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teach english in latvia

Teach English in Latvia

There are no countries quite like the Baltic states, and Latvia is no exception when it comes to history, language and its relationship with English. How does this affect TEFL teachers?

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The Baltic states probably don’t get enough shine as TEFL locations, and we reckon it’s about time that changed. Latvia boasts a rich and alluring history, with a distinct and unique language and culture. An outward-looking and internationalist nation state, Latvia is a long-time member of the European Union, the IMF, NATO, the OECD and more.

This isn’t a civics lesson, but it is important to note. Why? Well, international cooperation and language proficiency tend to go hand-in-hand. Certainly, Latvia’s international focus can go some way to explaining the country’s levels of English proficiency and the interest in English within its borders. Its capital city, Riga, is a TEFL hotspot, with very decent salaries on offer. Whether you live in the capital city or not, there’s a lot to enjoy about life and work in Latvia.

So where can English teachers find teaching opportunities in Latvia? What kind of jobs are on offer, what kind of teaching salary is on offer, and what is TEFL teaching like there?

Latvia: An overview

The recent linguistic history of Latvia is an interesting one, and informs the landscape for TEFL teachers today. As a former Soviet state, Latvia does have a sizeable constituent of Russian speakers, even today. While 86% of Latvia’s population speaks Latvian, 63% speaks Russian, making it the most popular “foreign” language by some distance. The third most popular foreign language, with 27%, is English. That’s a decent amount to work with, from a TEFL perspective.

Following, and in some cases exceeding EU-wide trends, Latvian school students have been enthusiastically studying English. Latvian schoolkids don’t have to learn English specifically - they can learn Russian or German if they prefer. However, the English language is an extremely popular choice with Latvian schoolkids, and they do have to opt for at least one foreign language at school.

This all means that there are plenty of jobs available to enterprising TEFL teachers. Capital city Riga is a great landing spot, but cities like Daugavpils and Liepāja are also worth checking out, given their number of schools and potential learners.

Requirements for teaching English in Latvia

What are the teach English abroad requirements for teaching in Latvia? Let’s get into some detail!

Visas
Requirements

Visa

If you’re looking to work in Latvia long-term, there are two things you need to consider. If you’re an EU citizen, then you don’t need a visa to find work as an English teacher in Latvia. If you’re not, then you need to go through a separate process for foreigners in Latvia.

What you’ll need is a Latvian Type D Long Stay Visa. To meet the requirements for this, you’ll simply need an offer of employment, as well as an application form, a passport-sized photo, a passport, travel and health insurance, an itinerary (even if you eventually plan on staying long-term) and the application fee.

After that, you’ll need to apply for the Uzturēšanās atļauja (residence permit). You can find the form here, and if you’re accepted, you can hop, skip and jump around the Schengen Area without needing a visa! You’ll need:

Proof of residence in Latvia (rent payments, lease etc)
Completed application form
Passport photo
Verified, clean criminal record
Proof of earnings
Paid fees

If you’re curious about the requirements for teaching English abroad, you can explore these related articles:

Salary and cost of living in Latvia

So what kind of salary can you earn teaching abroad in Latvia? How does Latvia’s TEFL wages compare to neighbouring countries like Lithuania or Russia?

Well, teaching salaries are something of a hot topic across the board in Latvia right now. Though teaching salaries for full-time teachers can fluctuate between €950 - €2,000 ($1,020 - $2,150/£817 - £1,720) per month, there has been legislation aiming to guarantee a minimum monthly wage of €1,080. That hasn’t happened everywhere, quite yet.

So, by government mandate, the minimum you should expect to earn as a teacher in a full-time school position is the equivalent of $1,160/£930. Of course, you can earn far more in elite institutions like private schools and international schools, though Latvia isn’t exactly full of these kinds of schools.

Country	Avg. monthly salary	Degree required	Start of term	Teaching experience	Housing & flights included	Suitable for non-native English speakers	Age restrictions
Teach in Latvia	€950 - €2,000 ($1,020 - $2,150 USD £817 - £1,720 GBP)		September		Not usually		None

Cost of living

What’s the cost of living like in Latvia’s capital city, Riga, and how does it contrast to the kind of salary on offer?

Per Numbeo, we can see that you can live pretty well on a teaching salary because the cost of living is pretty low. At a glance, Riga is 35% cheaper to live in than London, and its rents are a whopping 82% lower, which is always a good start.

Talking of rent, to live in a one-bedroom city centre apartment in Riga will cost you about $535/£429. To save a hefty amount of cash, head outside of central Riga and you can find yourself paying $360/£289 for the same amount of floor space. Where it gets expensive, however, is with utilities. Monthly bills can cost as much as $340/£272, so be sure to shop around for the best energy providers before you get there!

A monthly transport pass in Riga is €30, equivalent to £26/$32, which can take you to a number of Michelin-approved restaurants! However, with the cost of utilities, we’ll keep things a little more realistic and tell you that a solo meal in an inexpensive restaurant costs about $11/£9, and a meal for two in a mid-priced eaterie usually costs about $64/£52 overall.

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English teaching jobs in Latvia

So where are the job opportunities for English teachers in Latvia? Here are some of the primary options for ESL teachers.

State schools

While there’s lots of competition from within Latvia, given the popularity of English as a foreign language, state schools are always on the lookout for English teachers from abroad. If you have a degree, teaching certification (such as TEFL certification) and some teaching experience, you’ll be ideal for a Latvian state school.

Class sizes normally aren’t huge and classes are typically attentive and elect to study English.

Private schools

Like state schools but with more selective criteria and (usually) higher wages, private schools aren’t nearly as widespread in Latvia, but they do exist. English is as popular in private schools as it is in the state education system, so if you’re tuned into the Latvian job market you’ll see jobs in elite institutions pop up now and then. Usually, you’ll need a master’s, and that’ll need to be in education or a related field.

International schools

There are fewer than a dozen international schools in Latvia, and they’re all in Riga. However, they employ highly qualified, highly experienced English teachers, some of whom may very well be reading this page about teaching in Latvia. Opportunities are limited and ultra-competitive, but salaries are considerably higher than equivalent teaching jobs in other institutions. If you have the required experience and qualifications, international schools in Latvia are paying top dollar.

Language schools

Again, there aren’t loads of options here but there are language schools in Riga. Typically, language schools more readily take on inexperienced teachers, so if you’re looking to build up teaching experience and meet the job requirements for a role at a Latvian language school, you’ll find a wealth of enthusiastic students with clear learning objectives in mind.

Universities

At first glance, you’ll struggle to find English courses in Latvian universities. You’ll not see much demand for interpretation services for English-speaking students in Latvian universities. In fact, you’d be forgiven for not thinking there’s much opportunity at all.

Look a little deeper, though, and you’ll notice that Latvia’s most popular higher education institution, the University of Latvia, teaches a range of courses in English. These courses include like medicine and dentistry. So, if you’ve got a degree, a TEFL certificate and maybe even an advanced TEFL certificate in English for Academic Purposes, you’ll find students who need you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do they speak English in Latvia?

Yes, Latvian people can and do speak English. In 2020, the EF English Proficiency Index rated Latvia’s proficiency level as ‘high’.

Q. Is Latvian hard for English speakers?

It’s subjective, but Indo-European languages including Latvian are considered “difficult” to learn from an English-speaking perspective. Don’t let that put you off, though!

Q. How much do teachers get paid in Latvia?

Teaching salaries in Latvia, as of 2024, are legally mandated to be at least €1,080 per month for those in full-time school jobs, which is equivalent to $1,160/£930. However, those working in international or private schools can earn far more.

Q. Which country has the highest demand for English teachers?

In terms of sheer population size, China has the highest demand for English teachers, but there’s considerable demand for English teachers - for a variety of cultural, economic and educational reasons - across the planet.