LMT Karte can be bought as an eSIM
Latvian operator LMT says a new LMT Karte number is available as either a physical SIM or an eSIM. Its online purchase sequence includes an email confirmation, payment and QR-based eSIM activation. LMT's separate eSIM page says prepaid eSIM can be purchased through its online shop and added from a QR code. This makes a local digital line a realistic choice for a visitor with a compatible, unlocked phone, although LMT asks users to activate the Karte in Latvia. Check the actual activation wording before trying to complete it while still abroad.
A local number with calls may suit a visitor who needs to contact accommodation or make domestic bookings. LMT also offers customer centres and stores for the physical version. Its help page says a standard Karte can be used immediately after purchase without a separate customer registration step. Additional account benefits require registration at an LMT Customer Centre with the original PIN1 code and identification; do not confuse that optional customer step with the eSIM installation itself.
Read the local and EEA+ allowances separately
At the time of checking, LMT's new-number page listed a seven-day Internet option at €3.50 with unlimited data in Latvia, 5.9 GB in its EEA+ zone and 30 call minutes. Its thirty-day calls-and-internet option cost €24.89, with unlimited Latvian data and calls plus 36.6 GB of EEA+ data. These are LMT's advertised allowances; a selected network and device still determine the experience at any location. The very different validity periods make a seven-day offer a poor fit for an eleven-day itinerary without renewal.
LMT defines EEA+ on the same page and includes Estonia, Lithuania, Norway, Ukraine and Moldova among its listed countries. That operator-specific zone is wider than the geographic EEA, so read its current country list rather than inferring coverage from the name. The Latvian portion of an unlimited bundle should not be mistaken for unlimited use after a bus or train crosses into Estonia or Lithuania. If the trip remains entirely in Riga and its surroundings, the local allowance may be more relevant than the overseas one.
What Latvia's broadband map can tell you
Latvia's Public Utilities Commission introduced a geographic broadband availability map in February 2026. The regulator says the platform includes mobile and fixed broadband availability, technologies and maximum-speed ranges reported for an address or a selected map area. It can help compare operators before a trip into Kurzeme, Vidzeme or Latgale, or before choosing data for accommodation outside Riga. Search the actual destination and nearby route rather than assuming that a service shown in the capital will behave the same way throughout the country.
The regulator is explicit about the map's limit: its mobile layer describes operators' calculated theoretical outdoor availability. Buildings, terrain, network load and the device can alter real performance. It therefore is not an indoor guarantee for a hotel, train carriage or rural guesthouse, nor a test of every stretch of road. Keep the booking address and essential route information available offline, and check an operator's own conditions for any stated speed.
Check an existing EU or EEA line first
Latvia belongs to the EU Roam Like at Home area. The European Commission says eligible customers from another EU or EEA country whose plans include roaming normally use domestic calls, texts and data allowances during periodic travel in Latvia. Operators can apply a fair-use data allowance where the home plan has unlimited or unusually cheap data, and must communicate it. Check the home line's Latvia allowance before deciding that a new local SIM saves money or solves a problem.
A Latvian local option raises the reverse question: what happens when it is used beyond Latvia. LMT's EEA+ figures are product-specific and smaller than its unlimited domestic data figures. The EU roaming rule does not erase those published fair-use volumes. A visitor who will cross a Baltic border should also check when the bundle renews, whether data roaming is enabled on the correct line, and whether the phone has switched to an unintended carrier. On a ferry, the Commission warns that satellite-based onboard systems are outside terrestrial roaming price caps.
Riga's app ticket needs a working phone
Rīgas satiksme says its smartphone ticket can be bought in the Rīgas satiksmes koda biļete app using a card or online banking. A passenger opens the app and validates each journey on boarding by scanning a vehicle QR code or entering the vehicle number. The operator says the app also supplies live public transport information and timetables. A mobile connection is therefore useful for buying, checking and presenting tickets, especially when changing between services during a busy Riga day.
The transport operator says the phone must be charged and functioning when a ticket inspector asks to see the validated ticket. It also requires validation on every vehicle and every journey; buying a ticket in advance is not itself the final step. Set up the app and payment method before starting the first ride, and retain a backup way to travel if the phone battery is low. This practical dependence on a working handset can matter more than a very large headline data allowance.
Top up and choose the right data line
LMT provides an online LMT Karte refill page where the active card's number and a payment amount are entered. Its product page also warns that a Karte without top-ups eventually loses its active period, followed by a period for receiving calls and messages. A longer stay therefore calls for two checks: the current bundle's expiry and the card balance. Record the Latvian number as soon as it activates, and confirm that a refill has appeared before relying on the new allowance for navigation.
Apple says an iPhone must be unlocked to use another carrier's eSIM, and the About screen can show No SIM Restrictions beside Carrier Lock. Supported iPhones can keep the home number active while selecting the Latvian line for data. That can preserve access to familiar calls and texts, but the home line may incur roaming fees independently. Install the QR code using a reliable connection, note whether the local plan begins when purchased or activated, and test a web page after arriving in Latvia.
Know what can place an emergency call
Latvia's National Health Service says 113 reaches emergency medical assistance and 112 is a free emergency number available at all hours. Its guidance specifically says to try 112 when a phone has no SIM, when its SIM or PIN is blocked, when it shows Emergency calls only, or when a prepaid limit is exhausted. The State Police likewise lists 112 for urgent police help. Those are mobile emergency-call instructions, not proof that a data-only eSIM includes normal voice calling.
For a visitor using a data-only product, retain a voice-capable home line if possible and learn the handset's emergency-call screen before departure. A depleted data balance or an inactive local line is not a reason to delay an emergency call, but network availability still matters. Keep the accommodation's address and a location description offline so that the dispatcher can be told where help is needed even when map data is unavailable.
Networks our Latvia plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Latvia, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Bite4G
- Bite Latvija5G
- LMT5G
- Tele25G
- Tele2 Latvia5G
- Tele2 LV5G