Border Security Tightened: Latvia Prevents Illegal Crossings from Belarus

Latvian authorities have been actively working to prevent illegal border crossings from Belarus, with 22 individuals stopped on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. This brings the total number of prevented illegal crossings to 103 so far this year.

Increased Border Enforcement

The State Border Guard reported that a total of 31 offenders were identified on both the external borders and within the country. Nine border violations were detected specifically on the outer borders.

Travel Document Violations

Several cases involved individuals lacking proper travel documentation:

• Denied Entry: One British citizen was denied entry to Latvia at Riga Airport due to the absence of a valid travel document and was returned to their country of origin.
• Schengen Zone Violation: A Russian citizen was found to have violated the conditions of stay within the Schengen zone at the Terekhova border control point, also due to lacking valid travel documents. Administrative action has been initiated.
• Departure Prevented: A Latvian citizen attempting to travel to Belarus was prevented from leaving the country at the Pāternieki border control point because they did not possess a valid travel document.

Violations Within Latvia

Immigration control measures within the country revealed violations of entry or stay rules for five individuals: one citizen each from Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Egypt.

Vehicle and Vessel Operation Violations

Officials also addressed violations related to the operation of vehicles and vessels, resulting in administrative responsibility being assigned or preventing 17 individuals from crossing the border. These individuals were citizens of Belarus (five), Latvia (three), Moldova (three), Kazakhstan (two), Lithuania (one), Azerbaijan (one), Romania (one), and Germany (one).

Latvia and Belarus Border Information

Traveling between Riga, Latvia and Belarus is possible via bus, with a journey time of approximately 8 hours and 30 minutes, typically involving connections through Vilnius [1]. From Riga Airport, the bus journey to Belarus takes around 9 hours and 22 minutes [2]. The cheapest options for travel from Latvia to Belarus start around $71, with quicker routes taking approximately 5 hours and 45 minutes [3].

Latvian Airports

Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, and Belarus to the southeast [4]. Riga International Airport is the largest airport in Latvia, handling around 5 million passengers annually and offering direct flights to over 80 destinations. Other airports include Liepāja International Airport, Ventspils International Airport, and Daugavpils International Airport, with ongoing development plans for regional airports [4].