Planning to sell at a market? What you need to know before setting up your stall

Anyone planning to sell homemade goods or food at a market often needs more than just paying for a stall space. Latvia's State Revenue Service (VID) explains that any regular or one-time production and sale of goods for payment counts as economic activity, which must be registered before trading begins — either electronically or at a VID service center.

An exception applies to income from household farming, foraging for mushrooms, berries or wild medicinal plants, provided annual income stays under 3,000 euros — though such income must still be recorded. Once that threshold is exceeded, registration as an economic activity provider is required within five working days.

Municipal permission also required

Street trading must be coordinated with the relevant municipality, so sellers need to check local rules and obtain permission before joining a market.

Extra rules for food sellers

The Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) states that selling food, including homemade items, requires registration with the service plus municipal permission. An exception covers limited quantities of home-grown vegetables, fruit, berries, foraged mushrooms and nuts, and birch or maple sap — though sellers must still log quantities sold, dates and locations. All food sellers must meet hygiene and storage requirements, particularly for perishable items.

VID notes that small traders most commonly fail on bookkeeping, unregistered activity, and not using cash registers, alongside labour-law issues such as undocumented employment. PVD most often finds shortcomings in equipment and personal hygiene and product storage conditions; serious violations can lead to products being pulled from sale or a business being suspended.

For questions, VID can be reached via its consultation line, 67120000, while food-related queries should go to PVD.