What's life like as a food delivery courier in Latvia?

RTÉ News · RTÉ News · 2026-10-29 11:38 UTC

Couriers with large delivery bags on bicycles are a common sight in Latvia's largest cities and a constant source of speculation. So a Latvian television decided to look behind the rumours at the specifics of such work.

Couriers with large delivery bags on bicycles are a common sight in Latvia's largest cities and a constant source of speculation. So Latvian Television's programme "Aizliegtais panēmiens" ('Forbidden Method') decided to look behind the rumours at the specifics of such work, what happens in the community, what the competition is like, and how they are taxed.

Currently, according to information provided by various sources – the Food and Veterinary Service, the State Revenue Service, as well as companies themselves – there are approximately 8,000 registered food delivery couriers in Rīga and other major cities in Latvia, of which approximately 6,000 work every day. Some of them are local residents, but about half are foreigners, most often students from India, Pakistan , Sri Lanka and other countries, who tend to work as couriers in parallel with their studies at Latvian universities.

To see behind the scenes of the much-discussed courier job, to understand how much you can earn, what difficulties you have to face, and what the work is like behind the scenes, student Ali from Germany, who has started studying at Stradins University and wants to earn money, became a courier – and an undercover reporter for Forbidden Method.

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