HOW TO FIND A JOB IN LATVIA

The Republic of Latvia is a small Baltic state with a population of about 1.8 million people, located in northeastern Europe between Estonia and Lithuania. The country has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and joined the euro zone in 2014. Despite relatively low wages, working in Latvia for foreigners this year, 2024, is a good reason to immigrate to Europe for the long term.

Latvia's economy has modest indicators, but it is nevertheless quite stable. For example, agriculture, woodworking, some industrial sectors, as well as transit services are well-developed. By the way, one of the most popular and in-demand jobs in Latvia is a truck driver. But other foreign specialists are also needed, such as construction workers and representatives of working professions.

Work in Latvia

The population of the country has been steadily decreasing over the last 20 years, young Latvians are trying to move to more developed European countries, therefore the government is interested in attracting labor force from abroad in order to increase the economic potential. The unemployment rate in Latvia is approximately 6-7%. In comparison with 2010, when the rate was as high as 20%, the situation on the labor market is quite acceptable.

Below we will learn how to find a job in Latvia without mediators, the available vacancies and wages in 2024, as well as the basic requirements for foreigners.

Employment in Latvia for foreigners

In connection with the fact that Latvia is a part of EU, the requirements for employment of foreigners from the third countries do not differ much from other European states. It means that in order to legally employ a foreigner on the territory of Latvia you will have to find an employer in advance, obtain a work permit, then obtain a work visa at the Consulate of Latvia, and apply for a residence permit with a right of professional employment.

It is an obligatory requirement for a Latvian company to inform the State Employment Agency of Latvia when hiring an employee from abroad. In this way local authorities verify that no local residents or EU citizens have applied for the vacancy for at least a month. For some categories of foreign specialists such confirmation is not required, for example:

  • Athletes, coaches, members of the creative professions;

  • Actors, artists, composers, directors, dancers and so on;

  • EU Blue Card holders;

  • Foreign teachers at accredited Latvian universities;

  • Technical personnel involved in the organization of cultural or sporting events;

  • Officials, experts and consultants carrying out professional activities in Latvia on the basis of international treaties;

  • Businessmen working in their own Latvian company, subject to certain conditions.

If the employees of the State Employment Agency of Latvia approve the application for employing a foreign specialist, the Latvian employer sends the applicant an invitation for a job previously registered with the Department of Foreigners' Affairs at the local Ministry of the Interior. After that you can apply to Latvian Consulate in your country for work visa.

Usually the first residence permit is issued for up to one year, with the right to extend up to 5 years, after which you can apply for permanent residence, and later and Latvian citizenship. During the first year, a change of employer is not allowed. It is necessary to go through the whole procedure all over again.

How to find a job in Latvia. Job search without intermediaries.

Before you start looking for a job in Latvia, in order not to waste your time, as they say, it is necessary to soberly assess your chances for successful employment. First of all it concerns your language skills and qualification level. To find a prestigious and well-paid job in Latvia in 2024 you will in most cases need a good level of Latvian language skills.

How to find a job in Latvia

Some types of professions, especially those regulated or related to the state structures of Latvia, require local language skills on a mandatory basis. Private Latvian companies can accept foreigners at their own discretion, depending on the functional duties of the candidate. Working in Latvia without knowledge of the language is mostly unskilled labor.

The main ways of searching for a job in Latvia

First of all visit the official site of Latvian employment agency – nva.gov.lv. Here you can find a lot of information materials about Latvian labor market, available vacancies, and other useful information for job seekers.

Popular Latvian job seeking websites

cv.lv

ss.lv

International resources

careerjet.com

learn4good.com

Latvian newspapers

Dienas Bizness

Baltic Times

Use the professional social network Linkedin and personal contacts. Very often with the help of relatives and acquaintances it is possible to find a job in Latvia much faster.

Jobs and wages in Latvia

Jobs and wages in Latvia

In terms of wages, the Republic of Latvia ranks last in the European Union. In 2024, the net average wage in Latvia is 1,055 euros per month. Wage levels are lower only in neighboring Lithuania, as well as Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. The minimum wage in Latvia since January 1, 2024 is 700 euros.

Available jobs in Latvia in 2024 are international drivers (truck drivers), engineers, construction workers, IT-specialists. Sometimes workers are needed in the manufacture of wood products, pharmaceuticals, health care and social services. Salaries here reach up to 1,000 euros a month, sometimes even higher.

Unskilled jobs in Latvia are especially popular among foreigners. These are nannies, caregivers, housekeepers, loaders, waiters, salespeople, cooks' assistants and other professions. There are seasonal agricultural and harvesting jobs in Latvia. Earnings in these spheres leave much to be desired, not more than 500-600 euros.

Comments  

# Belefeh Didier Asong 2022-12-18 11:11
I am a foreigner seeking for a job in latvia
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
© 2020–2024 WageCentre.com. All Rights Reserved.