Frequently Asked Questions

Which commercial transport operations require a special authorisation (licence)?

Under the Law on Road Transport there are four special authorisations (licences) for commercial road transport in Latvia:

• for commercial transport operations involving category N vehicles or category N vehicles with a trailer or semi-trailer that have a permissible laden mass exceeding 2.5 tonnes: Licence for the commercial goods carriage by goods vehicle;
• For the commercial passenger carriage by coach or bus: Licence for the commercial carriage of passengers by coach or bus;
• for commercial passenger carriage by car: Licence for the commercial carriage of passengers by car; and
• Licence for the commercial carriage of passengers by taxicab.

Is a certificate of professional competence obtained in another country valid for obtaining a special licence in Latvia?

Yes, a certificate of professional competence for international transport issued in another country of the European Union or the European Economic Area is valid for carrying out the duties of a transport manager at a road transport undertaking in Latvia. Conversely, a certificate of professional competence for international transport issued in Latvia is valid in other countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area.

How can I get a licence card or a certified true copy of a Community licence for a vehicle registered in another country?

A road transport vehicle leased from a company (legal entities) established in another EU Member State  for a maximum period of 30 days within a calendar year without registration in the national register of vehicles and their drivers in Latvia may be used for goods  transport operations. If a carrier has two or three road transport vehicles at their disposal, an additional use of one road transport vehicle registered in another Member State is allowed. If the fleet is made up of four or more road vehicles, hired road vehicles registered in another Member State may constitute up to 25% of the carrier’s fleet of goods road vehicles.

How should I draw up a vehicle rental contract for a goods vehicle or bus in order to obtain a licence card or a certified true copy of a Community licence for the rented vehicle?

In order to carry out road transport operations by a road transport vehicle owned by another person, the carrier shall enter into a written rental contract with the owner of the road transport vehicle providing that, during the period of the rental contract, road transport operations with the rented road transport vehicle may be carried out only by the renter.

The renter is not allowed to enter into a subrental contract to sublet the rented vehicle.

A rental contract must include the names of the owner and the renter of the road transport vehicle (for natural persons – first name and surname), the date and duration of the rental contract and details of the road transport vehicle (make, model, year of make, national registration number and identification (chassis) number).

Which documents should  be carried in a rented vehicle?

When performing road carriage by a road transport vehicle owned by another person, the vehicle driver shall, in addition to other documents referred to in the laws and regulations on road traffic and road transport, have the following documents on board the road transport vehicle in paper or digital form:

• vehicle rental contract or a certified extract of the rental contract;
• employment contract between the driver and the renter of the road transport vehicle or a certified extract of the employment contract if the vehicle driver is not a selfemployed person.

Can a certified true copy of the Community licence or a licence card issued on that vehicle also be handed over with the vehicle?

No, the document (licence card or a cerified true copy of the Community licence) for the vehicle must be issued in the name of the transport company  carrying out transport operations.

What is the maximum number of undertakings and the fleet size that one transport manager is allowed to manage concurrently?

A single transport manager may manage the transport operations of one undertaking, or of two undertakings with a combined total fleet of up to 50 vehicles.

Is an undertaking which has received a postal service licence exempt from the requirement to obtain a commercial carriage licence at the Road Transport Administration?

To carry out commercial carriage of goods with a category N vehicle or vehicle combinations with a trailer or semi-trailer with a permissible laden mass exceeding 2.5 tonnes in the territory of Latvia, one must obtain a special authorisation (licence) for commercial transport and a licence card (for Latvia) for each vehicle used in carriage operations. These requirements apply to any carriage of goods under the Law on Road Transport. In Latvia, postal operators are not subject to exemption as regards licensing and licence cards; therefore, an entity with a postal operator’s licence still has to obtain a special authorisation (licence) for commercial carriage at the Road Transport Administration.

Can I perform commercial carriage of goods in Latvia with a certified true copy of the Community licence?

Yes. It is permitted by the Law on Road Transport.

Can I perform carriage on my own account with a certified true copy of the Community licence or a licence card on my vehicle?

Yes, you can.

Do I need to have a certified true copy of the Community licence in the vehicle?

Yes. A certified true copy of the Community licence must be present in the vehicle throughout the journey.

What is a single-use permit for international road haulage?

It is an authorisation entitling a carrier for hire and reward or an own account carrier to perform a single international road haulage operation (round trip) between Latvia and another country, transit through that country, or between that country and a third country.

Who can obtain a single-use permit for international road haulage?

1) A carrier with a valid Community licence for goods  transport or their authorised person;

2) An own account carrier or their authorised representative.

Can a physical person obtain a single-use permit to transport goods to another country or to bring a consignment to Latvia from another country?

No.

Is the original or a copy of the single-use permit required to be carried in the vehicle during international road transport operation?

The original permit must be present in the vehicle.

In case of damage or theft of a single-use permit for international road haulage, is it possible to obtain a copy thereof or exchange the damaged permit for a valid one?

No. A unique number is assigned to each issued permit. If a permit is lost or damaged, the carrier must obtain a new permit for the carriage in question.

If carrier's plans change due to any circumstances, can the single-use permit purchased for international road haulage be transferred or sold to another undertaking?

No. Each permit shows the name of the specific carrier to whom it was issued, so it cannot be used by another carrier.

What should be done with a single-use permit for international road haulage after use?

The permit in question must be returned to the Road Transport Administration within a month after the use of the permit.

Can carriers licensed in Latvia transport goods from China?

No, there is no bilateral  agreement on road transport  between Latvia and China.

How can I transport goods to/from the UK?

Bilateral international  goods transport by road between Latvia and Great Britain is to be carried out using a true copy of the Community license for the international hire or reward haulage of goods by road.

What is an ECMT licence?

An ECMT licence is an authorisation of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport. It is a multilateral licence issued by the International Transport Forum (ITF) for international  goods haulage for hire and reward carried out in the framework of a quota system by transport undertakings established in a ECMT Member State: — between ECMT Member States; in transit through one or more ECMT Member States with vehicles registered in one of the ECMT Member States. An ECMT permit is used together with the logbook. A logbook is a document in which information on the chronological sequence of transport operations for laden and unladen journeys must be recorded.

Which countries are members of the ECMT quota system?

The following 43 ECMT Member States participate in the permit quota system: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Georgia, Croatia, Italy, Ireland, Russia, Latvia, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Germany, Hungary, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Sweden.

What is the period of validity of an ECMT permit?

Annual ECMT permits are valid for one calendar year (from 1 January to 31 December), while short-term permits are valid 30 days but no longer than until 31 December of the current year. 

What is ‘posting of a driver’?

Posting of a driver is a situation when an operator, registered in Latvia and providing international road transport services, posts a driver employed by that operator during the posting period to another EU Member State to drive the operator’s vehicle and carry out other operations related to the relevant road transport service on the operator’s behalf.

What actions must be taken and what requirements must be met by a carrier in a posting situation?

In a posting situation, a carrier engaged in international transport must:

• prepare and submit a posting declaration for the driver at the posting declaration portal
• provide the driver with a copy of the posting declaration submitted in paper or electronic form;
• verify that the remuneration of drivers is in compliance with the national regulations of the country to which they are sent;
• provide proof of transport operations and copies of the tachograph records at the request of the competent authorities of the Member State where the posting takes place, as well as documentation relating to the remuneration of the driver for the posting period.

What documents a driver must present to roadside inspectors?

Upon request during a roadside inspection, a driver must present:

• a copy of the posting declaration (in electronic or paper form),
• proof of transport operations carried out in the Member State of posting (e.g. the CMR consignment note),
• tachograph records.

How can I register on the posting declaration portal?

When registering on the www.postingdeclaration.eu website, you should click “Create an account” button. If you choose to continue, you will first be redirected to EU Login, where you will need to authenticate or create a new user account. EU Login is used to access European Commission applications.

After you have received a confirmation email for EU Login, you will need to click again "Create an account" button to complete your registration on the portal. Only then you will be redirected to the company profile information filling page.

Where can I find information on the level of remuneration for drivers in the EU Member States?

Information on driver remuneration levels in the EU Member States is available at Your Europe website (https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/work-abroad/rules-working-roa...).

Do the posting regulations also apply to drivers engaged in international carriage of goods in vehicles with a laden weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes?

These drivers are subject to the general posting rules under the Labour Law and Directive 96/71/EC, as the requirements stemming from Directive (EU) 2020/1057 on the posting of drivers in the road transport sector apply only to drivers carrying out transport operations with vehicles subject to tachograph requirements.

However, it should be noted that starting 1 July 2026 the requirement to use a tachograph will also apply to vehicles with a maximum permissible mass (including trailer or semi-trailer) exceeding 2.5 tonnes when used for international goods transport operations. Consequently, from that date on, the posting requirements of Directive (EU) 2020/1057 will also apply to such drivers.

Do the posting rules also apply to drivers carrying out international transport operations in vehicles intended for the carriage of passengers (nine or more persons, not including the driver)?

These drivers are subject to the general posting rules under the Labour Law and Directive 96/71/EC, as the requirements stemming from Directive (EU) 2020/1057 on the posting of drivers in the road transport sector apply only to drivers carrying out transport operations by vehicles subject to tachograph requirements.

What is a tachograph?

A tachograph is a device installed in a vehicle to record:

1) driving time;

2) breaks and rest periods;

3) speed of the vehicle and distance covered;

4) other operations performed by the driver.

Which vehicles must be equipped with a tachograph?

Tachographs must be installed in:

1) vehicles used for the carriage of goods with a gross vehicle weight, including trailers/semi-trailers, exceeding 3.5 tonnes;

2) vehicles intended for the transport of passengers of design and equipment allowing the transport of more than nine passengers, including drivers.

Are there cases in the EU when a vehicle is not required to be equipped with a tachograph?

Yes.

When carriage is performed by:

1) vehicles used for regular passenger transport, where the length of the route covered by that service does not exceed 50 km;

2) vehicles or vehicle combinations with a maximum permitted laden weight not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, intended for:

3) the carriage of materials, equipment or machinery used by the driver in the performance of the driver's duties; or

4) delivering craft products within a maximum radius of 100 km from the place of their undertaking, provided that driving is not the main activity and the carriage is not performed for commercial purposes;

5) vehicles with a maximum authorised speed not exceeding 40 kilometres per hour;

6) vehicles owned or hired, without a driver, by the armed forces, civil defence services, fire services or forces responsible for maintaining public order, if the performance of the transport is a consequence of their tasks and is under their control;

7) vehicles used in emergency situations and rescue operations, including vehicles used for the non-commercial carriage of humanitarian aid;

8) specialised vehicles used for medical purposes;

9) specialised emergency vehicles operating within a 100 km radius of their base;

10) vehicles being road-tested for technical development, repair or maintenance, as well as new and converted vehicles not yet in service;

11) vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a maximum allowable mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, used for non-commercial goods transport;

12) vehicles used for goods  transport with a maximum allowable mass, including any trail or semi-trailers, exceeding 2.5 tonnes, but not 3.5 tonnes where the transportation is not carried on commercial basis but as self-transportation by the undertaking or driver, and where the driving is not the core duty of the person driving the vehicle;

13) commercial vehicles with a historical status under the law of their Member State of operation, when used for non-commercial passenger or goods  transportation.

See Articles 3 and 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Do I need to change my digital tachograph card if I have changed my driving licence during its lifetime and the driving licence number does not match the driving licence number on the digital tachograph card?

No, you do not need to get a new digital tachograph card immediately. You may continue to use your existing card until its expiry date.

Is it permitted to carry out international road transport operations within the EU/EEA with a vehicle equipped with an analogue or digital tachograph?

No.

For international road transport in the EU/EEA, vehicles must be equipped with a Smart Tachograph Version 2.

What is the maximum permitted driving time in every 24-hour period?

Nine hours.

Is it allowed to extend the driving time within a 24-hour period?

Yes. Driving time can be extended to 10 hours twice in a calendar week.

What is the maximum allowed driving time within two calendar weeks?

90 hours.

What is the maximum allowed driving time per calendar week?

56 hours.

How long is it allowed to drive a vehicle without taking a break?

4 hours 30 minutes.

What is the minimum break length between driving periods?

What is movement of dangerous goods?

Movement of dangerous goods is a set of organisational and technological operations (e.g. classification, packaging, filling of tanks, tank containers or gas receptacles, labelling, drawing up of transport documents, loading, forwarding, carriage, unloading, issuance to the recipient) to be performed during the carriage of dangerous goods by road. Movement of dangerous goods also includes temporary storage of such goods during the intermediate stages of carriage which is necessary to change the mode of transport or vehicle (loading), as well as any safety and security measures necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of carriage.

What is the ADR (Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road)?

ADR is the acronym for the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, concluded in Geneva in 1957 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Annexes A and B to ADR are amended once every two years.

More information in the Latvian language can be found here.

What are the classes of dangerous goods?

Class 1: Explosive substances and articles

Class 2: Gases

Class 3: Flammable liquids

Class 4.1: Flammable solids, self-reactive substances,

polymerizing substances and solid desensitized explosives

Class 4.2: Substances liable to spontaneous combustion

Class 4.3: Substances which, in contact with water,

emit flammable gases

Class 5.1: Oxidising substances

Class 5.2: Organic peroxides

Class 6.1: Toxic substances

Class 6.2: Infectious substances

Class 7: Radioactive material

Class 8: Corrosive substances

Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles.

What goods are classified as ‘dangerous’?

Each dangerous good has an assigned unique 4-digit UN number, which may designate a particular substance, or generally designate a group of substances with a particular hazard.

The UN number can be found in Section 14 of the Product Safety Data Sheet (PSDS) prepared by the product manufacturer.

Who is a dangerous goods safety adviser (consultant)?

Any person who has completed a training course and passed the Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA) examination, and who holds a valid DGSA certificate (a certificate is valid for five years) and who is able to advise the economic operator on rules for the carriage of dangerous goods, verify the activities and procedures related to the carriage of dangerous goods, and ensure preparation of annual reports and accident reports.

Which economic operators should appoint a dangerous goods safety adviser (consultant)?

All economic operators involved in the carriage of dangerous goods by rail or road and in the performance of operations with dangerous goods such as:

• classification,
• packaging,
• labelling,
• filling out transport documents,
• dispatching,
• loading or unloading,
• carriage.

What are the job duties of a safety adviser (consultant)?

• monitor compliance with the rules on the transportation of dangerous goods;
• advise on the transportation of dangerous goods (classification, equipment, management, etc., implementation of safety measures and procedures to prevent accidents);
• check procedures and practices related to the carriage of dangerous goods (loading/unloading, staff training, etc.);
• collect all necessary information after the accident and ensure preparation of a report, as well as take preventive measures to prevent the recurrence of accidents;
• ensure annual reports on the economic operator’s activity in the sphere of dangerous goods carriage.

What do carriers need to do to open a new regular international route for the carriage of passengers by coach/bus?

Latvian carriers must have a European Community License to carry out passenger transport operations issued by the Road Transport Administration. A carrier must have at least two buses registered in the Road Transport Administration for the commercial carriage of passengers. An application form shall be filled in and submit to the Road Transport Administration together with the accompanying documents.

What application form do carriers need to fill out for a third-country (non-EU) route authorisation for the carriage of passengers by bus or coach on a new regular international route?

The application form is available in Annex 2 to Cabinet Regulation No 37 of 10.01.2012. “Regulations regarding international carriage of passengers by bus and coach, the procedures for the organising, performing thereof, for the opening, changing and closing of routes” and on the website of the Road Transport Administration.

What application form must a carrier fill out for a route authorisation for the carriage of passengers by coach and bus within the EU on a new regular international route?

The application form is available in Commission Regulation (EU) No 361/2014 of 9 April 2014 laying down detailed rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards documents for the international carriage of passengers by coach and bus and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 2121/98 in Annex III, and on the Road Transport Administration website.

Who produces a timetable for scheduled international bus services?

A carrier in cooperation with partner companies involved in providing regular bus service.

Do carriers holding valid regular bus service authorisations to a third country or an EU Member State need to report to the Road Transport Administration?

Carriers holding a valid regular bus service authorisation must submit to the Road Transport Administration quarterly reports on the number of trips performed per month per particular route.

Who takes the decision to issue a route authorisation?

The decision to issue a route authorisation is taken by the Road Transport Administration.

On regular international services, is there a seat for every bus passenger?

In regular international transport, a seat is provided to each bus passenger.

Who provides public information on international regular services?

The carrier must provide the public with information on regular international carriage in accordance with Article 11(2) and (5) of Regulation No 181/2011.

By what date in the following quarter should carriers holding valid route authorisations to a third country or an EU Member State report to the Road Transport Administration?

Carriers holding valid route authorisations must submit their route reports to the Road Transport Administratio by the 10th day of the month following the quarter.

For what time period are authorisations issued for regular international passenger services on a particular route?

Authorisations are issued for a period from one to five years.

Is the carrier required to indicate national border crossing points in the bus movement list?

All timetables for regular international bus services, including those within the EU, must indicate the national border crossing points at which persons and buses are allowed to cross national borders.

Do I need to specify the addresses of the stops when planning my route?

Yes, bus stops planned on the route must have specific addresses.

What is meant by "bus" in regular international passenger services?

A vehicle which, by its construction and equipment, is valid for the carriage of more than nine persons, including the driver.

What is occasional passenger transport?

Occasional passenger services are services that do not meet the definition of regular services, including special regular services. Their main characteristic is that they transport passenger groups set up at the initiative of the customer or the carrier itself.

What documents must be on the board if a travel agency has concluded a contract with   a passenger carrier to carry a group of passengers from Riga to Tallinn and back?

A valid true copy of the Community licence issued to the carrier for the international carriage of passengers by bus and a completed journey form for the carriage in question as required for carriages within the EU.