Artificial Intelligence · Latvia
AI regulation in Latvia (2026)
Latvia shaded by its artificial intelligence status
Latvia, as an EU member state, is subject to the directly applicable EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689), with prohibited AI practices enforceable from February 2025 and full high-risk provisions phasing in through 2026–2027. In parallel, Latvia enacted two national AI laws in early 2025: one establishing strategic AI development objectives and one creating a public Artificial Intelligence Centre to coordinate policy, run regulatory sandboxes, and foster public-private-academic cooperation. VARAM has been designated the national lead authority for EU AI Act implementation and European Commission liaison, with market surveillance distributed across multiple sectoral regulators.
Key points
The EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689) entered into force 1 August 2024 and is directly applicable in Latvia without transposition. Prohibitions on unacceptable-risk AI systems applied from 2 February 2025; obligations for general-purpose AI models and high-risk systems phase in through 2026–2027.
Latvia enacted the Law on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Law on the Latvian Artificial Intelligence Centre (adopted 6 March 2025, in force 20 March 2025). These establish strategic objectives for responsible AI adoption, define governance structures, and create the national AI Centre as a state-supported public foundation.
VARAM (Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development) is the overall responsible authority for EU AI Act implementation and EU Commission cooperation. The Ministry of Economy acts as notifying authority; the Ombudsman covers fundamental rights protection; the Latvian National Accreditation Bureau is the accreditation body.
Multiple sector-specific market surveillance authorities have been designated: the State Data Inspectorate (prohibited practices and high-risk AI), Consumer Rights Protection Centre, Health Inspectorate, Bank of Latvia, Civil Aviation Agency, Latvian Maritime Administration, and State Railway Technical Inspectorate, covering their respective regulated sectors.
The Latvian Artificial Intelligence Centre (NMIC), registered as a public foundation by 31 March 2025, serves as a hub for AI innovation, regulatory sandbox management, expert opinions to state agencies, and public-private-academic coordination. It is positioned to support both economic competitiveness and EU AI Act compliance.
Latvia's original 2020 national AI strategy (focused on AI uptake across the economy via six pillars: competencies, adoption, cooperation, legal/ethical framework, data ecosystem, and infrastructure) is now considered outdated. AI policy is currently embedded within the Digital Transformation Guidelines 2021–2027, with a renewed standalone strategy under consideration.
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Last verified 5/24/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →