| Dokumendiregister | Transpordiamet |
| Viit | 1.1-6/26/15034-1 |
| Registreeritud | 26.08.2026 |
| Sünkroonitud | 03.09.2026 |
| Liik | Sissetulev kiri |
| Funktsioon | 1.1 Üldjuhtimine |
| Sari | 1.1-6 Juhtimisalane kirjavahetus |
| Toimik | 1.1-6/2026 |
| Juurdepääsupiirang | Avalik |
| Adressaat | Estonian Embassy in Riga |
| Saabumis/saatmisviis | Estonian Embassy in Riga |
| Vastutaja | Siim Sarapuu (Users, Liiklusteenistus) |
| Originaal | Ava uues aknas |
| Taotle dokumendi eemaldamist või parandamist |
Good afternoon
Please, find attached the inquiry from Ms Alīna Andrušaite regarding Estonia’s accession to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, mainly, did Estonia encounter specific legal and technical discrepancies, mentioned by the Latvian Ministry of Transport (SM), during its accession process and how were they navigated or resolved in practice alongside EU law:
Kind regards
Kristīne Biezā
Embassy of the Republic of Estonia
secretary
+371 67812020
riga.mfa.ee | Pils 8/10, Riga, LV-1050, LATVIA
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From: Alīna Andrušaite <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, August 22, 2026 12:57 PM
To: Estonian Embassy in Riga <[email protected]>
Subject: Inquiry regarding Estonia’s accession to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
Dear Ambassador / Diplomatic Team,
Firstly, I wanted to thank you for the invitation to your embassy event that took place this past winter during BaltTour that I had the privilege of attending!
Today, I am writing to you as a Latvian travel journalist and author regarding an issue that significantly impacts Baltic travelers in Japan: international driver's license recognition.
I have already reached out separately to the Embassy of Japan to discuss bilateral recognition possibilities. However, I am contacting the Estonian Embassy directly because our neighboring Baltic states hold the practical experience to resolving this issue. While Latvia remains bound solely to the 1968 Vienna Convention, Estonia successfully acceded to the 1949 Geneva Convention, granting Estonian citizens seamless car rental access in Japan.
When I raised the issue of joining the 1949 Convention with the Latvian Ministry of Transport (SM), they responded that accession is currently deemed unfeasible. In their official reply (please see attached the original in Latvian and automatically translated version in English for your convinience), SM cited several specific administrative and legal barriers:
Given that Estonia operates under the exact same EU legal and regulatory framework as Latvia, I would be deeply grateful if you could assist with the following:
While I fully understand this is not a matter for you to solve, any support in getting to the right contact person would be appreciated, as Estonia remains an example of how this can be done. Having Estonia's direct experience on how these specific legal hurdles were addressed will allow me to present clear, factual answers back to the Latvian Ministry of Transport.
Thank you very much for your time and assistance.
Warm regards,
Alīna Andrušaite
Travel writer & author | sapnumedniece.lv