Moving to Latvia from Afghanistan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Afghanistan to Latvia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Afghanistan to Latvia, and you’d need to navigate life in Latvian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riga averages 50°F vs 67°F in Kabul, making it significantly cooler.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Afghanistan to Latvia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Latvia?
Top countries of origin for Latvia's foreign-born residents.
- 116,771
- 42,251
- 32,262
- 14,209
- 5,651
- 3,712
- · · ·
-
52.46
Afghanistan
Key Indicator Comparison
How Afghanistan and Latvia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Latvia performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Afghanistan generally does better on environment, though Latvia leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Latvia performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Latvia generally does better on employment & economy, though Afghanistan leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Latvia performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all family life metrics.
Data: Afghanistan Revenue Department, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kabul | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/25°F (8°/-4°C) | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/56°F (31°/13°C) | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/31°F (15°/-1°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kabul | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/19°F (4.5°/-7.1°C) | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) |
| Feb | 42°/22°F (5.5°/-5.7°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) |
| Mar | 54°/33°F (12.5°/0.7°C) | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) |
| Apr | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) |
| May | 76°/48°F (24.4°/8.8°C) | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 86°/54°F (30.2°/12.4°C) | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) |
| Jul | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) |
| Aug | 90°/58°F (32.0°/14.3°C) | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) |
| Sep | 83°/49°F (28.5°/9.4°C) | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) |
| Oct | 72°/39°F (22.4°/3.9°C) | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) |
| Nov | 59°/30°F (15.0°/-1.2°C) | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) |
| Dec | 47°/24°F (8.3°/-4.7°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) |
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology CentreVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Afghanistan and Latvia. To live, work, or study long-term in Latvia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Latvia's immigration authority.
Afghanistan passport holder visiting Latvia
Visa Required
Latvia passport holder visiting Afghanistan
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Latvia?
With 26.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Latvia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Afghanistan and Latvia.
Is Latvia safe for expats?
Latvia performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Latvia is 3.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.0 in Afghanistan.
How is healthcare in Latvia compared to Afghanistan?
Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 33.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Latvia, compared to 2.5 in Afghanistan. Latvia scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Afghanistan: 41).
What's the weather like in Latvia compared to Afghanistan?
The average high temperature in Riga is 50°F, compared to 67°F in Kabul. Riga receives around 24.9 in of rainfall per year, while Kabul gets 12.3 in.
What language do they speak in Latvia?
The official language in Latvia is Latvian. In Afghanistan, the official languages are Dari, Pashto and Turkmen.
