com/ru/for-children/hobby-groups-gardens/sport-sections/

Third-country citizens officially registered as unemployed in Latvia have the right to retraining, free language courses and other courses organized by the State Employment Agency.

You have the right to receive support if you:

• received a permanent residence permit in Latvia,
• are married to a citizen or alien of Latvia, and live in Latvia with a temporary residence permit,
• have received a permanent residence permit of a resident of the European Union in Latvia or are married to such a person,
• received a temporary residence permit in connection with the conduct of scientific work in Latvia,
• owner of a blue card of the European Union (for highly skilled workers).