Arrival and departure
We recommend you arrive in Riga on Thursday, November 2nd, and depart Riga on Monday, November 6th. This way you will be able to take part in the social activities occurring before and after the Ubuntu Summit.
Visas and immigration
Latvia is a member of the Schengen Area. Please consult this interactive dashboard to help determine if you will need to obtain a visa to enter Latvia. If the dashboard shows that your country is required to obtain a visa before entering Latvia, please see this website for more information on how to apply for visa and additional requirements.
Your passport or identity card will be checked upon arrival in an European Union port or airport to ensure that you are permitted to enter the country. Please ensure that your passport is still valid and will not expire within 6 months. If your passport has expired, or is going to expire within 6 months, we recommend you renew your passport immediately, as it may take a several weeks to process.
When you are asked by customs officers for the purpose of your travel, state that you are travelling for touristic or business purposes to attend a tech conference and that your final destination is the Radisson Blu Latvija Hotel in Riga, Latvia. Do not say that you are travelling “for work” as additional visas and permits may be required and you could be denied entry. If you receive a stamp in your passport book after entering Latvia, ensure that your date of entry is clearly legible, and ensure that you receive an exit stamp after leaving Latvia and/or the Schengen Area.
Asking for an Ubuntu Summit Invitation Letter
Should you require an invitation letter to support your visa application to enter Latvia, please mark that you need a visa to attend on your Indico registration form - we will contact you directly to arrange this.
Getting from the airport to the Radisson Blu Latvija Hotel
Arriving by air
The Riga International Airport (RIX) is located in the Mārupe Municipality west of Riga, approximately 10 km from its city center. Detailed information on travel from the Riga International Airport to the city center are available on the RIX transport website.
- By bus: Bus route number 22 takes you to Riga Central Station in approximately 30 minutes, and the hotel is located 1 km away. The bus stop is located opposite the 2nd level of the airport terminal entrance, behind the car park. From Riga Central Station you can walk, take bus number 17 towards Purvciems and exit at Tērbatas iela. Walk 300 meters through Brīvības bulvāris and turn left onto Elizabetes iela to find the hotel.
- By taxi: A taxi ride to the hotel takes approximately 20 minutes. Taxi services available from the airport are serviced by Baltic Taxi and Red Cab. Taxi tariffs are posted on the passenger side door of each taxi cab. You can consult https://www.riga-airport.com/en/taxi-service for more information about the Taxi services offered at RIX airport.
- By car: The ride takes about 20 minutes, depending on the traffic. The hotel offers parking.
- By Bolt: You can use Bolt at the airport.
Arriving by train
The hotel is just 1km away from the station through Elizabetes iela street. If you don’t want to walk, you can take a bus, a taxi, or Bolt.
- By bus: Take bus number 17 towards Purvciems and exit at Tērbatas iela. Walk 300 meters through Brīvības bulvāris and turn left onto Elizabetes iela to find the hotel.
- By taxi or Bolt: A taxi/Bolt ride to the hotel takes about 10 minutes.
COVID-19 Information
As of April 1st, 2022, COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted in Latvia. As of May 2023, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 is no longer an international health emergency. There is no need to present a certification of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19, or negative test results.
Face masks and respirators should be worn in health care and social care facilities. It is still advisable to practice good hand and cough hygiene and to not travel if you are having any symptoms. Please respect each others' choices on wearing a mask.
For the latest/most up-to-date information, please consult Latvia's COVID-19 dashboard.