No visa needed

Do citizens of Portugal need a visa for Costa Rica?

Citizens of Portugal 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 Portugal: the passport opens 121 countries visa-free; Lisbon — San José: ≈ 8,020 km, about 10.5 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 Portugal passport?

Yes, citizens of Portugal 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 Portugal passport you can visit 121 countries visa-free, 27 with a visa on arrival and 36 with an e-visa; 14 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the Portugal passport ranks 14th of 199.
Portugal passport: visa-free access to 121 countries; Costa Rica passport: 90.
Citizens of Portugal and Costa Rica can travel together visa-free to 88 countries, for example: Spain, Andorra, France, Monaco, Switzerland, Ireland, Tunisia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Vatican City, Italy, Netherlands, San Marino, and Slovenia.
Citizens of Costa Rica, in turn, don’t need a visa for Portugal. Portugal visa for citizens of Costa Rica

Travelling to Costa Rica: good to know

Lisbon — San José: about 8,020 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 10.5 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: −6 hours.
Local time: Lisbon 12:00 — San José 06:00.
Local currency: Costa Rican Colón.
Languages: Spanish.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ CRC 454.
Costa Rica is the 142nd closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Portugal.