Before you start

Unlocked handset
Passport or residence permit card
Personal code and a Latvian bank account for postpaid contracts

Step-by-step

1
Use EU roaming while you settle
Arriving from another EU country, your existing SIM works at Latvian domestic rates under roam-like-at-home. Nothing about a Latvian SIM is urgent.
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2
Buy a prepaid SIM
LMT, Tele2 and Bite shops in the malls, plus Narvesen kiosks and supermarkets. Bring identification: the registration requirement has been agreed by government and retailers are likely to ask regardless.
In personWho: You
3
Check the registration position on the day
The Interior Ministry's proposal for mandatory prepaid registration was supported by the government in March 2026. Whether it has commenced when you buy is worth a direct question at the counter.
In personWho: You
4
Move to postpaid once you have a personal code
Contracts need a personal code and generally a Latvian bank account for direct debit, so they only become available after your residence permit comes through.
In personWho: You
5
Keep the number when you switch operator
Number portability between Latvian operators is straightforward and free.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport or residence permit card
Personal code and Latvian bank account, for postpaid contracts

Things most newcomers don’t know

Latvia's anonymous prepaid SIM is on its way out — this is a live change.

Latvia has been one of a small group of EU states without mandatory prepaid registration, alongside Estonia, Ireland and a handful of others. On 3 March 2026 the government supported the Interior Ministry's proposal to require registration of prepaid users as an anti-fraud measure. Guides describing Latvia as a no-registration market are describing a position that is being legislated away.

Source: LSM — unregistered SIM cards to be banned in Latvia, March 2026

LMT's rural coverage is the reason to choose it.

All three networks cover Riga comprehensively. LMT is the incumbent and historically has the strongest coverage in Latgale, Kurzeme and the smaller towns. If your weekends involve the forest or the coast rather than the city, that difference is the one that shows up.

Source: Latvian mobile market, verified August 2026

You can buy prepaid before the personal code, but not a contract.

Postpaid contracts need a personal code and usually a Latvian bank account for direct debit. Prepaid carries you through the weeks before the residence permit lands. Plan the sequence rather than trying to sign a contract on week one.

Source: Latvian operator terms, verified August 2026

Your Latvian number quickly becomes an authentication factor.

Banks, the VID's EDS portal and latvija.gov.lv all send confirmation codes to a Latvian number, and Smart-ID enrolment is tied to a device. Changing number afterwards means re-doing several of those links, so choose the number you intend to keep.

Source: Smart-ID and Latvian e-service practice

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming Latvia will still let you buy an anonymous prepaid SIM — that is being legislated away.
Paying airport prices when EU roaming already covers you at domestic rates.
Trying to sign a postpaid contract before your personal code exists.
Choosing on price alone when your weekends are outside Riga and coverage differs.
Changing numbers after using the first one to enrol Smart-ID and bank logins.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.