Summary of Changes Coming in 2026 (and beyond)
Hear’s a breakdown of the changes outlined in the text, categorized for clarity:
1. Financial & Social Benefits:
* Minimum Wage: Increases to €780 per month.
* Childbirth Allowance: Increases to €600 (from €421.17).
* Childcare Allowance (under 18 months): Increases to €298 per month (from €171), with reviews every two years.
* Parental Allowance: extended payments for premature babies; 75% rate continues for working parents.
* State Maintenance & Adoption Benefits: Will increase.
* Ukrainian Refugees: Reduced financial support.
2. Taxes & Duties (Increased Costs):
* Excise Duties: rise on tobacco, spirits, beer, wine, and fuel (natural gas for heating & gasoline).
* Natural Resource Taxes: Increase on sand, gravel, and soil. Peat tax will fivefold increase in 2027.
* Gambling Taxes: Will increase.
* Russian Books: VAT reverts to 21% (lost 5% reduction).
* “Debt Follows the Apartment”: Buyers inherit previous owner’s utility & maintenance debts up to 3 years prior – a major change.
3. Goods & Services (Increased Costs):
* Postage:
* Standard Letter: €2.35 (up from current price)
* Registered Parcel (up to 1kg): €7.01 (up from €6.82)
* Insured Parcel (up to 1kg): €8.39 (up from €6.87)
* Additional kg for parcels: €1.25 per kg.
* Passports:
* 10-day Issuance: €50
* 2-day Issuance: €75
* eID Cards:
* 10-day Issuance: €30
* 2-day Issuance: €45
* Jūrmala Entry Fees:
* Daily: €5 (from €3)
* Weekly: €20 (from €10)
* Monthly: €60 (from €31)
* 3-Month: €100 (from €55)
* 6-Month: €180 (from €107)
* Annual: €270 (from €180)
4. Energy & Utilities (Mixed Impact):
* Natural Gas Distribution: Average tariff decreases by 4.4%, but:
* Cooking: Potential increase of ~€0.8/month (excluding VAT)
* Heating: Potential decrease of ~€1/month (excluding VAT)
* Electricity: Increase for households with 16-25 amp connections & “Basic” tariff plan – capacity maintenance increases by 20 cents to €1.26.
5. Temporary Relief:
* VAT Reduction (Pilot Project – July 1st for one year): Bread, milk, poultry meat, and eggs will have a 12% VAT rate.
This provides a complete overview of the changes coming, allowing for a speedy understanding of the impacts on various aspects of life.
