Cuban Visas

Almost all visitors to Cuba need either a Cuban visa or a Tourist visa. There are exceptions to this, though. Nationals whose countries have signed an agreement with Cuba for visa exemptions do not need any visa to get across the country’s borders. The same goes for holders of Tourist Visa Cards (not to be confused with Tourist visas).

Tourist Visa Cards are issued by officially recognized tour operators, agencies, and airlines and are valid for one single trip for a duration of 30 days. There is a stipulation to this, however, and that is that the traveler must have pre-booked and pre-paid hotel accommodation in Cuba. Lastly, transit passengers, or those passengers who are on their way to another country within 72 hours, are not required to have a visa, provided that they have an onward ticket for the said country and have paid the US$50 fee that is charged on a per day basis.

Types Available

There are four main types of visas for Cuba.

  • Tourist Card – while strictly not a visa, a tourist card is issued to those who visit Cuba as a tourist. The Tourist card allows the holder to stay in Cuba for 90 days, starting from the date of entry. It is only valid for one entry into Cuba. It should be noted that the Tourist card is only applicable if the holder is staying at a hotel or legally renting at a private house. If the holder is staying with a friend, a Personal visa is required.
  • Personal Visa – is issued to foreign nationals with close relatives in Cuba or those married to a Cuban citizen.
  • Business Visa – is issued for foreign nationals who go to Cuba on business. There are two types of Business visas: visas to explore business opportunities in Cuba, and visas to engage in business operations in Cuba.
  • Student Visa – is issued to people who go to Cuba to pursue research or study at a higher education center (a university or an institute). A Student visa is also needed for those pursuing research at a research facility or training center. The applicant has to be contacted previously by the center and has been accepted by it.

    • Requirements

    For Tourist Cards:

    • A valid passport.
    • A tourist card visa. The tourist card visa could be obtained from your travel agency when booking a trip to Cuba. If you’re applying for a tourist card visa at a Cuban Embassy, bring your passport and a filled out tourist card form that was obtained online or at the embassy. Payment for the fee is also required.

    For Personal Visas:

    • A valid passport.
    • A filled out Personal Visa application form. The form could be obtained from the Cuban Embassy or Consulate, or online.
    • A photocopy of the marriage certificate.
    • A processing fee.

    For Business Visas:

    • A photocopy of the main page of a valid passport.
    • A filled out application form, depending on the type of business visa. To apply for a business visa to explore business opportunities in Cuba, you need to fill out an A-7 form. For a business visa to engage in business or transactions in Cuba, the form is D-7.
    • A letter of invitation from the Cuban company if it is a visa to engage in business. The letter must be addressed to the Cuban Consulate.
    • A letter from the foreign company stating the full name of the person, the purpose of the trip, and the length of stay. The letter must be addressed to the Cuban Consulate.
    • A processing fee.

    For Student Visas:

    • A valid passport.
    • A filled out Student Visa application form. The form can be obtained online or through the Cuban Embassy or Consulate.
    • A processing fee for the visa application.

    It should be noted that for the application of the Student Visa, the center or institution should first request a visa application from the Cuban government. Once the visa or permit is granted, the local Cuban Embassy will then be notified.

    Additional Information

    United States citizens should know that the US government prohibits traveling to Cuba unless a license is obtained. The license is usually reserved for government officials on official trips to Cuba, or to journalists.

    For Tourist Card holders, the maximum stay is 90 days from the date of entry. However, if you want to extend your stay to more than that time, you can request an extension at any tourism office in Cuba. The maximum extension is three months. If you were enlightened by this article, time for you to learn how to travel cheaply.


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