No visa needed

Do citizens of Belgium need a visa for Costa Rica?

Citizens of Belgium don’t need a visa for Costa Rica and can stay up to 180 days. You need a valid passport; border officers may ask for a return ticket and accommodation. For a longer stay you need a visa or an extension.

For citizens of Belgium: the passport opens 123 countries visa-free; Brussels — San José: ≈ 9,040 km, about 12 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

At a glance

No visa needed

Stay: 180 days

Can I travel to Costa Rica without a visa on a Belgium passport?

Yes, citizens of Belgium don’t need a visa for Costa Rica for up to 180 days. A valid passport is enough.

Costa Rica visa rules at a glance

With a Belgium passport you can visit 123 countries visa-free, 26 with a visa on arrival and 34 with an e-visa; 15 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the Belgium passport ranks 3rd of 199.
Belgium passport: visa-free access to 123 countries; Costa Rica passport: 90.
Citizens of Belgium and Costa Rica can travel together visa-free to 88 countries, for example: Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Monaco, Austria, Slovenia, Andorra, Slovakia, and San Marino.
Citizens of Costa Rica, in turn, don’t need a visa for Belgium. Belgium visa for citizens of Costa Rica

Travelling to Costa Rica: good to know

Brussels — San José: about 9,040 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 12 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: −8 hours.
Local time: Brussels 12:00 — San José 04:00.
Local currency: Costa Rican Colón.
Languages: Spanish.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ CRC 454.
Costa Rica is the 160th closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Belgium.