How to Write a CV in Latvia: Format & Resume Guide 2026

Latvia is a Baltic EU member state with a modern, open economy centred on trade, financial services, IT services, and manufacturing. Riga is the largest city in the Baltics and serves as a regional hub for several international companies and financial institutions. Writing a Latvia CV means adapting to a market where Latvian and English are both professionally essential, and where European formatting conventions apply.

The Latvia CV Format

The standard document is called a CV (dzīves gājums in Latvian, though CV is universally used in professional contexts). One to two pages is the accepted length for most applicants, with senior professionals occasionally extending to two pages. The Europass CV format is accepted but not required; a well-structured custom CV is equally valid and often preferred by private sector employers.

The structure follows: personal information, professional summary or objective, work experience (reverse chronological), education, skills, languages, and certifications. A photo is expected but not mandatory.

Language of the CV

Write in Latvian for public sector roles and government positions. English is widely used across the private sector, financial services, and international companies. Many employers, particularly those in IT and shared services, explicitly request English CVs. For Russian-language roles (Latvia has a significant Russian-speaking minority), a Russian version may occasionally be requested. When in doubt, submit in both Latvian and English.

Photo Convention

A professional photo is expected but not strictly required on a Latvian CV. Including one is the norm for most domestic employers. Place it in the top right corner of the personal information section. Use a formal headshot, recent and professionally taken, with a neutral background. International companies and tech employers are generally indifferent to photos.

Personal Information

Include: full name, email, phone number, city of residence, and LinkedIn profile URL if relevant. Date of birth is optional and increasingly omitted in line with EU anti-discrimination guidelines under Directive 2000/78/EC. Nationality is optional for domestic applications. Do not include your personal code (personas kods) on a standard CV.

Education

Latvia's most recognised educational institutions:

• University of Latvia (Latvijas Universitāte, LU) in Riga — the country's largest comprehensive university, strongest for law, economics, and social sciences
• Riga Technical University (Rīgas Tehniskā universitāte, RTU) — the leading technical university, highly regarded for engineering, IT, and transport
• Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (SSE Riga) — the most internationally recognised business school in the Baltics, produces graduates sought by regional multinationals
• Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) — leading institution for medicine, health sciences, and law
• RISEBA University of Applied Sciences — popular for business and creative industries

For degrees obtained before 1991 from Soviet institutions, briefly note the equivalent current institutional name if the original no longer exists.

Work Experience

Reverse chronological order is standard. Include employer name, position title, employment period, and a bullet-point or paragraph description of key responsibilities and achievements. Quantified results are valued by international employers.

Key employers in Latvia with strong recruiter recognition:

• Latvenergo — the state-owned electricity utility and one of the country's largest employers
• Swedbank Latvia and SEB Bank Latvia — the two dominant retail banks, both Swedish-owned
• Latvijas Banka (Bank of Latvia) — the central bank, prestigious public sector employer
• Maxima Latvia and RIMI Baltic — the two dominant grocery retailers with large workforces
• Accenture Latvia, Tet (previously Lattelecom) — major IT and telecoms employers
• Air Baltic — the national carrier and one of Latvia's largest private employers

Skills, Languages, and Certifications

Language skills are particularly important in Latvia given the multilingual professional environment. List Latvian, Russian, English, and any other languages with CEFR proficiency levels (A1–C2). Latvian language proficiency is legally required for most public sector positions under the State Language Law.

For IT roles, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Salesforce certifications are standard. Finance professionals should note ACCA, CFA, and the Latvian Certified Public Accountant qualification (zvērināts revidents) from the Latvian Association of Certified Auditors (LACA). For legal roles, membership in the Latvian Bar Association (Latvijas Zvērinātu advokātu padome) is the relevant professional body.

Cover Letter

A cover letter (motivācijas vēstule) is expected when applying to senior positions, public administration roles, and international organisations. For standard private sector applications, it is optional. Keep it to one page. Address it by name to the hiring manager if known, and explain specifically why you are applying to that organisation.

Common CV Mistakes in Latvia

• Submitting a Latvian-only CV to an international company: Most multinationals in Riga require English CVs, and submitting only a Latvian document signals limited English proficiency.
• Omitting language proficiency levels: Simply listing "Russian, English" without CEFR levels or proficiency descriptors is insufficient for most employers.
• Using an overly decorative template: Latvian employers prefer clean, minimal layouts. Graphic-heavy templates with colour blocks and icons are associated with less experienced candidates.
• Including a personal code (personas kods): This is private data that should not appear on a CV and may raise data privacy concerns under the EU GDPR.
• Failing to quantify achievements: "Managed a team" is less effective than "Managed a team of 8 engineers delivering a €2M infrastructure project on schedule."