A family doctor, or ģimenes ārsts, is usually the first person to contact for non-emergency healthcare in Latvia. They treat common illnesses, prescribe medicines, arrange basic tests and issue referrals for many state-funded specialist services.
Finding a doctor is only part of the process. You also need to check whether you are entitled to state-funded healthcare, find a practice that covers your declared address and agree with the practice on how to register.
First check whether you can use state-funded healthcare
Living in Latvia does not automatically give every foreign resident the same access to state-funded healthcare. Your entitlement depends on your legal and insurance status. Registration with a family doctor does not create that entitlement by itself.
The National Health Service explains which groups can receive state-funded care. If you are unsure, call the National Health Service before registering. Our guide to your first 30 days in Riga also explains why this check should come before choosing a doctor.
If another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom remains responsible for your health insurance, you may need an S1 form. The form is issued by the responsible country’s health insurance institution and must be registered in Latvia. The National Health Service provides the Latvian S1 registration application. The exact route depends on your work, residence, pension or family situation, so confirm it with the responsible institution.
EU citizenship alone does not automatically provide full access to Latvia’s state-funded healthcare system. A valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives an insured EU citizen access to medically necessary state-provided care during a temporary stay, under the same conditions and patient charges that apply in Latvia. It does not replace resident healthcare registration or guarantee access to E-veselība. If Latvia is now your usual country of residence, ask the institution that insures you whether you need an S1 form or another basis for healthcare coverage in Latvia.
If you do not have a Latvian personal identification number, ask the National Health Service whether your details must first be added to the Register of Natural Persons and the healthcare recipient database. This can be relevant when registering an S1 form. The required questionnaire and application forms are available from NVD.
Step 1: Find the doctors responsible for your address
Family doctors who have a contract with the National Health Service work with defined territories. Your declared address is important because it determines which territorial practices are responsible for accepting you.
The National Health Service publishes regional lists of family doctors and their territories. The lists are in Latvian and are provided as downloadable files. For Riga, open the Riga region list and search for your street or address.
The simpler option is often to contact the National Health Service and ask which practices cover your declared address:
- 80001234 for calls from Latvia
- +371 67045005 for calls from abroad
- Monday to Thursday, 08:30 to 17:00
- Friday, 08:30 to 15:00
- info@vmnvd.gov.lv
Ask for more than one suitable practice if possible. This gives you another option if the first doctor is unavailable or communication is difficult.
Step 2: Contact the practice before applying
Do not submit an online registration request without contacting the practice first. Latvian rules allow registration through E-veselība or Latvija.gov.lv, but practices use different systems and may not receive the request in the same way. Confirm the practice’s registration method before you start.
Ask these questions:
- Does my declared address fall within the doctor’s territory?
- Is the doctor accepting registrations?
- Does the doctor provide state-funded care under an NVD contract at this practice?
- Is communication in English possible?
- Should I register online or visit the practice?
- What identification or other information should I bring?
The National Health Service does not provide a reliable English-language filter for doctors. If English is important, ask the practice directly. A doctor’s name on the territorial list does not confirm the languages used during consultations.
You can use this short message when contacting a practice:
Labdien! Vēlos reģistrēties pie ģimenes ārsta. Mana deklarētā adrese ir [address]. Vai ārsts pieņem jaunus pacientus, un vai saziņa angļu valodā ir iespējama?
In English: Hello. I would like to register with a family doctor. My declared address is [address]. Is the doctor accepting new patients, and is communication in English possible?
Step 3: Complete the registration
Once the practice has agreed to register you, follow the method it confirms.
- Online: use E-veselība or Latvija.gov.lv if the practice confirms that it can receive and approve the request there and you can sign in with a supported authentication method.
- In person: if you cannot complete electronic registration, contact the chosen practice and arrange to sign the registration agreement there. This can apply to foreign residents who do not yet have a Latvian personal identification number or a supported authentication method. Ask the practice what identification and supporting documents to bring. The agreement is prepared in two copies, one for you and one for the doctor.
Under Cabinet Regulation No. 555, the practice must enter the signed agreement into the National Health Service system within five working days.
If you are changing doctors, you can be registered with only one family doctor at a time. The new registration replaces the previous one. The practices arrange the transfer of the relevant medical records, so you do not need to collect the complete file yourself.
What if a doctor refuses to register you?
A family doctor may refuse registration if your declared address is outside the doctor’s main territory or if the practice is full. A full practice normally means 1,800 adult patients, 800 children, or the corresponding proportion in a mixed practice.
A full practice cannot rely on capacity alone to refuse a person whose declared address is inside its territory. The capacity exception also covers the children, parents and spouse of an existing patient. If a territorial doctor refuses to register you, or the explanation does not match these rules, contact the National Health Service at 80001234 or info@vmnvd.gov.lv. The Service can check the territory and explain where you can register.
You may ask a doctor outside your territory to accept you, but the practice does not have the same territorial obligation. Think about distance as well. A doctor outside the territory may not be able to provide a home visit at your address.
What a family doctor can do
A family doctor’s practice provides care for common illnesses and minor injuries, preventive examinations, vaccinations, prescriptions, basic tests, health advice and referrals. Practices also care for children registered with them, although some children are registered with a paediatrician instead.
For planned primary care, the practice must generally make the service available within five working days. Practices also have daily time reserved for acute patients. Call first so the practice can tell you whether you need an appointment, an acute slot or another type of care.
What a state-funded visit costs
If you are entitled to state-funded healthcare and the visit is provided under the practice’s NVD contract, the current patient contribution is:
- €2 for a family doctor visit if you are under 65
- €1 if you are 65 or older
Some patient groups are exempt from contributions. Tests, procedures and specialist appointments may have separate contributions. The National Health Service maintains the current patient contribution table and exemption information.
If the appointment is private, the practice’s own price list applies. Confirm when booking whether the appointment is state-funded or private. This matters because a referral issued during a paid appointment cannot be used to obtain state-funded care.
When you need a referral
A family doctor or state-funded specialist referral is required for many state-funded specialist consultations, diagnostic examinations and day-hospital services. Once you have a valid referral, you can choose any provider that has an NVD contract for that service. You are not limited to a hospital in your district.
Use Rindapiearsta.lv to compare reported waiting times, then contact the provider because the published data is updated periodically rather than in real time.
Some specialists can be accessed directly without a family doctor referral. NVD lists gynaecologists, ophthalmologists, paediatricians and children’s surgeons, plus several specialists for specific diagnosed conditions. Direct access does not automatically mean that every appointment is state-funded. Confirm that the chosen provider has an NVD contract and that your situation meets the direct-access conditions.
If the practice is closed
For a non-life-threatening health problem that cannot wait until your practice reopens, use one of these options:
- Family Doctor Consultative Telephone: 66016001. It operates from 17:00 to 08:00 on working days and around the clock on weekends and public holidays.
- Doctors on duty. They provide primary-care help outside normal practice hours and can see patients regardless of which family doctor they are registered with. Contact NVD or the medical institution to confirm the current location and hours.
For a life-threatening emergency, call 113. The emergency line is free and available 24 hours a day.
Registration checklist
- Confirm your right to state-funded healthcare.
- Make sure your current address is declared correctly.
- Ask NVD which family doctors cover that address.
- Call or email the practice before applying.
- Check language, NVD contract status and registration method.
- Register online if the practice supports it, or sign the agreement in person.
- Save the practice’s phone number, working hours and replacement arrangements.
- Save 66016001 for after-hours advice and 113 for emergencies.
Information checked on 19 September 2026.
This guide provides general information. Healthcare entitlement, S1 coverage and the services available in an individual case should be confirmed with the National Health Service or the responsible insurer.
Official sources
- National Health Service: family doctors by territory
- National Health Service: family doctor’s practice
- National Health Service: where to obtain medical assistance
- National Health Service: patient contributions
- National Health Service: doctors on duty
- Cabinet Regulation No. 555
- Your Europe: European Health Insurance Card
- Your Europe: health insurance cover when living abroad