In Latvia, a good half of what other countries do at a counter happens on a screen. You declare your address, request a diploma recognition, file your tax return and read letters from the municipality, all online. The catch is that a screen needs a key, and the key is your digital ID in Latvia.
Choosing the right one early saves you queues later. The rules also changed recently, so older forum advice may be wrong.
What is digital ID in Latvia?
It is a set of electronic identification and signature tools that let you prove who you are to the state. The common ones are the eID card (eID karte), the eParaksts electronic signature (as a card or as eParaksts mobile), and the Smart-ID app. Many Latvians also know their internet bank as a login, but that is changing.
The main places you will use it are:
- latvija.gov.lv, the portal for public services, where you declare your address, send forms to several authorities and use the e-adrese, an official electronic mailbox;
- the EDS, the VID's electronic declaration system for tax, at eds.vid.gov.lv;
- the websites of the NVD, PMLP, VSAA and other agencies, many of which accept an e-mail signed with a qualified electronic signature as a way of avoiding the counter.
Which logins work on latvija.gov.lv?
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) says that since 1 January 2025, logging in to latvija.gov.lv through an internet bank is no longer accepted. What remains: eParaksts mobile, the eID card, the eParaksts card, qualified Smart-ID, or an official means issued by another EU state.
That last item is a gift for newcomers. If your home country has an electronic identity notified under the EU's eIDAS regulation, you can use it as the gateway. The Commission's list shows that Latvia notified its own eID card and eParaksts cards. Your first login through the gateway enters you in the Register of Natural Persons and assigns a personal code, so a person who owns a flat in Latvia may get their code this way (see the Latvian personal code).
What does the tax authority accept?
The VID moved fast. According to its notice of 7 October 2025, from 1 January 2026 only secure means are accepted in the EDS: Smart-ID in its qualified version, the eID card, eParaksts or eParaksts mobile, and certain internet banks. The old VID user name and password stay only for foreigners with no legal link to Latvia who cannot get the foreigner's eID card.
If you are employed, this matters because your employer's monthly allowance depends on an electronic tax book that you hand over through the EDS. If you are self-employed, registering with the VID also happens there. For the employment side, see working in Latvia.
Unsure which ID suits your status, or stuck at a login screen in Latvian? Moovy can explain the options, translate what the screen asks for and draft a message to the agency. Moovy does not log in for you, and you keep control of your credentials.
How much does the eID card cost, and who gets it?
There are two cards. The general Latvian eID card costs 30 euros in 10 working days and 45 euros in two, per the PMLP's 2026 tariffs. The foreigner's eID card (ārzemnieka personas apliecība) costs 170 euros and is made in two working days. It is optional, is not a travel document and does not prove a right of residence. It suits people who handle Latvian affairs online without living in Latvia. You apply in person at a PMLP office, where a photo and the fingerprints of two fingers are taken.
If you live in Latvia and can obtain a Latvian bank's Smart-ID or eParaksts, you may never need the foreigner's card. If you cannot, it is the official fallback.
Do Swiss and British users face an obstacle?
Possibly. According to the Commission's list of 2 February 2026, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have no eID notified under eIDAS, so the gateway route is not open to them. The PMLP does accept a questionnaire sent by e-mail signed with an electronic identification means issued by an EU or EEA state or Switzerland, which helps for the personal code. For everything else, a Swiss or British resident passes through a counter or obtains a Latvian means: the eID card, eParaksts or Smart-ID.
What are the practical traps with digital ID in Latvia?
- Planning around the bank login. Banks remain a way to obtain Smart-ID or open a signature, but they are no longer a direct key to latvija.gov.lv.
- Choosing Smart-ID without checking the level. The VID asks for the qualified version.
- Forgetting the language. Many pages and the NVA's job portal are in Latvian only. Use the browser's translation as a help, never as the legal text.
- Losing the card. A replacement carries a fee, so keep the PIN envelope and certificates safe.
For the bank side of this puzzle, read opening a bank account in Latvia.
How do you log in to latvija.gov.lv for the first time?
A concrete walk-through helps. Open the portal and choose your login method. If you hold a Latvian eID card, you insert it in a reader or use its mobile equivalent and enter your PIN. If you use eParaksts mobile or Smart-ID, you confirm on your phone. If you come from another EU country, choose the option for a foreign electronic identity (the eIDAS gateway) and you are sent to your own country's login page. On return, the portal creates your entry in the register if you are not yet in it, and assigns a personal code.
Once inside, look for three things: the form to declare your place of residence, the e-adrese activation, and the list of services of the agency you need, such as the Academic Information Centre for diploma recognition. Activate the e-adrese early, because some authorities deliver decisions there, and a decision you never read can still start a deadline running.
Which digital ID in Latvia suits which person?
- An employee in Latvia: a Latvian bank's Smart-ID or eParaksts mobile is usually enough, and costs little. Your employer will ask for your tax book through the EDS.
- A remote worker with a home-country eID: try the eIDAS gateway first. If your country is notified, you may never need a Latvian card.
- A property owner abroad: the foreigner's eID card for 170 euros, or the eIDAS route.
- A self-employed person: the VID requires secure means, so choose Smart-ID in its qualified version, eParaksts or the eID card.
- A British or Swiss resident: a Latvian means is the realistic path.
Compare the price of 30 euros for a general eID card, which is made in 10 working days, with 45 euros for the 2-day service, before you choose the speed.
How does a qualified electronic signature save you a trip?
Several agencies, including the Academic Information Centre, the National Health Service and the PMLP, accept an e-mail signed with a qualified electronic signature. That means you can send an S1, a diploma application or a personal-code questionnaire from your sofa. Keep the signed file, because it is your proof of the date.
What are the risks with digital identity?
Treat your PIN codes like bank codes, never share an eID card, and be careful with messages that claim to come from the VID or latvija.gov.lv asking you to confirm credentials. A safe habit is to type the portal address yourself rather than follow links in e-mails. If a card or phone is lost, block the means of identification at once and ask for a replacement; the replacement fee depends on the card.