Travel safety comparison · Europe
Latvia vs Russia: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Latvia and Russia for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Latvia carries a materially lower safety risk than Russia on the composite Warnely score: 13/100 against 75/100, a gap of 62 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Latvia scores 1/5 against Russia's 4/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 1 advisory on Latvia and a Level 4 on Russia. Drug law diverges sharply: Russia carries a tier-severe regime against Latvia's more permissive framework.
| 🇱🇻Latvia | 🇷🇺Russia | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 13 / 100 | 75 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Very Safe | High Risk |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | avoid all travel to whole country |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 4 (Do Not Travel) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #22 | #163 |
| Drug law | Strict | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Generally Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | partnership | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | EUR | RUB |