Latvia
Latvia is suffering from the effects of the recent recession and had to seek help from the International Monetary Fund. It has high unemployment (17%) and this is expected to rise before it falls. Seemingly, more companies are shedding staff, rather than hiring. However, there is a need for skilled specialist workers, such as ship repair workers and other qualified people.
Many employers accept a CV and it is perfectly acceptable to submit speculative applications. Include a brief covering letter with your CV. The covering letter should explain what you are applying for, why you are applying for a particular position, and what you can offer, alongside relevant information about your background and how you can use your experience and develop it further. Take care not to repeat what you have written in your CV.
Large companies and organisations tend to use application forms.
It is advisable to attach copies of your educational attainment and qualifications. Do not send originals, if these are requested, obtain certified copies. International companies may use online application forms.
Find out more job application advice.
Most employers in Latvia ask for the standard reverse-chronological CV, usually one page long. You may use up to a maximum of two pages if you have considerable experience. The order of information on the CV should be as follows: name, education and training, work experience and special skills (include your language skills).
When writing references, state the relationship between referee and applicant and make sure you include contact details, including email addresses if available. The recommended number of referees ranges from two to four. The CV should be typewritten, signed and dated.
Generally, employers interview in a traditional manner, either one to one or with a panel. International employers will use their normal selection procedures, which may include aptitude tests and assessment centers.
Latvian employers are extremely keen on knowing what you can bring to the company. Research a company before attending an interview, including the location of its European headquarters and its main product/work. Consider the challenges of an Eastern European economy.
Log on to the ENIC-NARIC website for information on comparability of your academic qualifications.
The UK National Europass Centre (UK NEC) website has information on how to make your skills and qualifications easily understood in Latvia.
If you are planning to live and work in Latvia, check your UK tax and National Insurance position with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to ensure that you are not losing any UK pension rights.
Finding work through personal contacts is common in Latvia. Details on where to find lists of companies for speculative applications can be found in job market.
You can also gain work experience through temporary placements with international organisations. Erasmus offers work experience placements from three months to a year.
IAESTE (The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) organises course-related placements for engineering, science and technology students.
The student-run organisation AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) offers places for business and economic students.Your institution may also be involved in the Leonardo da Vinci Programme, which offers vocational training exchanges and work.
All these placements are arranged with partner organisations in other countries. Contact your institution’s international officer or your careers service, as appropriate, for more information and to see if there are any links with Latvia
Opportunities are limited and are likely to be in teaching English (see vacancy sources) and in voluntary projects.
There are several organisations that offer voluntary work programmes in Latvia, such as Volunteer Abroad and Service Civil International. Check out your university careers service as they may have sources of information, such as databases on volunteering opportunities.
There is a dual system of higher education in Latvia: academic programmes and professional study programmes. There is also a distinction between university and non-university higher education institutions. Whilst non-university institutions concentrate on professional, vocational programmes lasting at least four years, university institutions can offer both academic and professional courses.
See the Fact Sheet on Higher Education from the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia for more information.
University-level studies in Latvia consist of three stages: undergraduate, postgraduate and Doctorate.
Undergraduate study leads to the award of a Bakalaurs (Bachelors) degree, which in most cases includes the preparation of a thesis. The duration of study varies from three to four years, after which holders are eligible for further studies towards a Magistrs (Masters) degree or higher professional education qualifications.
The second stage leads to the award of the Magistrs, awarded one to two years after the Bakalaurs. This degree also includes the presentation of a thesis.
Doctoral studies are available at both higher education and research institutions. They are awarded three to four years after completion of the Magistrs and include the public presentation of a thesis.
Universities cover one or several fields of study and are entitled to confer Doctoral degrees. For a full list of universities and courses in Latvia, contact the Higher Education Quality Evaluation Centre (HEQEC).
According to the law on education, students from European Union (EU) member states are admitted according to the same rules as Latvian students. Latvian diplomatic missions overseas provide all the necessary information, make an initial evaluation of students and process documentation for sending to the respective authorities in Latvia. They will also issue the necessary entry visas to candidates who have been accepted.
Application dates vary depending on institution, course and your country of residence (some have no application deadlines) and it is necessary to contact the institution you wish to apply to for more details. The academic year runs from September to June.
Applications are made directly to the university you wish to attend. Forms are available from the universities and polytechnics. Some institutions use online application forms. Details may be found on the admission section of individual university and polytechnic websites.
You can apply as a visiting student (non-exchange student, non-graduate student, tuition-paying student). You can be considered as an exchange student if there is a valid student exchange programme between your home university and your chosen university in Latvia.
EU residents are treated like Latvian citizens; the state covers fees for a certain number of places. All non-EU residents pay the institutions’ fees. Exchange students are exempt from tuition fees and are, in some cases, entitled to a small scholarship.
Exchange students from outside the Erasmus programme may be eligible for some funding from the university. For longer-term study, there are some scholarships available at the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia for students from certain European countries, but this does not include UK citizens.
The European Youth Portal links to useful sites, including a guide to studying in Latvia.
Fees vary but an average is 1,500 Euros per academic year for Masters and Doctoral study for students from the EU.
UK students on undergraduate degree programmes or postgraduate Masters and some PhD programmes may be interested in spending time studying in Latvia through Erasmus. This programme is open to all subject areas, but check with your institution’s Erasmus coordinator first (usually based in the international office) to see which countries they have links with and in what subject areas. Erasmus runs a short intensive language programme (EILCS) for students who have a placement in Latvia.
Find out more about studying abroad.
Latvia is a member of ENIC-NARIC, a network of national centres that aims to improve academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study in European Union (EU) member states, EEA countries and associated countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The website includes information on current issues in international academic and professional mobility, and on procedures for the recognition of UK (and other European) qualifications.
Latvia is a member state of the European Union (EU) and does not apply any restrictions on the access to its labour market by citizens of other EEA countries or the Swiss Confederation. Visitors holding a British passport can remain in Latvia for up to 90 days without a residence permit.
British nationals intending to live and work in Latvia will need to obtain a residence permit from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia.
If you are offered a job, a residence permit will be issued for up to five years. For a visa or resident permit extension, contact the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia. Visitors without a residence permit may not work in Latvia. If you are going to study in Latvia you will require a letter from the institution at which you intend to study. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration, contact the Embassy of Latvia in London.
If you are from a non-EU country, contact the Latvian embassy in the country where you are currently residing.
Temporary residence permits are issued for a period of time from one to five years (depending on the reason of application) and can be prolonged after they expire. Only after five years of residency can you apply for a permanent residency permit.
With a network of 28 regional branches covering the country, the Nodarbinatibas Valsts Agentura (Latvian State Employment Service) (NVA) works to reduce unemployment and provide support to the unemployed and job seekers. The NVA provides advice on vacancies, as well as on the rights and responsibilities of the unemployed and jobseekers. It also provides information on professional matters, opportunities and choices with regard to obtaining further qualifications. This site is in Latvian, English and Russian.
You can also get contact details for the European Employment Services advisers (euro-advisers) in Latvia through the EURES - European Job Mobility Portal website. Euro-advisers are trained specialists who provide information and guidance to jobseekers interested in working in Latvia.
The University of Latvia has a career centre known as Karjeras centrs . This is still in the early stages of development but has similarities with UK careers services. They have an online vacancy bulletin and organise career opportunity days. Other universities are likely to develop similar services. Check with the institutions directly.
The British Embassy Latvia is situated at 5 Jura Alunara and can help with health problems, crime and a range of other issues. The contact numbers are: +371 777 4700 during working hours and +371 2922 1804 outside normal hours.
For Latvian emergency services, phone 112.
Find the latest travel advice on Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
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