A Latvian school morning in autumn: dark when you leave, the pavement slick with leaves, children carrying a bag that is bigger than they are. That scene is the same for every family. What differs for newcomers is the language of the classroom, because the Latvian school system has been moving to a single language of instruction.
Schools in Latvia are free and well organised for the families who plan ahead. The thing to plan around is language.
How does the school system work in Latvia?
Preparation for school is compulsory from age five. Then basic education (pamatizglītība) runs for nine years, from grade 1 to grade 9, starting at six or seven. Compulsory schooling lasts to the end of basic school or age 18. Upper secondary (grades 10 to 12) is not compulsory and access, like vocational and higher education, is competitive. Grades use a 10-point scale, 10 being the best.
Your municipality must offer a place in the nearest municipal school to a child declared at its address, and, from 18 months of age, pay for a private nursery if it has no place in its own. That duty applies only if your address is declared, so do that first; see residence in Latvia for EU citizens.
Can you find kindergarten places in Latvia?
For children aged 18 months to seven, register on the waiting list of the municipal kindergarten (bērnudārzs, officially a pirmsskolas izglītības iestāde) with your municipality. In big cities places are scarce, so register early. If the municipality has no place, it covers the cost of a private nursery up to its own average cost per child.
Fees are set by each municipality. Parents usually pay for meals, around 2 to 4 euros a day according to EURES. In school, meals in grades 1 to 4 are funded by the state with a municipal contribution, and Riga offers free meals in grades 1 to 4 to all enrolled children. Beyond grade 4 the municipality decides.
What language are schools in Latvia taught in?
This is the big one. Under the school language reform, instruction in public and municipal schools is in Latvian. The reform was phased in: kindergarten and grades 1, 4 and 7 in September 2023; grades 2, 5 and 8 in September 2024; grades 3, 6 and 9 in September 2025. Private schools also teach general education in Latvian, with exceptions in the law: schools applying an international agreement, subjects taught in another EU language, and a few others.
So do not count on a public school in English or French. If your child does not speak Latvian, ask the school what support it offers. It may organise Latvian support, in groups or individually, for up to a year after an assessment by the head teacher, and an individual plan is possible, according to the Ministry of Education.
Moving with children and unsure which school, which language route or which deadline applies? Moovy can set out the options for your child's age, list what the municipality needs and draft a message to the school in Latvian or English. Places and admission are decided by the municipality and the school.
What are the international options?
Look early. The Lycée français international Jules Verne in Riga is a school of the AEFE network, approved from nursery to final year. International schools are listed in the AEFE directory and through the municipality. Private schools set their own fees. EU nationals and their children pay the same private-school fees as Latvians, while for non-EU families higher education fees are set by the institution.
The calendar helps with planning. For 2026-2027, school starts on 1 September 2026, the first term ends on 18 December, with breaks from 19 to 23 October 2026, from 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 and from 8 to 12 March 2027. The school year ends on 31 May 2027 for grades 1 to 8, 10 and 11, on 11 June for grade 9 and on 18 June for grade 12 (Cabinet regulation No. 768 of 16 December 2025).
How do you enrol a child in a school in Latvia?
- Declare your address (see moving to Latvia: the step-by-step guide).
- Contact the school of your area or your municipality. Admission follows Cabinet regulation No. 591, and each municipality or school sets its calendar.
- Provide the child's personal code and declared address, plus school reports from the previous school. The school will say whether translation is needed.
A child arriving from abroad is placed in the class that matches their age.
How do you get a diploma recognised?
Academic recognition (for a baccalaureate to enter university, or a degree for work) goes through the Academic Information Centre (AIC): in person, by e-mail signed with a qualified electronic signature, via e-address, or on latvija.gov.lv. Bring the form, ID, the diploma and its annex, and proof of a name change if needed; the AIC can ask for a translation and legalisation. The fee is 54.60 euros, paid after confirmation, with an opinion normally within a month, up to four months if more documents are needed.
Do not confuse this with professional recognition, which is needed before you start a regulated profession such as medicine, engineering or teaching. See working in Latvia.
What are the traps?
- Expecting an English-language public school.
- Registering without a declared address.
- Leaving kindergarten registration too late in Riga or another big city.
- Forgetting upper secondary is selective.
For the budget side, see cost of living in Latvia.
What kinds of schools in Latvia can expat children attend?
Four broad types. Municipal and state schools: free, teaching in Latvian. Private schools: fees set by each school, general education taught in Latvian with exceptions in the law. Schools of an international network: for instance the French AEFE school in Riga, and international schools listed in the AEFE directory or held by the municipality. Vocational and higher education: competitive admission, with a limited number of state-funded university places. Check which of these fits your child's age and your plans: if you expect to stay only two or three years, an international programme can make sense; if you plan to settle, the public system and its language give your child a path into Latvian life.
How can parents prepare a child who does not speak Latvian?
Start before you arrive if you can, with the free online resources of the Latvian Language Agency, and ask the school which support it provides. The support can last up to a year, organised in groups or individually after an assessment, with an individual plan possible. Children generally learn faster in kindergarten, so a place at five years old, when preparation for school is compulsory, is a good moment. Talk to the head teacher at the first meeting about the plan for your child.
How much do schools in Latvia cost in practice?
Public schooling is free. You may pay for extras: school trips, after-school activities and meals beyond grade 4, according to the municipality. In kindergarten, expect meals at roughly 2 to 4 euros a day, plus the municipal fee. Private school fees vary by school, and EU nationals pay the same as Latvians. Higher education fees are set by the institution, and for British students they are not set by the EU-equality rule, so ask each university.
What about teenagers and university?
Upper secondary school, grades 10 to 12, is not compulsory and is selective. A foreign school-leaving certificate can be recognised by the AIC (54.60 euros) to enter a Latvian university, where admission is competitive. The Baltic states recognise each other's diplomas automatically, as do the Baltic states and the Benelux under their agreements, as presented by the AIC. For a regulated profession, a separate professional recognition is needed before you work.
Schools in Latvia are more accessible than the language reform suggests, if you plan the language support early. For the practicalities of the move itself, start with moving to Latvia: the step-by-step guide.