Do UAE passport holders need a visa to visit LV?

UAE ordinary passport holders can travel to Latvia visa-free for tourism, staying up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the Schengen Area. No visa is needed before travel. Once ETIAS launches (expected late 2026), Emiratis will need a low-cost online travel authorization, but it is not yet mandatory as of May 2026. Latvia is a full member of the Schengen Area. The United Arab Emirates is listed in Annex II of EU Regulation 2018/1806 (the visa-waiver list following the 2015 EU-UAE short-stay visa exemption agreement), so holders of UAE ordinary passports do not need a Schengen visa for short visits. They may enter Latvia and the wider Schengen Area for tourism for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. The passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the intended departure date and issued within the previous 10 years. Travelers should be ready to show proof of accommodation, return travel, and sufficient funds at the border. Two upcoming EU systems affect this route: the Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric border registration that began phased rollout in late 2025, and ETIAS, an online pre-travel authorization expected to become mandatory for visa-exempt nationals (including Emiratis) in the last quarter of 2026. As of 31 May 2026, ETIAS is not yet required, so the route remains genuinely visa-free with no pre-travel application needed. When ETIAS goes live it will cost around EUR 20, be valid up to three years, and be obtained online in minutes; it is a travel authorization, not a visa.