What is the average approval time at a Latvian building authority?

There is no single official "average approval time" figure in Latvia — rather, there are statutory maximum deadlines for each step, and then the actual total time, which tends to be significantly longer. Let me separate the two. **Statutory deadlines (General Construction Regulations, point 12.²).** The building authority must issue decisions and BIS markings within the following timeframes: - **Construction notification** — essentially no waiting. Work may begin immediately after submitting the notification in BIS. - **Explanatory note (paskaidrojuma raksts)** — up to 14 days (for simpler cases) or up to 1 month (for more complex cases requiring coordination). - **Building project and building permit** — up to 1 month from the date the application is complete; for complex objects the term may be extended. - **Marking on fulfillment of design conditions** — up to 15 working days. - **Marking on fulfillment of construction commencement conditions** — up to 5 working days. **Actual total time.** In practice, the total approval time from submission of the proposal to the construction commencement marking is on average: - Simple explanatory notes: **3–6 weeks** - Standard building projects (group 1 and 2 buildings): **3–6 months** - Complex projects (group 3, cultural monuments, environmental impact assessment): **6–18 months and longer** **What extends the deadlines:** "stopping" of the term when the building authority requests additional information, the chain of approvals with institutions and third parties, and a negative expert opinion that requires the project to be revised and re-examined. It should be noted that the actual speed varies considerably between building authorities and depending on project complexity — there is no single published average indicator.