Latvia, often referred to as "the country that sings," is a beautiful destination rich in sounds, experiences, and sights. The Latvian government has prioritized education and implemented numerous reforms, making it an ideal choice for international students. Engineering studies are particularly popular and affordable here. Below are some key points about studying in Latvia.
No IELTS Required: Many programs do not require English language proficiency tests.
Acceptable Deviations: Flexibility in admissions.
Study Duration: Most programs last around 2 years.
Schengen Country: Latvia is part of the Schengen Area, allowing easy travel across Europe.
Multiple Admission Dates: Admissions are available in September, November, February, and April.
Advance Payment: Tuition fees must be paid before applying for the visa.
Interviews for Confirmation: Colleges often conduct interviews to confirm application files.
Location: Situated in the Baltic region of Northern Europe.
Green Country: Latvia is recognized as the second greenest country in the world (Yale and Columbia University research - EPI index).
Official Name: Republic of Latvia
Capital: Riga
Currency: Euro (1 EUR = 100 cents)
Most businesses accept credit/debit cards.
ATMs are widely available and operate 24/7.
Banks are typically open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Living costs can vary based on personal lifestyle choices, but a typical student should budget around €400 per month, which includes:
Accommodation: €70 - €129 (University accommodation)
Food: Approximately €200
Leisure/Other Expenses: Around €80
Latvia experiences a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Here’s what to expect:
Summer: Average temperatures around 20°C, occasionally reaching 30°C.
Winter: Temperatures typically range from 0°C to -5°C, but can drop to -20°C. Warm winter clothing is essential.
Country Code: The country code for Latvia is 00371. It's advisable to purchase a prepaid SIM card for local calls and messages.
Emergency Number: Dial 112 for emergencies.
Voltage: The electricity supply is 220 volts AC, 50 Hz (European two-pin plug).
Speed limits in residential areas: 50 km/h; outside areas: 90 km/h.
Use of low beams is mandatory during the day and night.
Public transportation is available and efficient.
For postal services in Jelgava:
Main Post Office: Located at 2b Katolustreet, open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Monday to Friday) and 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturdays.
ISIC Card: All international students should obtain an International Student ID Card (ISIC).
This card provides various discounts at theaters, cinemas, and travel discounts on public transport.
It’s necessary for accessing university libraries and sports facilities.
Apply for the ISIC card upon arrival in Latvia by contacting the International Cooperation Center.
To study in Latvia, a student visa is mandatory. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the visa application process, along with the required documents. Be careful, as a single mistake can lead to visa rejection.
Gather the following documents, ensuring they are apostilled if necessary:
ESL Application Form: Complete this form accurately.
Passport: Must be valid and in good condition.
Passport Photo: A recent photo with a white background (size 35mm x 45mm).
Educational Documents: Include Class X, XII/PUC certificates, and degree certificates. All documents must be translated into English.
Note: Temporary certificates are not accepted.
Minimum score of 50% is required.
English Proficiency: Submit IELTS, TOEFL, or any other recognized English proficiency certificate.
Once you have gathered the required documents, ESL will process your admission.
You will receive a conditional acceptance letter and a receipt for the application fee. This stage is crucial, so ensure accurate transfer details.
Payment should be made directly to the university's account.
Registration Fees: Approximately €180 to €300, depending on the course and university.
Some universities require a Skype interview or online tests.
ESL provides training for interviews and tests.
Submit your educational documents to the Academic Information Center (AIC) for verification. This process can take 2 to 4 weeks.
Note that some universities may not require AIC verification.
Upon receiving the AIC statement, the university will provide:
Final Acceptance Letter
Study Contract
Tuition Fees: Ranging from €2000 to €3400, depending on the course and university.
Security Deposit Invoice: Approximately €500 to €700.
Note: Tuition fees and guarantee fees are refundable in case of visa refusal.
After paying the tuition fee and residence permit application, bachelor-level applicants must send the following original documents to ESL via DHL or courier for further processing.
Studying in Latvia offers a unique blend of culture, affordability, and high-quality education. If you're considering this destination for your studies, make sure to follow the outlined steps for a smooth visa application process. For additional support, feel free to reach out to Hello Visa for expert guidance.
The ability to communicate or convey our messages effectively is the most important of all life skills. Communication is simply the act of exchanging information from one to another, whether this is verbal or non-verbal, written or visual. Keeping a conversation going is something of an art, and not everyone is born with this art but this is something that can be learned efficiently. Effective verbal communication is dependent on a number of factors and cannot be fully isolated from other important interpersonal skills such as non-verbal communication, listening skills and clarification. Clarity of speech, remaining calm and focused, being polite and following some basic rules of etiquette will all aid the process of verbal communication. Communication skills are crucial for building strong foundation for a successful future career of students. In today’s competitive era, communication skills in business are the most sought after quality of an educated person. Reading, writing, listening carefully and speaking effectively are the four most important communication skills for students.
What deserves more attention is that most of the students do not feel comfortable to address the masses or express themselves in public. This is where the students lack the expressive skills. Our everyday programs and teaching methodology are designed to develop these expressive skills, as we strongly opine that students need to learn how to communicate effectively and get the full attention of the listeners/audiences.
Our programs aim at the overall development of an individual not only for the exams but for their bright future as well.
English is the prime business language and it has become a necessity for people to speak English if they are to enter a globalized work environment. The process of learning English can be challenging and time consuming, we can see that it is also valuable to learn and can create opportunities to study/work across the globe!
Many people around us are not lucky enough to go to a brilliant English medium school, while most of those who studied in English medium schools are not able to express themselves well in English or lack the confidence to converse in English. This meant that even though the students learnt English as a subject, they still do not have many opportunities to brush up their grammar and spoken English skills. This later becomes the biggest hurdle for them in their way to success. The current generation of youth that had big dreams and wanted to make a difference suddenly realized after coming into the global platform after their studies that how much they have missed upon the functional English Language Learning! In today’s competitive era, it has become essential that people communicate fluently and efficiently if they want to progress in these cut throat competition times. Unless you have excellent English speaking skills, and knowledge of correct grammatical structures, there will always be a limit to your success and you will always be hindered by your own shortcomings!
Our Grammar and Spoken English course is designed in such a way that it caters to need of every individual who aims to carve a niche in the society. It covers a wide range of topics and everyday situations that will help the learners to overcome this shortcoming in their personal as well as professional life.
All time management begins with planning.
Do you often feel stressed out because you are not able to manage your time while preparing for exam? Time is undoubtedly one of your greatest tools for success in exams like IELTS and PTE where all the modules are supposed to be completed within the given/allotted time periods, and here you truly can't afford not to use it wisely.
In simple words, time management means consciously knowing how much time you should put and spend on a specific activity or question type. Learning how to manage your time gives you a laser focus on the most important things.
Time in exam hall is one of the key factors on how well you score. Besides proper preparation and study for exam, it is important to manage time in exam. All the language proficiency tests though are designed to assess your language still defer in their requirement to write, describe the subjects and even the time factors which affects the scoring. Time management is important in IELTS as well as PTE.
IELTS and time management: The IELTS Reading module requires the test-taker to read three passages and answer 40 questions in 60 minutes. Test-taker can work at his/her own pace. But how much time should he/she be spending on reading and how much time on answering the questions? IELTS writing Module requires test-taker to complete two writing tasks within the given time limit.
PTE and time management: Our day long reading orientation for both IELTS and PTE, will help you how to identify different question types and also be instrumental in learning how to locate and find answers in the given time period. The same pattern would be followed in the classroom during the training and preparation sessions classes in order to make the student comfortable and confident about his/her time management skills. Own your growth and your schedule.
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