Health and Wellbeing

RSU Health Centre

The RSU Health Centre is located in the RSU Main building (Block E, ground floor). Appointments can be made by telephone (+37167409178), rsuambulancersu[pnkts]lv (e-mail), or at the reception desk. 

If you are acutely unwell and need a sick note, please rsuambulancersu[pnkts]lv (email )the centre on the day you get sick and miss classes. When you feel well enough, come in the day before (or the morning of) the day you plan to return to classes to get a sick note. Please note that the RSU Health Centre is unable to give sick notes without hearing from you when you are sick!

However, since there is just one general practitioner working at the centre, we suggest that you look at other medical providers in Riga, especially those closest to your place of residence. Here are some recommended medical providers:

 Clinics

Dental Health

The RSU Institute of Dentistry (Stomatoloģijas institūts) is located right next to the RSU Main Building and is the only health care institution in Latvia that covers all fields of dentistry.

Vaccination

If you need a vaccine, you can do it at the Latvian Centre of Infectious Diseases. They provide active immunoprophylaxis with vaccines, and in case of emergency also passive immunoprophylaxis with immunoglobulin and serum.

In the vaccination department you can receive vaccination against: diphtheria and tetanus (free of charge), tick-borne encephalitis, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, influenza, meningococcal A and C infections, streptococcus (pneumococcus) infection, yellow fever, chicken pox, cholera, typhoid, rabies, polio, measles, rubella, and epidemic parotitis.

Should you ever be bitten by a tick, make sure you know how to remove it. If you don’t, we suggest that you visit the Latvian Centre of Infectious Diseases (free of charge). Service available 24/7.

Sexual Health

Psychological Wellbeing & Counselling

Psychological well-being is extremely important, especially when under stress. Counselling services are available at the RSU Clinic of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy where highly qualified specialists in the field of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy are ready to provide consultations, psychotherapy and other therapeutic services.

Pharmacies

There are many pharmacies (aptieka) in Riga, where you can buy a wide range of medicines, obtain advice on the treatment of mild forms of various illnesses. Note that there are strict laws in Latvia regulating medication. Many medicines are available only with a prescription from a general practitioner. Unless the medicine you need can be substituted with other medication, you will have to go to the doctor to obtain a prescription.

Health Insurance

Prior to your arrival to Latvia, you should purchase a health insurance policy. The health insurance should:

• be valid in Latvia and the Schengen Area for at least one year;
• include compensation of a minimum of 43,000 EUR (health-related expenses);
• cover repatriation expenses to your country of origin.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

• The card is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare, costs for return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property;
• EHIC does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different, services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country;
• EHIC gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.

For everything you need to know about EHIC, including how it works, coverage, cost, status after Brexit, the application process, validity, and more, delve into SchengenVisaInfo.com website.

Insurance companies in Latvia that provide “Foreign Travel Insurance Policy”

• Balta
• BAN
• BTA
• Seesam

Public Health Care

Since EHIC is meant to cover acute illnesses only and is not meant for long-term usage or treatment for non-acute situations, you can use your health insurance obtained in your home country.

Obtain an S1-form from your home country

The form can be obtained by the social security institution in your home country.

This can’t be completed by you. It has to be completed by the institution!

Example of S1-form in English or in Latvian

Additional information about S1-form.

Send the filled out S1-form to the Cross-Border Healthcare Contact point

When you receive the completed S1-form from your home country’s social security institution, you should send the completed S1-form to the Nacionālais veselības dienests (Cross-Border Healthcare Contact point Central Office).

31 Cēsu iela, 6th entrance
Riga, Latvia, LV-1012
Secretariat: +37167043700
Contact point: +37167045005
Fax: +37167043701
E-mail: nvdvmnvd[pnkts]gov[pnkts]lv

Register your S1-form

The Cross-Border Healthcare Contact point will register the S1-form with the State Official Registers and the Health Care Register.

Verify that all the information on the registration paper is correct!

Food Allergies & Intolerances

If you have food allergies or intolerances, there are multiple places in Riga where you can get ecological, gluten-free, lactose-free food etc. Special eco-stores as well as shopping malls and pharmacies provide many options. Before buying a product, pay attention to the packaging, look for products that have "eco", "gluten-free", "lactose-free" labels on them. 

Eco-stores

• Livin
• Latvijas Ekoprodukts