How to Get Into a University in Latvia as an International Student

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Latvia has two routes into a bachelor's programme. Applicants with a Latvian school-leaving certificate are ranked on their centralised exam results, and many apply through a joint online system. International applicants usually apply directly to each institution, often months earlier.

Institutions and degrees

Latvia has universities, academies and universities of applied sciences, both public and private. Bachelor's programmes are either academic or professional, and medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine are longer integrated programmes that start straight after school.

Our catalogue has 323 full-time programmes at 24 institutions and campuses, mostly in Rīga, with others in Jelgava, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Rēzekne, Valmiera, Ventspils and Jūrmala.

The language choice

Programmes taught in Latvian are where most state-funded (budget) places are. You need Latvian good enough to study in it.
Programmes taught in English are aimed at international students. Our catalogue lists 101 programmes taught in English.

Budget places and paid places

Each public programme has a number of state-funded places, which are free of tuition, and paid places. Budget places go to the best-ranked applicants. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland compete for them on equal terms with Latvians, mainly in programmes taught in Latvian. Other foreign citizens cannot get budget places and pay the fee the institution sets for international students. See how much it costs to study in Latvia.

Route 1: joint admission for Latvian school leavers

Eight institutions run a joint admission to bachelor's programmes (Vienotā uzņemšana, VUPP): the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Ventspils and Vidzeme Universities of Applied Sciences, Riga Nordic University and EKA University of Applied Sciences. Rīga Stradiņš University is not part of it.

You apply through the e-service on latvija.lv and list up to 10 programmes in order of priority.
The registration fee was €45 in 2026, whatever the number of choices.
In 2026 applications ran from 9 to 20 July, and first-round results came out on 27 July.

Applicants are ranked by their centralised exams (CE), normally Latvian, a foreign language and mathematics, plus subjects the programme sets. Electronic confirmation works mainly for applicants with a Latvian school certificate in state registers. Others confirm the application in person with their original documents.

Institutions outside the joint system, including Rīga Stradiņš University and most private institutions, run their own applications.

Route 2: applying from abroad

International applicants apply to each institution directly, usually through an online form. The University of Latvia, for example, uses its own application portal and charges a non-refundable €170 application fee; Rīga Stradiņš University charges €100.

There is no national cutoff, so our Latvia pages show no entry scores. Selection is by the institution's own rules: your school grades, sometimes a motivation letter, recommendations, an interview or a test. Each institution must publish its admission rules for the next year by 30 November, so rules for autumn 2027 appear by 30 November 2026.

Deadlines are set by each institution and are earliest for students who need a residence permit. Rīga Stradiņš University, for example, sets these deadlines for Medicine and Dentistry starting in September 2027:

Applicant group	Deadline
EU/EEA and visa-free countries	1 July 2027
Other non-EU/EEA countries	1 May 2027
Countries requiring additional assessment	1 April 2027

Medicine and dentistry in English

Both are taught in English at Rīga Stradiņš University and the University of Latvia, and are among the most expensive programmes in the country. Rīga Stradiņš University also has a February intake, with applications from September.

Your school diploma and English

A foreign school-leaving certificate is assessed by the Academic Information Centre (AIC), Latvia's ENIC-NARIC centre, and the institution decides on admission using that statement. See document recognition for Latvia.

For English-taught programmes you usually prove your English with a test such as IELTS or TOEFL, unless your schooling was in English. Required scores differ by institution.

Step by step

Shortlist programmes and read each institution's admission rules.
Book an English test early if you need one.
Apply online to each institution and pay its application fee.
Have your certificate assessed through the AIC, as the institution instructs.
Accept the offer, sign the study agreement and pay the first tuition instalment.
Non-EU students then apply for a residence permit through the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP). See student visa for Latvia.

Where to look next

Official sources

Vienotā uzņemšana (VUPP): joint admission to bachelor's programmes, in Latvian
University of Latvia: Degree studies: admission for international applicants
Rīga Stradiņš University: When to apply
Law on Higher Education Institutions: likumi.lv, in Latvian

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.