The Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) currently has approximately 7500 couriers officially registered for food delivery via the Internet, reported on Tuesday at a meeting of the Defense, Internal Affairs, and Corruption Prevention Commission of the Saeima by the Deputy Director General of the PVD, Ernests Zalackis.
At least half of them are citizens of third countries. In the European Union (EU), the term "third country" refers to all countries that are neither EU members nor part of the European Economic Area.
Zalackis believes that catering businesses are satisfied with the cooperation, although the PVD finds it quite difficult to monitor these couriers, as real checks can only be conducted at the moment of order receipt. "The main problem we find is that most of them have not undergone training. We find hygiene issues less frequently," Zalackis added.
When registering couriers, the PVD discovered that "in dozens of cases" these individuals had expired residence permits.
On Tuesday, the Commission for Protection, Internal Affairs, and Corruption Prevention of the Saeima discussed a report on improving the legal regulation of the stay of third-country citizens in Latvia.
It has already been reported that starting from March 1, 2025, couriers delivering food must be registered with the PVD. Couriers not registered with the PVD cannot receive orders on food delivery platforms and cannot engage in food delivery.
All individuals planning to engage in food delivery to the end consumer must fill out an application form available on the PVD website in the "Forms" section and submit it to the PVD either in person or electronically.
Additionally, individuals handling food products, after completing a course on minimum hygiene requirements in food enterprises, will be required to pass a mandatory written exam on food hygiene issues, according to a decision made by the government.
