The Cabinet of Ministers approves new rules for distance financial agreements

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved new regulations that, for the first time, regulate distance contracts for the provision of financial services. The document was published in the official gazette “Latvijas Vēstnesis” on September 24, 2026, issue No. 184, with the official reference OP 2026/184, in the “Constitutional Institutions” section. The new act is Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 561 “Regulations on Distance Contracts for the Provision of Financial Services”.

What is being determined

Regulations No. 561 are the first regulations whose subject is specifically distance contracts for the provision of financial services. Their aim is to determine the procedure for consumer information and the right of withdrawal, thereby consolidating in one document the requirements that previously derived from the general regulation of distance contracts.

• Document: Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 561 “Regulations on Distance Contracts for the Provision of Financial Services”
• Publication: “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, September 24, 2026, No. 184
• Official reference: OP 2026/184
• Issuing body: Cabinet of Ministers

Amendments to older regulations

In the same issue, amendments to previous regulations were announced under a second number. These affect the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 255 of May 20, 2014 “Regulations on Distance Contracts”, which until now had been the only general framework for distance contracts.

• Amended act: Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 255 of May 20, 2014 “Regulations on Distance Contracts”
• Amendment number: Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 562
• Status: amendments to existing regulations, not a new regulation

Consumer protection context

The new regulation is part of a broader work plan for consumer rights and financial services supervision promoted by the Saeima and the Cabinet of Ministers in September 2026.

• On September 1, 2026 (“Latvijas Vēstnesis” No. 167, OP 2026/167), the Saeima adopted amendments to the Consumer Rights Protection Law and the Credit Information Bureau Law.
• On September 22, 2026 (“Latvijas Vēstnesis” No. 182, OP 2026/182), the Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments to Regulations No. 772 “Regulations on the Registration of Credit Intermediaries and Credit Intermediary Representatives” (Regulations No. 542) and Regulations No. 691 “Regulations on Consumer Credit” (Regulations No. 543).

Where and when it was published

Regulations No. 561 were published in the first section of issue No. 184 as the first item in the list of Cabinet of Ministers decisions. The same issue includes 36 more Cabinet of Ministers decisions, including orders No. 557–582, as well as binding regulations of the Liepāja City Council, Augšdaugava Municipality Council, and Balvi Municipality Council.

• Publication date: September 24, 2026
• Issue number: No. 184
• Public reference: https://www.vestnesis.lv/url/16984?content=1

What this means for readers

The new rules directly affect anyone who enters into a loan, insurance, or investment agreement remotely — by telephone, internet, or mail. With the amendments to General Regulations No. 255, the field of distance financial agreements gains a separate, specialized regulation that determines the procedure for consumer information and the right of withdrawal.

Official source: Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 561 “Regulations on Distance Agreements for the Provision of Financial Services”, published in “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, September 24, 2026, No. 184, OP 2026/184; https://www.vestnesis.lv/url/16984?content=1