Latvia to grant cruise passengers visa-free stay

  • 2005-05-04
Latvia is set to introduce a provision allowing cruise boat passengers to stay in the country visa-free for up to three days starting July 2005, according to proposed amendments to the immigration law.

The amendment still must still be passed by Parliament, but an official from the Interior Ministry said at a Cabinet meeting this week that passengers of cruise boats currently need visas to stay in Latvia for three days, and an abolition of that requirement would promote tourism development.

She said that a similar arrangement is effective in other European Union member states such as Germany, Estonia, Finland, Italy and others.