# Riga Aeronautical Institute

> private · Riga · latvia

## Facts

- **Tuition, non-EU:** €1800 — verified 2026-08-05
- **IELTS minimum:** 0 — verified 2026-08-05
- **Financial proof for a student residence permit:** €9,360 per year (2026, PMLP — necessary subsistence: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/necessary-subsistence-0)

**Intakes and deadlines**

| Intake | Deadline | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Autumn intake 2026/2027 — international | Aug 31 | Documents accepted until Aug 31, 2026. Admission fee €350 non-EU vs €40 local. B2 English required; RAI does not publish an IELTS number itself — 5.5 is a third-party (standyou.com) CEFR-B2 estimate, treat as approximate. Source: rai.lv/en/news/uznemsana/uznemsana-2026-2027/ |
| Winter/Spring intake 2026/2027 — international | Jan 23 | Documents accepted until Jan 23, 2027 for winter admission. |

Deadlines verified 2026-08-05.

## Profile

- **Country:** latvia (LV)
- **City:** Riga
- **Type:** private
- **Fields:** engineering, stem, aviation, transport, business, logistics
- **Study routes:** direct-master, applied-sciences
- **Website:** https://www.rai.lv/
- **Address:** Mēkalna iela 9, LV-1058 Riga, Latvia
- **Data verified:** 2026-08-05

## About

Riga's student quarter offers affordable urban energy—coworking hubs, engineering meetups, and a culture where technical projects feel normal. Living costs run €800–1,000/month, and the city attracts real engineers, not just aspirational students.

## Strengths

- Tuition of €2,500–3,400/year is among the lowest in Europe for aviation and engineering programmes.
- RAI is the only aviation-specialist university in the Baltics, offering a rare niche for students targeting aviation careers.
- Two intakes per year (September and February) plus a flexible late-admission policy reduce timing risk.
- English-taught programmes are available across all main study directions, no Latvian required.
- Latvia is an EU/Schengen country — an EU-recognised diploma opens the European labour market after graduation.
- Students can work up to 20 h/week during term and 40 h/week during holidays with no separate work permit needed.

## Watch out for

- RAI is a private university with no state funding; financial stability depends entirely on tuition revenue — monitor accreditation status.
- No university-owned dormitory: students must find private housing in Riga independently, adding cost and uncertainty.
- A security deposit of approximately €1,000 has been reported — if confirmed, this is an upfront cash barrier on top of tuition.
- The exact IELTS minimum is not published; English-programme eligibility must be confirmed directly with RAI admissions.
- Riga is a mid-size Baltic capital with a smaller job market than Western hubs, limiting part-time and post-study local employment options.

## Application fee

- **Amount:** €350 — verified 2026-08-05
- **EU/EEA applicants:** €40 — verified 2026-08-05

## Scholarships

- **National schemes:** Latvian State Scholarship: €500–700/month (UA/KZ/UZ only)
- **Note:** Latvian State Scholarship available for UA/KZ/UZ (cycle 2026/27 currently closed; check studyinlatvia.lv). RU/BY not eligible for state scholarship.
- **Researched:** 2026-05

## Accommodation

- **University dormitory:** no
- **Private housing:** €200–360
- **Rent figures describe:** the city of Riga
- **How to apply:** No on-campus accommodation listed on rai.lv. Private housing in Riga.
- **Notes:** No dorm. Central Riga location. B2 English certificate accepted (no specific IELTS band stated).
- **Source:** https://www.rai.lv/en

## National and EU scholarships for this destination

- [Latvian State Scholarships](https://studyroute.app/scholarships/latvian-state-scholarship.md) — €500/month (Bachelor's), €600/month (Master's), 2026/2027
- [Erasmus+](https://studyroute.app/scholarships/erasmus-plus.md) — Monthly mobility grant set by the home institution + possible top-ups
- [Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters](https://studyroute.app/scholarships/erasmus-mundus.md) — Full scholarship: tuition + travel, visa & a monthly living allowance (set per programme)

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Canonical page: https://studyroute.app/institutions/riga-aeronautical-institute
Source of this file: https://studyroute.app/institutions/riga-aeronautical-institute.md

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Where no date is shown, none is claimed — the figure is real, its check date is not on record.