Health Care in Latvia

Health Care in Latvia

You will need to contact the VOAVA (State Agency for Compulsory Health Insurance and the body that takes ‘runs’ the health care in Latvia). You can find a list of doctors on the VOAVA website. There is a standard fee for seeing a doctor. If you receive a UK state retirement pension or long-term incapacity benefit, you may be entitled to state-funded healthcare paid for by the UK. You’ll need to apply for form S1 from the International Pension Centre (tel: 0191 218 7777). You need to register your S1 with the Latvian VOAVA. This entitles you to an EHIC issued by the UK. Wich allows access to medical care in other EEA countries – including Britain.

The hospital notes may not follow you around as they do in the UK so if you are moving to Latvia from UK – YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR OWN ACCURATE AND DETAILED RECORDS! One good thing for us is that many doctors speak good English and are happy to practice it. The NHS website gives excellent advice and up-to-date information.

Pensions in Latvia

If you are a pensioner and moving to Latvia from UK, you need to inform the IPC (International Pension Centre) to prevent problems with your pension payments (tel. 0191 218 7777). Latvia has double taxation agreements with the UK so you will not be taxed twice – provided you ensure that the tax offices are aware of your circumstances. You can arrange to have your pension paid directly into your Latvian bank account. This way you still benefit from the increases as if you still lived in Britain. Contact HMRC and your pension providers well before you leave the UK. If you’ve only worked, lived or are working abroad then you must claim the State Pension through the relevant authority of the country where you currently live and have worked in.

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