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Practical tips for successfully buying a SIM Card in Latvia

Russell

Last updated: 29 July 2023

Are you planning a holiday to Riga and looking at options for buying a SIM card in Latvia? The good news is that Latvia is well serviced with a number of mobile network providers and prepaid SIM card options and they can be easily purchased from a number of retail stores or online. One thing you should know, Latvia is quite well connected with a number of free public WiFi zones so you should be able to get connected when out and about. However, if you’re like us and enjoy a constant and reliable Internet connection then buying a SIM card in Latvia is probably your best choice. Read on for more details about your SIM card options. 

What You Need to Know about Buying a SIM card in Latvia

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Who are the Network Providers in Latvia?

There are 3 main mobile network operators in Latvia, they are; LMT, Tele2, and Bite.

All 3 networks offer 4G (LTE) coverage across 90% of the population so regardless of which option you end up going with, you should have decent coverage in the majority of places you visit.

We decided to go with LMT, the largest and most well-known of all Latvian mobile network providers. We visited one of their stores closest to our hotel. For more information about LMT and their current Prepaid offering then click here. 

LMT Mobile Data SIM Card

Within 60 seconds of being served in the store, we were presented with a data only SIM card valid for 7 days with 10GB of data for an extremely reasonable price of 5.69 euro!

SIM card package purchased during visit to Latvia. Buying a SIM card in Latvia

 

Note: Ensure that you advise the sales assistant of the type of SIM card that you need for you phone. We were originally given a micro-SIM card but needed a nano-SIM which wasn’t an issue but thankfully we checked before opening the packet. Given the vast variety of SIM card choices available, it is always best to check. 

The friendly sales assistant checked with us 3 times to ensure that we only wanted a data only SIM card that didn’t include any calls and texts, I guess there’s been a few misunderstandings with other tourists being unsure of what they wanted the SIM card for. If you’re a regular reader of Roaming Required then you probably know that we live on the Internet, after all you can always call using Whatsapp, Skype, Teams, etc.

After purchasing the SIM card, we asked if we could setup before leaving and the store assistants were happy to oblige us a counter where we could swap the SIM cards. The benefit of setting up the phone in the store meant that we could get help if needed from an expert.

Getting Connected on LMT

The setup of the phone was nice and easy, and best of all there was no activation process or registration timeframe to wait before using the Internet.

  1. Place the SIM card into your phone
  2. Enter the SIM PIN (located on the plastic card which the SIM card was popped out of)
  3. The network should register automatically
  4. Check your Internet APN (internet.lmt.lv)
  5. We had to reboot after setting the APN

Final Thoughts

We found that there were a number of times where we had access to free public WiFi when exploring parts of Latvia but since we also spent a lot of time driving through Latvia, as part of a Baltics road trip, it was comforting knowing that we had access to a data SIM card as when we needed, especially for Google Maps. One tip, if you’re planning on driving through Latvia, one of the best decisions we made was to ensure that we took out Google Maps offline for the occasional situation where we were out of mobile coverage. 

If you want to remain connected during your trip to Latvia then we strongly suggest buying a SIM card need a mobile Internet connection during your visit to Latvia then we suggest you visit your local LMT store and pick up a 7 day mobile Internet SIM card and enjoy a massive amounts of data. 

We’d love to hear if this post was helpful or if you have any questions then please feel free to reach out to us via our Contact Us page or in the comments below. Stay safe, happy travels.

Avatar for Russell

    Born and raised in Sydney Australia and currently based in London, I absolutely love exploring the UK and Europe at every opportunity. It still thrills me that all it takes is an hour flight to be in a new country with a completely different history, language, food, and culture that is just waiting to be experienced. We started our blog, Roaming Required, as a way to keep in contact with family and friends, and over the last 10 years, the blog has grown and evolved and it remains a real passion project. We've travelled a lot in the 10 years living in London and there's still plenty more to experience. So, why not join us for the adventure and come roam with us!

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    Comments (5)

    1. If you don’t need to use your mobile device as a hotspot, it is cheaper to get unlimited data, 10 domestic minutes and unlimited domestic SMS for 2.50 Euros per week or 1GB, 10 domestic minutes and unlimited domestic SMS for 1.50 Euros per week.

    2. Hi,We are planning a road trip in Jun-2017 to Latvia and Lithuania. Did you get harassed by traffic cops or customs officials unnecessarily? If accused of an alleged traffic violation, is it better to accept the summon and pay the fine at a police station? Or try to bribe the cop? I prefer doing the former. Tks.

      1. Hi Lingam
        Honestly, we had no issues from the authorities when we drove through the Baltic region. If I may suggest, stay in the slow lane and let the locals pass you.

      1. Absolutely Claire! Who doesn’t want to check in, tweet and Instagram their holiday. Have a local SIM with a generous data allowance makes life so much easier!

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