The government restricts bus transport across the Belarusian and Russian borders

On October 29, 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers issued Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 683 “On the establishment of restrictions on crossing the border of the Republic of Latvia–the Republic of Baltkrievija and the Republic of Latvia–the Russian Federation when performing international non-regular passenger transport by bus”. The document was published in the official publication “Latvijas Vēstnesis” on October 29, 2026, No. 209, as item 13 with the official reference OP 2026/209. It is the only act in this day’s publication that directly relates to bus traffic across the eastern state border.

The decision is included in the “Constitutional Institutions” section of the publication, under the “Cabinet of Ministers” subsection – where government orders and regulations are published. The publication specifies the title of the order, the issuing body, and the identifier; the specific restriction parameters – the entry into force procedure, exceptions, and control mechanism – are not detailed separately in the text of the notice, therefore carriers must refer to the full text in the official publication (vestnesis.lv/url/17017).

Two borders in one decision

The scope of the order covers both of Latvia’s eastern directions simultaneously, which is essential for traffic planning:

• The border of the Republic of Latvia–the Republic of Baltkrievija;
• The border of the Republic of Latvia–the Russian Federation;
• type of activity: international non-regular passenger transport by bus;
• issuing body: Cabinet of Ministers, type of act – order.

The title refers only to non-regular transport – traffic that does not follow a previously approved flight/trip schedule. Regular transport is not mentioned in the wording of the order, therefore the restriction is addressed specifically to charter, tourism, and other types of non-regular bus traffic across both mentioned borders.

Chronology: border policy before October 29

The decision is not isolated – it aligns with a series of border-related decisions published in the week prior:

• September 11, 2026, OP 2026/175, item 18 – Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 524 on the alienation of real estate shares for the establishment of the state border strip, patrolling strip, and border marker supervision strip of the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Baltkrievija;
• September 28, 2026, OP 2026/186, item 2 – Saeima announcement on the immediate cessation and further prohibition of the import of grain from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Baltkrievija into Latvia, including in transit through Latvia;
• October 29, 2026, OP 2026/209, item 13 – Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 683 on restrictions for bus transport.

Where the decision is found in the publication

Order No. 683 is the 13th item in the contents of the October 29th issue, among other government acts in the same session package. Published around it are, for example, Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 680 on maintaining state participation in the limited liability company “Iekšlietu ministrijas poliklīnika” and Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 682 on the purchase of real estate shares for the implementation of the Ķekava bypass–Bauska section construction project of the main state highway A7 “Rīga–Bauska–Lithuanian border (Grenctāle)”. The restriction on bus transport is the only act of this day that affects passenger traffic across the state border.

What this means for carriers and the border region

The restriction affects commercial carriers operating irregular trips to Belarus and Russia, as well as residents of border municipalities who use these transport services. Since the order applies to both borders simultaneously, it simultaneously changes the conditions for traffic in both the Paternieki and Grebneva directions. Publication in the official gazette is the legal basis by which the restriction is announced to the public; the precise conditions—including how long the restriction will be in effect and what exemptions may be applied—are determined by the full text of the order.

The significance of the decision is also on a political level: it continues a series of restrictive decisions regarding the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus—from the cessation of coal transit to the reorganization of border zone infrastructure. For carriers, this means the need to verify current routes and order plans before each border crossing, while for passengers, it means dealing with a smaller offering of irregular trips to both neighboring countries.

Official source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Latvia “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, October 29, 2026, No. 209 (OP 2026/209), item 13 – Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 683 “On establishing a restriction on crossing the border of the Republic of Latvia–Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Latvia–Russian Federation when performing international irregular passenger transport by bus” (vestnesis-2026-10-29-209.full.md).