Which carriers matter, what buying a SIM involves, and when an eSIM is the smarter move.
Reliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
A Zelta Zivtina SIM without an active package falls back to a poor default rate, around EUR 0.36 per day for just 30 MB, and that rate applies in EU roaming too, so activate a package immediately. When a package allowance runs out, speed is cut to a crawl rather than billing on: workable for messaging, useless for maps. Ignore older guides recommending Amigo, which ceased operating as an independent brand back in 2019. Latvia is in the EU and eurozone, so roam-like-at-home applies to packs that include it, but Baltic operators are inconsistent here: check your specific pack rather than assuming. The ZZ self-service site is only in Latvian and Russian.
The incumbent, with the best coverage and fastest speeds, and the strongest rural reach toward Sigulda, Cesis and the Latgale lakes. Prepaid is sold as LMT Karte.
On par with LMT for coverage and often the cheapest for prepaid data. It does not sell prepaid under its own name: look for the Zelta Zivtina (ZZ) brand.
The smallest network, fine in Riga and along the coast. Its prepaid brand is Bites Karte.
No ID or registration is needed to buy a Latvian prepaid SIM; tourists can pick one up at a kiosk without showing documents. A few guides insist a passport gets checked, so carry it anyway: it costs nothing.
Riga Airport sells tourist SIMs at somewhat inflated prices, but with city SIMs starting near EUR 1, the markup is trivial in cash terms.
Guac eSIM covers Latvia with data plans starting from $1.50 per GB and instant activation, so your phone is online the moment you land. Airalo and Holafly are popular alternatives.
SIM cards and eSIM in Latvia