Student Guide to Latvia

TO DO LIST

Study Registration

Come to the FS office no later than 3 days after your arrival to register for your studies! Take your passport and necessary documents with you!

It is important to register for studies within 3 days after self isolation/arrival because failure to do so will result in automatic cancellation of Residence Permit.

MOODLE is a portal (intranet) where you can find information about your studies and the latest news of Management College!

• You will receive your login & password by e-mail.

• See section “FSO NEWS” for instructions on how to use MOODLE.

• Use MOODLE to find your study schedule, materials for studies uploaded by professors, invoices for payments and use it to update your contact info available to FSO.

MOODLE login & password also is used to access Wi-Fi and is available in all buildings

The first week of a semester is Orientation Week. During the week students register for studies and attend introduction seminars on various topics, e.g. Academics, Immigration etc.

The Autumn Semester is 16 weeks long, followed by 2 week Winter Holidays (Christmas and New Year’s), the semester ends with the Examination Period of 3 weeks.

Spring Semester is 16 weeks long with a Spring Break during the Easter Holidays. The last week of May marks the start of Examination Period of 4 weeks.

This is an estimated academic calendar format. In order to get precise dates, please check your MOODLE system.

The final grade of each course may consist of several components (provided by the concerned Professor at the beginning of the course): midterm exam, course paper, laboratory works, home works, assessment during semester and final exam.

A student is not allowed to take final exam without fulfilling and getting passing grades for each of the semester tasks. Exams are taken during the examination period. Depending on the fact whether knowledge and skills demonstrated by the student comply with the requirements set for the particular assessment test, the performance may be given the Pass or Fail assessments.

Latvia’s higher education uses a ten-point grading system, the assessments ranging from (10) “with distinction” to (4) “almost satisfactory”. The final assessment may be an exam graded with a mark from 10-0 or a test graded with Pass or Fail depending on the subject and the Professor in-charge. 

Each course is worth a certain amount of credit points (CP). The amount of CP’s is determined by the amount of classes per week or/and the amount of work necessary to complete the class. The average amount of CP for full time study year is 40CP (20CP per semester). Latvian CP’s differ from European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) yet it is compatible with it, meaning that credits earned in Latvia can be transferred to other higher education institutions in the EU/EEA. A multiplication by a factor of 1.5 is necessary to calculate Latvian credit points into ECTS.

You may order Transcript or a Grade Sheet ( official document with your grades) for a specific semester or for all your study period and an official document confirming your status as a student from your respective educational institution.

Tuition fees and Invoices

Tuition fee should be paid before the start of your Study period or before extending Residence Permit. This should be done via bank transfer in EUROS. Contact FSO to receive an invoice for the Tuition Fee.

Make sure you add your FIRST NAME, LAST NAME and INVOICE NUMBER in the “Comments” section when making the transfer. You may use internet banking system and transfer the necessary amount as indicated in the Invoice.

If you can enter Latvia without a visa and stay for 90 days then to prolong your stay, you need to apply for a long-term visa. To apply collect the following documents:

• Passport (bring the original and a copy).

• Invitation and Accepotance Letter 

• Visa application form – find it on MOODLE under section FS office.

• Insurance valid for a year (it is a specific type of insurance)

• X-ray of your lungs to prove that you are healthy.

• Bank Statement showing that your account has at least 6500 EUR signed and sealed by the Bank Manager.

• Agreement with the place of residence.

Collect all of the above mentioned documents and go to the Office/post to the office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA)(Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvalde). The office is located at Čiekurkalna 1. līnija, building K-1, and working from 9am–4pm.

You will receive more specific information from our Post arrival manger at our office.

                       Make sure to go to OCMA at least 5 working days before your 90 days expires.

Residence permit given in 30 days - 100 EUR

Given in 10 days - 200 EUR

Given in 5 days - 400 EUR

Riga Public Transport system covers all territory of Riga city. The public transport includes buses, trams and trolleybuses, as well as micro-buses with over than 100 routes, also available is the night public transport.

Find routes and time tables here: https://www.rigassatiksme.lv/en

E-ticket is a universal electronic ticket which enables the use of one of the most up-to-date and convenient means of payment for public transport services. Each trip is to be registered, regardless of the ticket type, each trip is to be registered immediately after entering the public transport. Students receive 50% discount for all tickets. To receive the discount it is necessary to receive a personalized E-Ticket. Use your student ID card and passport to request the personalized E-Ticket at any Riga Public Transportation Client Service Centre (see their webpage).

The most popular student offer that exists for bus tickets are:

• 20 trips for EUR 5.40
• Unlimited trips for EUR 16 a month

To receive emergency medical attention call 03 or 112! Receive primary health care by registering with a family doctor. Closest medical practice to Medical and Laboratory Systems", Ltd. Valērijas Seiles street 1 k.4, Riga, LV-1019

Rīga, phone: 26732031.

To open a bank account, take your Passport and RP card to any Bank branch office. The account will be registered within a week.

Latvian language may prove to be a tricky at first but with practice along with an obligatory course: Basics of Latvian Language included in the syllabus, you will soon be able to easily converse with your neighbors, people at the market and even teach some phrases to visiting family and friends. Use the following links to learn Latvian easy!

Use the following links to learn Latvian.

http://maciunmacies.valoda.lv/eng

A few basic words

Thank you – Paldies

Good morning – Labrīt

Good day/afternoon – Labdien

Good evening – Labvakar

Hello/greetings – Sveicināti

Good-bye/see you again – Uz redzēšanos Good night – Ar labu nakti

Cheers! – Priekā!

Yes – Jā

No – Nē

Taxi – Taksometrs Shop – Veikals

Bus/coach – Autobuss

Hotel – Viesnīca Police – Policija

1) Course – A study subject.

2) CP – Credit points.

3) ECTS – European Credit Transfer System.

4) Exchange – Stands for exchange students. Students studying at a university as per an agreement that falls under Erasmus or any other Bilateral agreement are considered as exchange students as they will have to complete their studies in their original educational institution.

5) FSO or FSD – Foreign Students Office or Foreign Students Department.

6) Lecture – A 1.5 hour long class which maybe theoretical, practical or laboratory work

7) OCMA – Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs

8) MOODLE – Educational intranet

9) RP – Residence Permit

10) Transcript – Mark Sheet / Report Card is an inventory of the courses taken and grades earned of a student throughout a semester, year or whole study period.