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How Latvia reached its 2025 alcohol law changes, a two year policy process

Original case

From a draft package to a two-year reform

Latvia’s latest alcohol policy changes did not arrive as a single decision, but as a long consultation and legislative process. Work on amendments to the Law on the Circulation of Alcoholic Beverages started in spring 2023, and the debate ran through committee work, multiple readings in the Saeima, and a phase where Latvia sought input at EU level through the TRIS notification process for measures with internal market relevance.

NordAN followed the process closely and supported the public health direction of the reform early on. In March 2023, NordAN sent a support letter to Latvia’s political leadership backing the draft package being developed by the Ministry of Health, including measures on marketing, consumer information, and availability (and encouraging stronger health messaging). 


What was discussed earlier, but did not survive intact

Several elements were on the table during the process but were later dropped or changed. Early discussions included proposals such as raising the alcohol purchase age from 18 to 20, restricting sales at petrol stations, and tighter Sunday sales limits. In June 2024, Latvian Public Media reported that the Saeima had rejected the under-20 purchase ban at that stage, and that the overall decision timetable was affected by the need to obtain an opinion linked to the EU process.

In parallel, Latvia’s TRIS-notified draft (July 2024) also set out consumer information measures that went beyond the August 2025 package, including label pictograms warning against alcohol use during pregnancy and while driving, and requirements to include ingredients and nutritional information (including energy value) on alcohol labels. Those labelling elements were part of the notified draft, but they are not part of the amendments that entered into force on 1 August 2025. NordAN submitted a contribution to the TRIS notification process.

What happened next

What was adopted, and what changed from 1 August 2025

On 9 January 2025, the Saeima adopted the amendments in the final reading, with the core restrictions taking effect on 1 August 2025.

From 1 August 2025, the law introduced:

  • Shorter retail sales hours: alcohol sales in shops are limited to 10:00 to 20:00 (Mon–Sat) and 10:00 to 18:00 (Sun).

  • A six-hour minimum delay for delivery of online purchases, meaning alcohol ordered via a website or mobile app can be delivered no earlier than six hours after ordering.

  • A ban on alcohol price and discount advertising across a wide range of channels (including websites and online interfaces, email, cinemas, print publications, and in-store settings), plus restrictions on sales promotion tactics, including multi-buy deals and loyalty programme discounts.

  • Separation of alcohol and gambling environments, by banning on-site retail and consumption of alcohol at gambling machines and tables.

  • Mandatory warning signage in retail locations, stating that alcohol has negative health effects and cannot be sold to minors (and minors may not buy, use, or possess it).

  • Container size limits for certain products, including limits for beer and other categories based on strength, and a later-starting rule (from 1 January 2028) tied to very strong products.

The law also set practical compliance steps, including a requirement for retailers whose licensed opening hours exceeded the new limits to submit a re-registration application to the State Revenue Service by 31 December 2025.


Related legal change on beer and wine advertising in broadcast media

Part of the policy direction was handled through a separate legal route. In September 2024, the Saeima adopted amendments to the Electronic Mass Media Law to prohibit advertising beer and wine prices or discounts on television and radio, aligning broadcast practice with the wider push to reduce price-led marketing exposure.


What has happened since, and what comes next

The amendments include a review clause: Latvia’s Cabinet is required to assess the impact of the restrictions on the economy and their alignment with the public interest, and submit a report to the Saeima by 31 October 2026 (with follow-up legal changes if needed).


Separately, Latvia has continued moving on alcohol affordability. On 4 December 2025, LSM reported that the Saeima supported amendments to the Excise Tax Law as part of budget deliberations, setting out excise increases affecting alcohol in 2026 and later years.

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