How much Latvian do you need for work in Latvia in 2026?

International tech, shared services, embassies, research labs, and many corporate teams in Riga hire and operate in English. Standups, Slack, and client calls often stay English even when the building corridor is Latvian. Remote employees paid by foreign companies can keep Latvian optional for the desk if residence and banking stay smooth: Best places for remote workers. Day-to-day English outside the office: English in Latvia.

Small local firms, sales that chase Latvian clients, and neighbour-facing trades switch languages faster. In eastern towns and some western workplaces, Russian may appear on the shop floor before English does: Living in Liepāja.

The Official Language Law (Valsts valodas likums) requires state and municipal employees, and staff of largely state-owned companies, to know and use Latvian as needed for their duties. Private-sector and self-employed people must use Latvian when their activities affect lawful public interests such as public security, health, healthcare, consumer rights, employment rights, workplace safety, and public administration supervision. Cabinet regulations set proficiency levels and degrees (basic, intermediate, advanced, each with A/B degrees) for many listed professions; private employers still choose the bar for other roles within that frame.

Ask the vacancy whether a state-language certificate is required before you assume an English CV is enough. Build level through Live Latvia–listed courses: Learn Latvian. Paperwork and latvija.lv still mix languages even on English desks: Bureaucracy without Latvian.