2011 Latvian First League champions FS METTA/Latvijas Universitāte from Riga were directly promoted.
The team, which was founded by the METTA football school and the University of Latvia in 2007, entered the Higher League for the first time in their history.
JFK Olimps/RFS finished the 2011 season in ninth place and were therefore required to compete in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off against First Division runners-up Spartaks Jūrmala.
Similar to METTA/LU, they made their debut at the highest level of the Latvian football pyramid.
[6] Since 2012 league's homepage futbolavirsliga.lv has been active and since September 2012 this website has been accompanied by InStat Football system, showing information and analysis of each match individually.