How the medical assistance to the foreigners is provided in Latvia

In 2017, 39 persons were granted refugee status in Latvia, and 259 persons obtained other alternative statuses. 367 persons were displaced within the European Union resettlement program. Asylum seekers arrive mainly from Syria, Vietnam, Russia, Eritrea and Kazakhstan.

Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation receive all medical and social services on equal terms with citizens of Latvia, provided that they have obtained a personal code in the register of persons residing in Latvia.

In Latvia, the availability of health care services is regulated by the Law on Treatment. According to the law, public-funded health services may also be available to citizens of third countries having a permanent residence permit in Latvia. They can only be obtained in those medical institutions that have concluded a contract with the National Health Service (NHS).

Foreigners with a temporary residence permit in Latvia will have to pay for medical care for them and their children at their own expense, whenever possible, using a health insurance policy.

Emergency assistance in Latvia

Emergency medical care is available to any person in situations where their health and life are at risk. However, the cost of emergency medical care for the citizens of third countries in Latvia with a temporary residence permit is covered by the health insurance policy. The only exception is made for citizens of Ukraine and retired persons of the Russian Federation, who may receive urgent medical care for free in accordance with the intergovernmental agreements.

Primary health care in Latvia

Permanent residents of Latvia, including foreigners with a permanent residence permit, may receive health services at lower prices when visiting specialist doctors upon referral from a family doctor, as they will need to pay only the patient’s fee. The state does not pay for health care services for those who have a temporary residence permit, so the patients cover the cost of attending a specialist fully on their own or through health insurance.

Registration with a family doctor is not required, as primary health care services can be obtained from all doctors who provide such services. One can get registered with a family doctor at the doctor’s office or at the patient’s home, if the doctor provides home attendance.

If the patient pays for health services personally or through an insurance company, he has the opportunity to freely choose the doctor and the facility to seek health care. He may also apply directly to a specialized doctor without referral from a general practitioner. The fee for a private visit may vary depending on the institution and depends on the services provided by various specialists (approximately 20-60 EUR).

Health insurance

The Latvian legislation allows foreigners to enter and stay in Latvia if they have a valid health insurance policy guaranteeing the payment of health care expenses. The health insurance policy must be presented to get a temporary residence permit. The validity term of the policy must not be less than the intended period of the foreigner’s stay in Latvia, and the insurance must cover the following health care services:

Emergency medical care,
Treatment of a critical, life or health-threatening condition in a hospital,
Transportation to the nearest medical institution in both of the above cases,
Transportation back to the homeland in case of serious illness or death.

Patients with HIV/AIDS in Latvia are fully covered by the Law on Treatment and are classified under the criteria of treatment depending on the migration status in the country – there are no exceptions due to this diagnosis.

Social services

As with health care, the possibilities of receiving social support in Latvia depend on the status. The legislation of Latvia stipulates that the following categories are entitled to social services and social assistance:

citizens and non-citizens of Latvia,
foreigners who have obtained a personal code, except for persons with a temporary residence permit.

Persons with permanent residence permit have access to the social services in the same scope as the state and self-government bodies provide to the citizens. Social support for foreigners with a temporary residence permit is limited and social services guaranteed by the state are not available, as well as legal and social assistance, for example, social support and rehabilitation, opportunities to settle in a shelter and a crisis center, a financial allowance for the poor.

Citizens of third countries legally working in Latvia can receive benefits related to the payment of social insurance contributions, but they cannot receive benefits that are available to Latvian citizens irrespective of social insurance payments. Latvia has signed a bilateral agreement on cooperation with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the USA and Canada, which stipulates that the work experience acquired by a foreigner in Latvia is recognized in the foreigner’s home country with the social benefit purposes. This means that social insurance payments made by a foreigner in Latvia are also taken into account in their home country, for example, when calculating the amount of unemployment benefit.

In Latvia, 6 types of benefits are available to an officially employed person or employee: