Estonia Latvia
Estonia 
LatviaLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Estonia and Latvia share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Latvia
- Headlights on at all times.
- Winter tyres mandatory Dec–Feb.
- 0.05% alcohol limit; 0.02% for new drivers.
- Reflective vest and triangle required.
What to see when you arrive in Latvia
- the Art Nouveau old town of Riga
- the palace of Rundāle
- Jūrmala beach
- the Gauja National Park
- Sigulda's castles
Once you're driving in Latvia
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
EU/EEA licences are valid as-is; visitors from other countries may drive on a valid home licence for short stays but an International Driving Permit is required if the licence is not in Latin script or not in English/Latvian, and police and rental firms expect it presented alongside the original.
Tolls & road charges
Latvia has no toll motorways or general car vignette - passenger cars under 3.5t drive the road network free of charge; only heavy goods vehicles pay an electronic vignette (Eurovignette/Latvijas system).
Parking in the cities
Riga uses six paid zones with meters and the Mobilly app, the central zones being most expensive and time-limited; pay-and-display is strictly enforced and illegally parked cars in the centre can be clamped or towed.
Fines & camera enforcement
Fines are issued as administrative reports - police cannot collect cash on the spot, you have 30 days to pay; speeding starts around EUR 20, no-seatbelt around EUR 30, and handheld phone use is prohibited. Rental firms pass camera fines to the renter with an admin fee.
If you have an accident
Call 112 for injuries; for damage-only collisions where parties agree you can complete the European Accident Statement without police, but you must notify the rental company and obtain a report, and you must not move vehicles before documenting if there is injury or dispute.
Driving in the capital
In central Riga watch for tram tracks and one-way streets in the medieval Old Town (Vecrīga), much of which is restricted to permit-holders and pedestrians, so park outside and walk in.
Sources: rac.co.uk · csdd.lv · tolls.eu · theaa.ie