List of banks in Latvia

The following list of banks in Latvia is to be understood within the framework of the European single market and European banking union, which means that Latvia's banking system is more open to cross-border banking operations than peers outside of the EU. The list leaves aside the country's National Central Bank within the Eurosystem, the Bank of Latvia.

Policy framework

European banking supervision distinguishes between significant institutions (SIs) and less significant institutions (LSIs), with SI/LSI designations updated regularly by the European Central Bank (ECB). Significant institutions are directly supervised by the ECB using joint supervisory teams that involve the national competent authorities (NCAs) of individual participating countries. Less significant institutions are supervised by the relevant NCA on a day-to-day basis, under the supervisory oversight of the ECB.[1] In Latvia's case, the NCA is the Bank of Latvia.[2]

Significant institutions

As of 1 September 2025, the ECB had three Latvian banking groups in its list of significant institutions:[3]

A study published in 2024 assessed that the bank with most aggregate assets in Latvia (as opposed to total consolidated assets) as of end-2023 was Swedbank at €9.3 billion, followed by SEB (€5.6 billion) and Citadele (€4.9 billion).[4] Luminor is also present in Latvia via a branch. No other SIs based in the euro area have subsidiaries in Latvia.[3]

Less significant institutions

As of 1 September 2025, the ECB's list of supervised institutions included eight Latvian LSIs, three of which were designated by the ECB as "high-impact" on the basis of several criteria including size:[3]

The other five Latvian LSIs were:

  • AS Reģionālā investīciju banka
  • AS Industra Bank
  • AS Indexo Banka
  • AS Magnetiq Bank, subsidiary of Signet Bank
  • Latvian branch of TF Bank

As of October 2025, there were no branches of banks located outside the European Economic Area ("third-country branches" in EU parlance) in Latvia, based on data compiled by the European Banking Authority.[5]

Credit unions

Latvia is one of six euro-area countries with credit unions, together with Croatia, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. Latvian credit unions (Latvian: krājaizdevu sabiedrības) are small cooperative credit institutions outside the scope of the EU Capital Requirements Directives,[6] and thus regulated and supervised under national law. At end-2024, there were 25 such Latvian credit unions with total assets of ca. €30 million (US$31 million).[7]: 4 

History of licensing

English name[8] Call name Licence date Majority Owner Capital Website
Akciju sabiedrība "Citadele banka" Citadele 30 June 2010 Ripplewood Advisors LLC citadele.lv
Magnetiq Bank Magnetiq Bank 5 September 2008 Signet Bank [1]
Akciju sabiedrība "Reģionālā investīciju banka" RIB 14 September 2001 SKY Investment Holding ribbank.com
Akciju sabiedrība "Rietumu Banka" Rietumu 5 September 2008 Esterkin Family Investments rietumu.com
BluOr Bank AS BluOr Bank AS 12 June 2001 BBG AS [2]
AS "Industra Bank" Industra 6 May 1994 J.A. Investment Holding industra.finance
AS "SEB banka" SEB 29 September 1993 SEB AB seb.lv
Baltic International Bank SE BIB 3 May 1993 Belokon family bib.eu
Luminor Bank AS Luminor 2 January 2019 Luminor Bank luminor.lv
Signet Bank AS Signet Bank 26 May 1992 Signet Acquisition III LLC signetbank.com
"Swedbank" AS Swedbank 7 September 1998 Swedbank AB swedbank.lv

Defunct Banks

Several former Latvian banks are documented on Wikipedia, including multiple banks established in the early 1990s that failed only shortly afterwards. They are listed below in chronological order of establishment.

  • Latvijas Kredītbanka (1937-1940)
  • Latvian Land Bank (1989-1998)
  • Trasta Komercbanka (1989-2016)
  • Latvijas Krājbanka (1991-2011)
  • Rīgas Komercbanka (1991-2018)
  • Sakaru Banka (1991-1997)
  • Latvian Industrial Bank (1991-1999)
  • Riga United Baltic Bank (1991-1997)
  • Ako Banka (1992-1996)
  • Dālderis Komercbanka (1992-1993)
  • Hansabank (1992-2008)
  • Latintrādes Banka (1992-1995)
  • LTN-Skonto Banka (1992-1995)
  • Parex Bank (1992-2010)
  • PNB Banka (1992-2019)
  • PrivatBank (1992-2022)
  • Saules Banka (1992-2001)
  • Topbanka (1992-1994)
  • VEF Banka (1992-2010)
  • ABLV Bank (1993-2018)
  • Alejas Komercbanka (1993-1995)
  • Baltic International Bank (1993-2022)
  • Banka Baltija (1993-1995)
  • Banka Sigulda (1993-1994)
  • Ogres Komercbanka (1993-2006)
  • Talsu Komercbanka (1993-1996)
  • Ventspils United Baltic Bank (1993-2000)
  • GE Money Bank (2008-2013)
  • Reverta (2010-2012)

See also

References

  1. ^ "What are less significant institutions?". European Central Bank. 2 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Members and Observers". European Banking Authority. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b c List of supervised entities - Cut-off date for changes in group structures: 1 September 2025 (PDF), European Central Bank, 24 October 2025
  4. ^ Giulia Gotti, Conor McCaffrey & Nicolas Véron (October 2024), Banking union and the long wait for cross-border integration (PDF), European Parliament
  5. ^ "The EBA updates list of third-country groups and branches operating in the European Union and the European Economic Area", European Banking Authority, 13 October 2025
  6. ^ "Directive 2013/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on access to the activity of credit institutions and the prudential supervision of credit institutions and investment firms - Current consolidated version - Article 2", EUR-Lex, p. L 176/350, 17 January 2025
  7. ^ Statistical Report 2024, World Council of Credit Unions
  8. ^ "Banks". Retrieved 2021-12-15.