Country guide · Dentistry in Latvia

Study dentistryin Latvia

A 5-year dentistry degree taught in English at Rīga Stradiņš University, with no entrance exam — your school subjects decide it. 32 places per intake, twice a year, and Riga is 1h30 direct from Oslo. Our help is free.

a view of a city with a clock tower
A dentist examining a patient with an intraoral scanner
A young woman having her teeth checked by a dentist
a building with many windows
A modern dental surgery with the chair and equipment ready
Sandy beach with sparse green bushes and distant pine forest.
Why students choose it

The short version

0
entrance exams. Your school subjects decide it
32
dentistry places per intake — and there are two intakes a year
€0
what we charge you, ever
The university we work with

Rīga Stradiņš University

RSU is one of Europe's largest destinations for international health students, and its 5-year Dentistry programme is taught entirely in English. It takes 32 dentistry students per intake — and unlike almost anywhere else, it runs two intakes a year, in September and February.

  • ✓
    No entrance examAdmission is decided on your school subjects and your documents. There is no written test to sit and nowhere to travel to.
  • ✓
    ⭐ A February startRSU is the one university we work with that runs a genuine February intake for dentistry as well as medicine. If you have just missed a September start, this is the shortest wait in Europe.
  • ✓
    Named subjects, not your average⭐ RSU does not use your diploma's overall average. It builds a competition score from the percentages in the specific subjects the programme names — so a strong Chemistry and Biology matter far more than your snitt.
  • ✓
    A very Nordic cohortSwedish and Norwegian students are consistently among RSU's largest international groups, so an eighteen-year-old arriving alone lands somewhere unusually soft.
Start your application →See the university in full
A dental student treating a patient in the university clinic
A charming european street with colorful buildings.
Six reasons

Why this is worth six years of your life

A modern dental surgery with the chair and equipment ready
The reason most people come

No entrance exam

Your school subjects decide it. Nothing to sit, nowhere to fly, no exam-day nerves — which makes getting your subjects and your documents right the whole game, and that is exactly what we do with you.

A dental model of teeth used for training
⭐ Timing

A real February intake

Dentistry runs twice a year at RSU, September and February, at 32 places each time. Nowhere else we work offers a genuine mid-year start into dentistry.

A charming european street with colorful buildings.
Connectivity

Oslo in 1h30, direct

airBaltic and Norwegian fly Riga to Oslo non-stop, and Riga also serves London, Istanbul and Dubai directly. By year four, going home for a weekend without losing a day matters.

A dental student in scrubs holding the suction line
The teaching

A dedicated dental faculty

RSU runs its own Institute of Stomatology, so clinical training happens inside a working dental hospital rather than being borrowed from a general one.

People praying on a red carpet inside a grand mosque.
Day to day

A capital city at Baltic prices

University housing beside the campus, a €12 monthly transport pass, and an Art Nouveau capital that takes far longer to exhaust than a small university town.

People enjoying a candlelit dinner at a dimly lit restaurant.
The honest bit

Chemistry and Biology carry it

With no exam, your school subjects are the whole case. Chemistry and Biology both count and applicants holding both are prioritised — send us your grades and we will map them before you spend anything.

Not sure your grades are enough?
Send them over and we will tell you honestly, in a day or two — before you spend anything.
Check if you qualify →
A dental chair in a bright treatment room
32
Dentistry places per intake at RSU — and uniquely, there are two intakes a year rather than one.
The programme

What five years of dentistry actually looks like

The early years run the science backbone — anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry — with a manual skills track alongside it from the start: simulation lab, plastic teeth, phantom heads, and far more repetition than anyone expects before you meet a patient.

The clinical half moves you into RSU's own dental facilities across conservative dentistry and endodontics, prosthetics, periodontology, oral surgery, paediatric dentistry and orthodontics — treating real patients under supervision, with a treatment log to show for it at the end.

And the part that catches Nordic students out: patient contact means patient language. RSU teaches Latvian medical conversation alongside the programme for exactly this reason, and in Riga many patients also speak Russian. Students who treat the language classes as optional find the clinical years much harder than they need to be.

You graduate a dentist, licensed to treat — not a doctor who chooses a specialty later. That decision is made on the day you apply.
A dental student gloving up before a clinic session
A dental model of teeth used for training
A dental chair in a bright treatment room
The honest comparison

Dentistry or medicine? Read this before you choose

Both programmes at RSU are taught in English, both skip the entrance exam and both lead to an EU-recognised degree. Everything that actually differs is here.

Length
Dentistry 5 years, medicine 6. Same start date, one year apart at the end.
The degree
Two separate professions with separate regulators — GDC for dentists in the UK, GMC for doctors; in Norway, tannlege rather than lege. Never treat them as interchangeable.
How hard is it to get in
Medicine takes 620 international students a year; dentistry takes 32 per intake. No exam sits between you and either, so with places that scarce the subject percentages on your certificate do all the work.
The subjects
For medicine, Chemistry or Biology carries you, with both an advantage. For dentistry, both count and applicants holding both are prioritised. Maths is compulsory either way and Physics is preferable.
Cost
€15,500 a year for dentistry against €13,500 for medicine — but over five years rather than six, so the two totals end up closer than the annual figures suggest.
Send us your subjects and your percentages. We will map them against what RSU actually scores and tell you honestly which programme to put your name to.
A dental examination with mirror and probe
Three medical professionals posing in a hospital hallway.
Living there

Riga, and what it costs a dental student

RSU's Dzirciems student hostel sits beside the main campus with 135 rooms and first-year priority, currently around €310–525 a month depending on room type. On the private market a shared-flat room runs €280–450 and a studio €400–650, with Āgenskalns and Avoti better value than the centre.

Realistic totals: €620–760 a month frugally, €850–1,050 for normal student life, €1,350–1,750 living alone comfortably. The student transport pass is €12 a month — for a European capital, close to free.

Two dentistry-specific costs to plan for: your own instrument kit and loupes, plus consumables once clinical work begins. Modest next to tuition, but nobody mentions them until you arrive.

⭐ Riga to Oslo is a direct 1h30 flight with airBaltic and Norwegian, and Riga also flies direct to London, Istanbul and Dubai.
brown wooden table with chairs
Interior of a dimly lit market hall with stalls.
sliced breads on white surface
Afterwards

Where a Riga dentistry degree lets you practise

Dentistry is one of the professions with automatic recognition across the EU and EEA under Directive 2005/36/EC. Latvia is an EU member state, which is what makes this route work — and RSU uses ECTS credits, so the degree travels in the way European regulators expect.

By destination, with the standing caveat that regulators change their rules and we check yours with you before you commit.

Norway
Apply to Helsedirektoratet for autorisasjon as a tannlege. EU/EEA dental qualifications go through the recognition route rather than repeating the degree; language documentation is part of it.
United Kingdom
Registration is with the General Dental Council, not the GMC. ⚠️ The automatic EU route no longer applies to UK registration as it did before Brexit — check the GDC's current requirements for an EEA-qualified dentist, and we will go through them with you.
The EU and EEA
Automatic recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC. Individual countries still ask for local language proficiency.
Elsewhere
Outside Europe you are into national licensing exams — the US, Canada and Australia each run their own. Doable, but plan it from year three rather than from graduation.
A dentist examining a patient with an intraoral scanner
A dentist working on a patient
a view of a city with a clock tower
1h30
Riga to Oslo, direct. By your clinical years this matters more than anything on the prospectus.
See it for yourself

Riga from the air

a view of a city with a clock tower
Admission

What you actually need, by where you're from

No exam. Your named school subjects, their percentages and your documents decide it — which makes getting the paperwork right the whole game, and it is exactly what we do with you, free.

⭐ How RSU actually scores you
Not on your diploma average. RSU builds a competition score from the percentages in the subjects the programme names, each converted against your country's own grading scale. A strong Chemistry and Biology beats a strong overall snitt every time.
The subjects
Chemistry and Biology both count, and applicants holding both are prioritised. Mathematics is compulsory and Physics is preferable. Every subject on your certificate needs at least a pass — a single failing grade means rejection.
🇳🇴 Norwegian students
Assessed on named subjects from your vitnemål on the 1–6 scale, with a minimum of grade 4; Biologi and Kjemi are the subjects that carry it. Grade 4 is worth a pre-check with us before you apply rather than after.
🇬🇧 UK students
A-Levels with the sciences RSU names, alongside your GCSEs — and Statement of Results percentages do count. We map yours against the requirement before you spend anything.
🌍 International students
Any 12-year school-leaving qualification with the required science subjects. Documents need certified English translation, and non-EU/EEA documents need apostille or legalisation.
Proof of English
EU/EEA students, including Norwegians, normally need no test if school was taught in English or the transcript shows strong English. Non-EU/EEA applicants must supply a test — IELTS 6.0 or equivalent — or the file is not processed.
Deadlines and fee
For the February 2027 intake, EU/EEA and visa-free applicants apply 1 September to 1 December 2026; other nationalities close earlier. Application fee €100, paid directly to RSU, and a one-off €1,800 registration fee if you accept a place. RSU asks for early files so gaps can be fixed in time.
A dental examination with mirror and probe
We do the paperwork with you, free
Transcripts, translations, the English certificate and the interview practice — all of it, at no cost to you.
Check if you qualify →
The details

Everything on one line

Degree
Dentistry (5-year DDS)
Duration
5 years
Language
100% English
Entrance exam
None
Places
32 per intake
Intakes
September and February
Tuition
€15,500 / year
Application fee
€100, paid to RSU
Registration fee
€1,800 one-off, if you accept
Living costs
≈ €850–1,050 / month
Transport pass
€12 / month
English test
Not needed for EU/EEA
Direct flights
Oslo · London · Istanbul · Dubai
All three side by side

The three places you can study dentistry in English

No university will ever publish this table, because it points at cheaper competitors. We will — it is the honest way to choose.

CountryUniversityEntrance examTuition / yearPlaces a yearGetting to Oslo
🇸🇰 SlovakiaUPJŠ KošiceBiology + Chemistry only€13,500Far fewer than medicine — ask usVia Warsaw or Vienna
🇨🇿 CzechiaPalacký OlomoucOnline, instant result€14,000About 15–20 a yearVia Prague, 2h15 by train
🇱🇻 LatviaYou are hereRSU RigaNone — grades decide€15,50032 per intake, twice a yearDirect, 1h30
Slovakia
UPJŠ Košice
Entrance exam
Biology + Chemistry only
Tuition / year
€13,500
Places a year
Far fewer than medicine — ask us
Getting to Oslo
Via Warsaw or Vienna
Czechia
Palacký Olomouc
Entrance exam
Online, instant result
Tuition / year
€14,000
Places a year
About 15–20 a year
Getting to Oslo
Via Prague, 2h15 by train
LatviaYou are here
RSU Riga
Entrance exam
None — grades decide
Tuition / year
€15,500
Places a year
32 per intake, twice a year
Getting to Oslo
Direct, 1h30

These are the only three universities we work with that teach dentistry in English: UMCH Hamburg has no dental school, and our agreements with NCU Bydgoszcz and UNIC Nicosia cover medicine only. Tuition is the published annual rate for students starting in 2026/27 and we confirm your exact figure in writing before you commit.

Questions

The things people actually ask us

Can I study dentistry in Latvia in English?
Yes. Rīga Stradiņš University teaches a 5-year Dentistry programme entirely in English in Riga, with 32 places per intake and two intakes a year. It is one of only three universities we work with that teaches dentistry in English — the others are UPJŠ in Košice and Palacký University in Olomouc.
Is there an entrance exam for dentistry at RSU?
No. Admission is decided on your school-leaving certificate, the specific subjects the programme names and your documents. That makes the paperwork and the subject mapping the decisive part, which is exactly what we do with you before you apply.
How many dentistry places are there, and when can I start?
Thirty-two per intake, and RSU runs two intakes a year — September and February. The February start is genuinely unusual: if you have just missed an autumn intake somewhere else, it is the shortest route back into dentistry anywhere we work.
What subjects do I need for dentistry at RSU?
Chemistry and Biology both count, and applicants holding both are prioritised. Mathematics is compulsory and Physics is preferable. Every subject on your certificate needs at least a passing grade — one failing grade means rejection.
Does my overall average matter?
Far less than most people assume. RSU does not use the diploma's overall average. It builds a competition score from your percentages in the named programme subjects, each converted against your own country's grading scale — so strong sciences beat a strong snitt.
How much does dentistry cost at RSU?
€15,500 a year for the five-year programme, plus a €100 application fee paid directly to RSU. Medently costs you nothing on top. Living in Riga runs about €850–1,050 a month for normal student life, and the student transport pass is only €12 a month.
Do I need IELTS?
If you are from the EU or EEA, including Norway, normally not — an English-taught school-leaving qualification or strong English grades on the transcript usually satisfy RSU. Non-EU/EEA applicants must supply a test, IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, or the application is not processed at all.
When do I apply for the February 2027 intake?
EU/EEA and visa-free applicants apply between 1 September and 1 December 2026. Nationalities requiring additional assessment close earlier in that window. RSU asks for early applications so that anything missing can be fixed before the deadline, and decisions come within about two months of a complete file.
Is the degree recognised in Norway and the UK?
Latvia is an EU member state and dentistry has automatic recognition under EU Directive 2005/36/EC — the route Norwegian graduates use to apply to Helsedirektoratet for autorisasjon as a tannlege. UK registration is with the General Dental Council rather than the GMC, and its requirements for EEA-qualified dentists changed after Brexit, so we go through the current rules with you.
Do I need Latvian?
Not to be admitted and not for lectures, which are fully in English. But your patients in the clinical years speak Latvian, and many in Riga speak Russian, which is why RSU teaches Latvian medical conversation alongside the programme. Take it seriously from the first year.
buildings near body of water
A dental model of teeth used for training
a building with many windows
A dental student in scrubs holding the suction line
People enjoying a candlelit dinner at a dimly lit restaurant.
A dental chair in a bright treatment room
raspberry and blueberry lot
A dentist working on a patient
Interior of a dimly lit market hall with stalls.
A dental student gloving up before a clinic session

No entrance exam, and a February start

Send us your subjects and your percentages. We will map them against what RSU actually scores and tell you honestly whether Riga works for you — free, before you spend anything.

Start free →
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