Largest banks will have to provide accessibility across Latvia
New banking rules in Latvia will soon expand access to financial services across the country. By 2026, major banks must open permanent customer service points in more municipalities. The changes also include stricter language requirements for ATMs starting next year.
As of March 2024, roughly half of Latvia’s municipalities had no permanent banking service from large credit institutions. To address this gap, the government introduced amendments to the Credit Institution Law. These will take effect on January 1, 2026, requiring banks to establish a presence in administrative centres that meet specific criteria.
The Bank of Latvia is now drafting the detailed rules for these requirements. A final version is expected by December 1, 2024. Officials estimate the changes could increase the number of customer service outlets by a third. Another key change comes earlier. From January 30, 2025, all ATMs in Latvia must offer interfaces in Latvian. Additional options can include official languages of EU, OECD, and candidate countries—but Russian will not be permitted.
The new regulations aim to improve banking access in underserved areas. ATMs will soon follow updated language rules, while banks prepare to expand their physical locations. The Bank of Latvia’s final guidelines, due in December 2024, will clarify which municipalities qualify for the mandatory service points.
