European Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Therapies
EABCT 2028
Riga, Latvia
23
Pre-Congress
Workshops
Workshops
24–26
Congress
August 2028
August 2028
Save the date — full details to follow
On behalf of the Latvian Association of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LKBTA), it is our privilege to invite you to Riga for the EABCT Annual Congress in August 2028.
It will be the first time the congress comes to the Baltics — to a city shaped by centuries as a meeting point between East and West, known for its Art Nouveau architecture and a plain-spoken, evidence-minded way of thinking about people and their problems.
We're bringing together researchers, clinicians, and students from across Europe and beyond for four days of science, practice, and exchange — pre-congress workshops on the 23rd, followed by the main programme from the 24th through the 26th.
The venue, full programme, and registration details are still being finalised and will be announced here as they're confirmed. For now: mark your calendars, and we look forward to welcoming you to Latvia.
Inspired by Noah's Ark and Latvian folk tales, we've put animals in the same boat that usually have a hard time getting along — but we'll give it a try. That's also the spirit behind the Latvian idiom vienā laivā, "in one boat," the local equivalent of "we're all in the same boat," which felt like a fitting inspiration for a congress about integration, inclusion, and conflict resolution.
The mark is itself a small act of integration. Bear, fox, wolf, hare, and hedgehog are all stock characters from Latvian folk tales — the fox and wolf especially, cast as rivals more often than companions. The bird belongs to EABCT's own visual identity. Different sources, pulled into one boat.
Enough serious congress talk for a moment. Let's get to the really important question: which folk-tale animal are you?
One of our colleagues has created a wonderfully fun quiz to find out. Its psychometric properties may be questionable, but its results are not to be disputed. And you never know when you might need to get in the boat — so it's better to be prepared.
A European capital with character.
Riga is the capital of Latvia — a European Union and NATO member state on the Baltic Sea, part of the Schengen area. It's also the largest city in the Baltic states, home to well over half a million people.
Latvia itself is small — a population of roughly 1.85 million as of 2026, per official statistics — but outsized in the things it's known for, several of which run throughout this page. Latvian is the official language, spoken as a first language by around six in ten residents, alongside a substantial Russian-speaking community (more on both, and why, in the full history).
The city centre is compact and walkable, built around the largest collection of Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Old Town — a fitting backdrop for a congress about precision, craft, and the details that make a difference.
English is widely spoken in academic and clinical settings, and late August offers Riga at its mildest — long, light-filled days, and a city that empties out just enough to feel like your own. Latvian weather can be wonderfully unpredictable even in summer, though — warm and sunny one afternoon, a sudden cool shower the next — so packing a layer or two, and an umbrella, is genuinely worth it, not just standard travel-advice caution.
✈ Approximate flight time from a few major hubs:
Map: TUBS, CC BY-SA 3.0
Riga International Airport (RIX) sits about 10 km from the city centre. Bus 22 runs between the airport and Old Town roughly every 10–20 minutes, taking 25–35 minutes depending on traffic. A ticket costs around €2, bought via the Rīgas Satiksme app, at a kiosk, or on board.
Taxis and rideshare (Bolt is the most-used app locally) take about the same time and cost roughly €20–30.
Riga is served by trams, trolleybuses, and buses running daily from around 5:30 to 23:30, all on a shared ticket — a single fare covers 90 minutes and unlimited transfers between vehicles.
Old Town itself is compact and fully walkable; public transport becomes useful mainly for reaching the Art Nouveau district, Central Market, or the airport.
Full timetables, fares, and a route planner: rigassatiksme.lv
Specific directions to the congress venue will be posted here once it's confirmed.
Small independent shops in Old Town tend to keep shorter hours on Sundays, but Riga's shopping centres don't — Origo, Galleria Riga, and Galerija Centrs all stay open on weekends with the usual mix of fashion, pharmacy, and grocery stores under one roof, useful if a weekday session leaves no time to shop during the week.
112 — the same number across the EU, covering police, fire, and ambulance. Worth remembering if your home country uses a different number by default.
Mēness aptieka on Brīvības iela 74, a short walk from the Freedom Monument, is open 24 hours, every day — worth knowing about rather than searching for at 2am if it's ever needed. Pharmacists in Riga are generally comfortable working in English for common over-the-counter needs.
Latvia is in the eurozone — euros only, no currency exchange needed even if you're arriving from the UK, Poland, or another non-euro country. Riga is highly card-friendly: contactless, Apple Pay, and Google Pay work almost everywhere in the tourist circuit. Cash still helps for small independent shops or rounding up a taxi, but it's rarely essential.
Yes, it's safe to drink — Riga's tap water is treated to EU standards, sourced from the Daugava and local groundwater, and regularly monitored. No need for bottled water on safety grounds anywhere in the city.
Two small caveats: in genuinely old buildings, letting the tap run a few seconds before drinking is sensible practice, not a sign of a problem. And the city occasionally runs short, scheduled chlorination maintenance on the network (announced in advance by Rīgas ūdens, the water utility) — boiled water is recommended only during those specific windows, otherwise tap water is fine straight from the faucet.
Latvia is a full member of the Schengen Area, so the same entry rules apply as for most of continental Europe. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens can enter freely with a valid ID or passport.
Citizens of many other countries — including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan — can currently enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
The EU's new ETIAS travel authorisation — a low-cost online pre-registration, not a visa — is expected to apply to visa-exempt travellers by the time of the congress, though the EU's own rollout date has shifted several times and isn't finalised. We'll post a direct link and confirm what's needed closer to the date.
Travellers who currently need a Schengen visa to enter Latvia should apply well in advance through their nearest Latvian embassy or consulate, as processing can take several weeks.
LKBTA plans to provide official invitation letters to support visa applications once registration opens. For current, authoritative requirements by nationality, check the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Your congress programme may last only a few days. Your experience of Latvia doesn't have to.
Arrive a little earlier. Stay a little longer. Walk through Riga's medieval streets, discover its Art Nouveau architecture, taste the local food, visit the Baltic coast, or escape into the forests and countryside. We've put together some ideas for extending your stay — day trips, history, culture, and where to eat — on the full history & culture guide.
2028 is a bigger year for Latvia than most: from July, the country holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, meaning a packed calendar of EU-related events and visitors across the second half of the year. One more reason it might be worth building a longer trip around the congress rather than a quick one.
We look forward to welcoming you to Riga — and to Latvia.
The European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT) is an umbrella organisation connecting national CBT associations across Europe, supporting training, research, and clinical standards in the field. Its annual congress rotates between host countries and associations each year.
The Latvian Association of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LKBTA) represents CBT specialists, supervisors, and trainees in Latvia, and is hosting the 2028 congress on behalf of the national CBT community.
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