Latvia Research Tips and Strategies

Beginning Research
The first steps in getting started with Latvian research depend on what information you already know about your ancestors. Because records were kept at the local level, it is important to know the name of the hometown before beginning research in Latvian records.

If you do know which town your ancestor came from, search strategy will be a bit different depending upon the time period in which your ancestor was born:

Ancestors Born Prior to 1910
If your ancestor was born in Latvia prior to 1910, and you know where they were born, their religion and the parish, you can begin searching records available online through the Latvian State Historical Archives online digital archive called Raduraksti. The digital archives include church records of Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Greek Catholic, and Reformed Protestant faiths, as well as Jewish records, revision lists and 1897 census records of the Russian Empire. To learn how to use Raduraksti in your research, check out the Raduraksti: Online Latvian Church Records "How to" Guide.

Ancestors Born After 1910
If your ancestor was born in Latvia after 1910, you will need to write to the Registry Office Archives of the Latvian Ministry of Justice to order a certificate of birth, marriage, or death.

If your ancestor was born in the city of Rīga post 1921, you will need to contact the local civil registry office.