Podiatrist in Latvia
when foot care is free for diabetes patients
- Register check: State register of medical practitioners (opens in a new window)
- Noticed outdated info? Report it
A podiatrist helps with ingrown toenails, calluses, foot pain and care of diabetic feet. The doctor advises on care at home and tells you when an in-person procedure is needed.
The consultation happens over video, so it works the same in Riga, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Jelgava, Jūrmala, Ventspils and Rēzekne.
No verified doctor in this specialty yet
We check every certificate by hand, so the list grows step by step. Choose another specialty or start with a family doctor.
Known podiatrists in Latvia
- Agita Milta
- Aleksandra Oniščuka
- Alise Sīmane
- Anastasija Pogodkina
- Anda Kupča
- Dace Penka
- Elīna Ozola
- Elīza Cimermane
- Evija Bīriņa
- Gunita Rituma
- Inga Ruskule
- Inita Āne
This list is partial. For one specialist the platform's list separately records that she does not see children, so age limits are worth checking when booking.
When to call 113 instead of booking
- Rapidly spreading redness and swelling of the foot or leg with fever.
- Black or darkened skin on a toe or the foot.
- A deep wound with purulent discharge and fever.
- A foot that has become cold, pale and numb.
- Severe foot pain with inability to bear weight.
In people with diabetes a foot infection can develop quickly and without marked pain, so fever and swelling must not wait.
What a podiatrist does
A podiatrist provides foot care, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.
- Ingrown toenails and their correction
- Thickened and deformed nails
- Mechanical treatment of fungal nails and skin
- Hyperkeratosis and corns
- Verrucas on the feet
- Cracked heels
- Diabetic foot care
- Advice on daily foot care
Veselības centrs 4 states that a podiatrist can mechanically treat fungal nails or skin, reduce thickening and advise on topical care or treatment products, and where needed recommends a dermatology consultation or laboratory testing, while in more serious cases treatment is determined by a doctor.
State-funded diabetic foot care
This is the main state-funded route in this field.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Patients with diabetes |
| Where | At a diabetic foot care unit, where a podiatrist provides the care |
| Who issues the referral | A family doctor or a specialist contracted with the state, such as an endocrinologist |
| How often | The doctor decides the frequency and extent of care after assessing the patient's feet |
| What it costs | Patients receiving state-funded care at a diabetic foot care unit pay no patient contribution or co-payment |
An important detail: for patients with diabetes the endocrinologist is a direct-access specialist requiring no referral. That means the route to state-funded foot care can start with an endocrinologist if a family doctor appointment is delayed.
Outside this programme, podiatry services are mostly private or covered by insurance according to the policy terms.
When a diabetes patient should go immediately
Veselības centrs 4 explains that diabetes can reduce sensation in the feet and impair healing, so even a small wound, crack or ingrown nail can lead to complications.
People with diabetes are advised to check their feet regularly and see a specialist if changes appear in the skin or nails, or if wounds, blisters or cracks develop.
Regular podiatry care helps spot changes in time, treat nails and skin safely, and reduce the risk of diabetic foot.
Methods
| Method | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Orthonyxia | Correcting ingrown nails with braces. Kauguru veselības centrs states the aim is to change the shape of the nail and nail bed, achieve decompression of the nail fold and improve blood supply to the lateral fold |
| Nail braces | After fitting, traumatic pressure on the nail fold decreases or disappears. Several bracing techniques are used |
| Nail reconstruction | Restoring problem nails with a therapeutic gel |
| Silicone orthoses | Correcting toe position and reducing pressure |
| Medical pedicure | Medical foot care, distinct from a cosmetic pedicure |
| Treatment of hyperkeratosis and corns | Mechanically reducing thickened tissue |
How to verify registration
- 1Open Health Inspectorate - register of medical practitioners (registri.vi.gov.lv) (opens in a new window).
- 2Enter the specialist's surname or practitioner identifier.
- 3Look for the profession "Podologs".
- 4Check the registration validity date.
- 5Note that a cosmetic pedicurist is not a registered healthcare professional. With diabetes, foot care belongs with a podiatrist.
Where podiatrists practise
Rīga
- Veselības centrs 4 (opens in a new window)
- Diabēta centrs (opens in a new window)
offering podiatry both on referral and privately, with contracts with several insurers.
- FORTEMED (opens in a new window)
where podiatrists work alongside dermatologists, surgeons and trauma and orthopaedic surgeons.
Jūrmala
- Kauguru veselības centrs (opens in a new window)
with the podiatry room on the second floor.
Salaspils
- Salaspils health and social care centre (opens in a new window)
offering state-funded diabetic foot care on referral.
Podiatrists also work in private practice in the regions, including Valmiera and Rēzekne.
How to choose
- Diabetes. If you have diabetes, look for a diabetic foot care unit, where care on referral is free.
- Waiting time. Some providers state that the queue for diabetic foot care is short, so it is worth asking in several places.
- Working with doctors. A provider where the podiatrist works alongside a dermatologist, surgeon and orthopaedic surgeon is more convenient.
- Methods. If the problem is an ingrown nail, ask whether the provider uses bracing techniques.
- Children. Not all podiatrists see children, so check when booking.
What a visit looks like
Veselības centrs 4 states that during the visit the specialist assesses the condition of the skin and nails, listens to the patient's concerns and establishes how long the problem has existed and whether there is pain, diabetes, circulation problems, previous injury or other illness.
- Bring details of your diagnoses and current medicines.
- If you have diabetes, say so at the start, since it changes the approach to care.
- After treatment the specialist gives advice on daily foot care.
- Where needed, the podiatrist recommends a dermatology consultation or laboratory testing.
Cost
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Care at a diabetic foot care unit on referral | 0.00, no patient contribution or co-payment EUR (LV portāls (opens in a new window), NVD, price list checked 8 August 2026) |
| Podiatry without a referral | private, per price list EUR (Diabēta centrs (opens in a new window), price list checked 8 August 2026) |
| Insurance cover | according to policy terms EUR (Veselības centrs 4 (opens in a new window), price list checked 8 August 2026) |
| Nail reconstruction and braces | per provider price list EUR (Kauguru veselības centrs (opens in a new window), price list checked 8 August 2026) |
Oversight
A podiatrist is a registered healthcare professional with first-level professional higher education who takes part in health promotion, patient education, treatment and rehabilitation. Podiatrists are therefore subject to practitioners register requirements and Health Inspectorate oversight.
Public sources note that podiatry is a relatively new field in Latvia and that modern podiatry originated in Germany.
Patient rights and complaints
If you have doubts about the quality of a service received at a healthcare provider, raise them first with the provider's management. If that does not resolve it, a written submission goes to the Health Inspectorate no later than two years after the alleged infringement, and is reviewed within 30 days, extendable to four months in complex cases. The procedure is set out on the Health Inspectorate site (opens in a new window).
FAQ
Is podiatry state-funded?
For patients with diabetes, care at a diabetic foot care unit on referral is funded and no patient contribution applies. Otherwise it is a private service.
Who issues the referral?
A family doctor or a specialist contracted with the state, such as an endocrinologist. For diabetes patients the endocrinologist is a direct-access specialist.
How often can care be received?
The doctor decides the frequency and extent after assessing the feet.
How does a podiatrist differ from a pedicurist?
A podiatrist is a registered healthcare professional with first-level professional higher education. With diabetes, foot care belongs specifically with a podiatrist.
What is done for an ingrown nail?
Orthonyxia and bracing techniques are used to change the nail's shape and reduce pressure on the nail fold.
This page was reviewed by Sergejs Ponomarjovs, from the E-Medicīna team. More about us.
Sources, last-reviewed footer and fact-check
Last reviewed: 8 August 2026
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