Travel guide of Latvia

The Republic of Latvia (Latvia: Latvijas Republika), referred to as Latvia. It is a country located in Northeast Europe. It borders the Baltic Sea in the west, and together with Estonia in the north and Lithuania in the south, they are called the Three Baltic Countries. The east is adjacent to Russia and Belarus, with a total area of 64589 square kilometers. Latvia is a unitary country with 109 autonomous municipalities and 9 municipalities directly under the Central Government.

The capital of Latvia is Riga, which is located in the center of the Baltic countries. Because it is located at the intersection of western and eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia, its ports are of important strategic significance and are called the "beating heart of the Baltic Sea" and "Paris of the North." The average annual temperature is 6.7℃.

Latvia is the country in the world that is most worried about marrying a daughter, so it has an interesting title as "the most beautiful daughter country in the world." It's not that the girls are not excellent enough, but the ratio of men and women is very different, even surpassing Russia and ranking first in the world. Some experts believe that the water, soil and climate of this small country along the Baltic Sea may be more suitable for the survival and growth of female fetuses and babies.

language The official language of Latvia is Latvia, which belongs to the Eastern Baltic branch of the Indo-European Baltic language family. There are 1.4 million local Latvia people who basically speak this language. The early vocabulary of Latvia was very similar to that of Lithuania. There are three main dialects in Latvia, namely Central Dialect, Livonian Dialect and Highland Latvia, of which the Central Dialect is the standard Latvia. Excluding Latvia, 95% of the local residents can speak Russian, and about 10% of the residents understand German and English.

Time difference Riga, the capital of Latvia, is located in the East Second District, and the local time is 5 hours slower than that of Beijing. For example, Beijing time is 19:35 on April 15, 2017, and time in Latvia is 14:35 on April 15, 2017.

The best time to travel is the best in spring, summer and autumn, that is, from March to October. Latvia has a temperate maritime climate, so you can travel all year round.

Transportation Notice There are no direct flights from China to Riga (the capital of Latvia). You can transfer in other European cities such as Warsaw, Moscow, and Helsinki.

visa notice China citizens can apply for a Latvia individual tourist visa to travel to Latvia and other Schengen area countries.

Visa type: Ordinary Schengen visa processing method: Whether a face-to-face visa is required to apply through the embassy or consulate: Yes Stay time: Depending on the situation, a maximum of 90 days recommended processing time: Up to three months in advance Visa fee: 60 Euro visa process Apply for a visa for more than 90 days through the Embassy of Latvia in Beijing. Those who apply for a short-term visa of less than 90 days (inclusive) and who live in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Shanghai, namely Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and Anhui, need to apply to the Consulate General of Hungary in Shanghai (for other regions, please consult the Embassy of Latvia in Beijing).

The specific application steps are as follows: (1) Applicants log in to the website of the Visa Center of the Hungarian Consulate General in Shanghai www.huvac.com one month before travel to prepare application documents with reference to the application materials of various Hungarian visas.

(2) After preparing the originals and copies of all application materials, the applicant will email the original and copy of all application materials to mission. shg@mfa.gov.hu to make an appointment for a face-to-face visa. The content of the email must include: the applicant's full name in both Chinese and English, the applicant's contact number, the purpose of the applicant's visit to Latvia (i.e. the type of visa application), the departure time and return time of the itinerary. The email must state that the original and copies of all visa materials have been prepared as required.

(3) The Hungarian Consulate General in Shanghai will reply within about one week after receiving the applicant's appointment email.

(4) The applicant will submit the application materials at the Hungarian Consulate General in Shanghai according to the face-to-face signing time agreed in the email reply.

Entry and Exit Notice Entry Notice Starting from July 1, 2006, Latvia has implemented a new entry and exit declaration system with cash. Anyone carrying more than 10,000 euros in cash to or from EU customs borders must declare. Cash referred to here includes financial instruments such as banknotes, coins, cheques, promissory notes. When foreign citizens enter the customs border of Latvia, Latvia Customs allows items that can be carried without customs duties: 1. No packaging, no commercial marks, no lead seals or store labels, and no personal clothing or cosmetics for other production purposes.

2. Those who enter the country no more than once within 48 hours may bring non-commercial items with an amount of less than 150 LVL under the following conditions: no more than 3 items of the same kind or the number is not restricted but the customs value is less than 15 LVL (equivalent to US$27).

3. Those who enter the country no more than once within 48 hours may bring food with a customs value of less than 15 LVL, but no more than 3 pieces of each variety. Fresh meat and unindustrially processed fresh milk are prohibited from being brought into the country.

4. People over the age of 18 who enter the country no more than once within 48 hours must not carry more than 1 liter of spirits, 2 liters of wine, and 5 liters of beer.

5. People over the age of 18 who enter the country no more than once within 48 hours may carry 200 cigarettes, or 20 cigars, or 200 grams of tobacco.

6. Those who enter the country no more than once within 48 hours are allowed to bring 12 liters of non-alcoholic beverages and 1 kilogram of coffee.

7. Carrying currency into the country is not subject to customs restrictions. However, when carrying a large amount of currency in cash, you must have original documents proving the proper origin of the currency, such as bank slips or currency carrying certificates, in case of investigation by the security department.

8. Those carrying animals and pets must have an exit quarantine certificate issued by the national animal and plant quarantine department.

Items

prohibited in the

1. Various military weapons and spare parts, ammunition, explosives and similar items, special chemicals and application tools (except cans and cans of tear gas); 2. Gunpowder guns, shotguns, gas pistols (revolvers) and ammunition. Exceptions are approved by the National Police General Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Latvia for those taken out of the country.

3. Opium, morphine, heroin, marijuana and other addictive narcotic and psychotropic substances; except for those approved by the National Medicine Administration.

4. Various pornography and alcohol.

Those who have the following circumstances must fill in the customs declaration form: 1. Those who carry goods with an amount exceeding 150 Lats (equivalent to US$270) or have entered the country more than once within 48 hours.

2. Carrying more than 3 pieces of the same food, or not subject to quantity restrictions but with a customs value exceeding 15 lats (equivalent to US$27), or entering the country more than once within 48 hours.

3. Those who carry tobacco products, spirits, wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages and coffee in excess of customs regulations.

4. Honorary prizes of any number and amount, productive raw materials of any number and amount and other articles carried by personal labor.

5. Items shipped separately, temporary entry and exit items, transshipment items, and items carried by third parties.

6. Those who carry gunpowder guns, shotguns, cold weapons, explosives and similar items, psychotropic drugs, radioactive materials, nuclear materials, ionizable solid substances, and other prohibited or restricted entry and exit articles.

网站图片位

Exit instructions on items that can be carried: non-prohibited or non-restricted items can be carried; those carrying animal pets must have a quarantine certificate issued by the national and prefectural animal and plant quarantine departments; those carrying animal fur or hunting objects must have an EXP-2 veterinary certificate; those carrying art and antiques must have an approval certificate from the State Administration for Cultural Relics Protection; bringing currency out of the country is not subject to customs restrictions. However, when carrying a large amount of currency in cash, you must have original documents proving the proper origin of the currency, such as bank slips or currency carrying certificates, in case of investigation by the security department.

Note on Money There are two forms of circulation in Latvia Lat: coins and paper notes. There are 8 denominations of coins: 1 Lat, 2 Lat, 5 Lat, 10 Lat, 20 Lat, 50 Lat, 1 Lat, and 2 Lat. There are six denominations of banknotes: 5 lats, 10 lats, 20 lats, 50 lats, 100 lats, and 500 lats. 1 lade =100 lade points.

The places where you can exchange money in Latvia are mainly located in banks, airports, hotels, airports and all foreign currency exchange points on the street. Banks and foreign currency exchange points in Latvia have strict requirements for exchanging foreign currencies. Foreign currencies that are wrinkled, worn, faded, contaminated or written on will be rejected. The Latvia Lat cannot be directly exchanged with the RMB, but must be exchanged through US dollars or euros. It is recommended that you convert RMB into euros before the scene, and then go to Latvia to exchange local currency, so that there will be less losses in the middle.

Credit cards that can be used in Latvia are Visa, master card and American express. It is relatively convenient to swipe your card in Latvia. Most places have POSE machines, but it is better to prepare some euros or US dollars to solve the problem of not being able to swipe your card during payment.

Tax refund instructions At airports, docks and highway customs border checkpoints, the VAT portion can be refunded on the basis of your passport, air ticket or ferry ticket or ticket, and you will issue an official tax refund invoice for your shop purchases within 3 months and the amount of purchased goods in good packaging exceeding 50 LVL). After signing and sealing by the customs border inspection personnel for confirmation, the VAT portion can be refunded.

tipping Latvia generally pays tips voluntarily. In restaurants, bars, hotels, cafes and other places, 5%-10% of the expenses are generally voluntarily paid, while taxis can also voluntarily give a change to the taxi driver as a tip.

Communication Network Communication: Mobile dialed 2.99 yuan/minute in the mainland of China excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, dialed 1.99 yuan/minute in roaming place, answered 2.99 yuan/minute in roaming place, and dialed other countries and regions (excluding specific countries and regions) 3.0 yuan/minute, sending text messages back to the mainland of China excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao)0.99 yuan/article, sending text messages to other countries and regions 1.89 yuan/article, receiving text messages is free, and data roaming is 0.05 yuan/KB (unified standard for GSM, M-Zone, and Shenzhouxing). China Unicom's 4.86 area calls the mainland of China excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao) at 14.86 yuan/minute, calls roaming place at 4.86 yuan/minute, answers at 5.86 yuan/minute, and sends a text message back to the mainland of China excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao) at 1.86 yuan/message.

Latvia has developed communications. After arriving in Latvia, you can purchase a network access number (usually 2-3 Latvia Tats) at airport and urban convenience stores, shops and mobile phone business outlets, and then buy a phone recharge card. Landline phones are about 0.07 Latvia tets/minute, and mobile phones are about 0.10 Latvia tets/minute. Each company has launched preferential packages, and the prices vary depending on the situation.

Internet: Latvia has a wealth of wifi hotspots, which are distributed in bars, restaurants, coffee bars, train stations, and airports. Free wifi coverage in Riga, the capital of Latvia, is very high. Basically, there is no need to enter a password for the restaurant's wifi signal. Please go to the site to inquire whether wifi charges.

Travel tips The local public transportation system in Latvia includes buses, trams, trolleybuses and taxis. When taking a bus, you need to get on the bus and purchase tickets. The bus operation hours are from 5:30 to 00:30 a.m. every day, and some lines are suspended at 22:30. It should be noted that the driving routes in Latvia are quite complex, and only the starting point and terminal stations are marked at stations and buses, so try to make it clear before taking the bus later.

Food in Latvia is similar to other Nordic countries, greasy and rich. Meat and vegetables are important staple foods in Latvia's traditional diet. But it also has its own specialties, such as creamed barley soup, milk fish soup, pies with bacon and onions, and rye bread pudding. Locals like to drink beer very much, and Riga beer is comparable to any other famous brand of beer. The tradition of drinking can be traced back to ancient times, when excellent brewing technology led to the many types of beer today. Some countries do not maintain traditional eating habits, but Latvia does not. You can taste a lot of soups cooked according to ancient recipes, potatoes cooked according to different methods, especially those with pork and chicken. Sausage, rye bread with caraway, cheese, honey and berries are also famous delicacies in Latvia. If you are not used to European cuisine, there are also many local Chinese restaurants to choose from.

shopping Guide

Latvia's specialties include Riga black medicinal wine, amber, chocolate, handicrafts, etc. Latvia has a famous historic brewery, as well as a historic chocolate processing factory. Because the chocolates purchased here are close to the factory price, with pure craftsmanship and high-quality raw materials, they attract a large number of tourists to buy them every year. In addition, Latvia's linen fabrics, smoked fish, pure wool handmade scarves, hats, socks, leather notebooks and leather wallets are often used as travel souvenirs and accompanying gifts in the country.

tips * The peak tourist season in Latvia is from May to August. During this time, hotels are often full. If you choose to visit during this time, you must make a reservation in advance.

* Entering forest areas in Latvia in summer requires prevention of tick-borne forest encephalitis. The disease is a natural foci of acute central nervous system infectious disease caused by the forest encephalitis virus (RNA virus) transmitted through Ixoid ticks. The clinical characteristics are sudden high fever, disturbance of consciousness, headache, neck strength, paralysis of the upper limbs and neck and scapula muscles, and sequelae are common. People entering epidemic areas for the first time should be vaccinated against forest encephalitis. The first injection must be given 15-20 days before going to the forest, and the second injection must be given 7-10 days later, for a total of 2 times.

* The humidity in Latvia is high, and about half of the weather throughout the year is rainy and snowy, so tourists remember to bring rain gear.

* Latvia uses European standard plugs with a voltage of 220 volts. You can buy a European standard conversion plug and use your own charger to charge in Latvia ~ * The car accident rate and car accident death rate in Latvia are relatively high. Traffic accidents often occur in the area, so please pay attention to traffic safety when traveling to the area. In addition, if you are traveling on a self-driving tour, please also pay attention to abide by local traffic regulations.

* There are many thieves in Latvia. Please store important items such as passports and air tickets close to your body when traveling. It is recommended to bring copies of important documents in case of emergency needs.

* Emergency telephone number: Fire alarm: 01 Bandits police: 02 Ambulance: 03 Gas maintenance: 04 Call emergency telephone number from mobile phone: 112 Lost property search and retrieval: 7086628 Traffic accident: 7377000 Drug Center: 7042473 Information desk: 1188.