Are you planning a trip to Cuba? If so, you need to know all the steps to obtain a visa and the documentation required to enter the country. That’s why we’ve prepared this article, where we give you the most important information for travelling to Cuba and provide you with a detailed explanation of the different types of visas and travel categories available. You’ll find that it’s not a complicated process; you’ll just need to carefully gather the necessary documentation.
If your home country is the United States, be aware that the process varies slightly due to restrictions set by the US government. But don’t worry, below we will provide you with detailed information on how to obtain your visa if you are from the United States. So pay attention and start packing your suitcase for your trip to this wonderful Caribbean country!
Can Americans travel to Cuba?
The answer is “yes”, but there is fine print. The US government prohibits travel to Cuba for tourist purposes, however, it does allow other travel as long as it falls within the legal framework of the 12 authorised categories. In this post, you can read more about the categories: 12 legal travel categories for Cuba.
To obtain travel authorisation, you will need to demonstrate that your visit to Cuba is linked to the category you have selected. To do this, you must submit a detailed daily travel itinerary as well as other documents such as letters from institutions or companies that endorse your activity in the country in the case of some categories.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
What requirements are necessary for travel?
In this section, we will go deeper into the travel requirements and documentation needed to travel to Cuba from anywhere in the world. And we will also include additional documents and restrictions for travel from the United States.
- Passport: To enter Cuba, you will need to present a passport valid for at least 6 months after your arrival in the country.
- Customs and health form: On arrival, you will need to submit a Health Declaration and a Customs Declaration form. You can complete the form at the airport. But if you want to save time, we recommend that you complete it before you start your trip. You can download the document from an official Cuban government website, which has been specifically created for this purpose.
- Travel insurance: To travel to Cuba, it is compulsory to have medical insurance to cover the costs in the event of unforeseen health problems. You can choose between different private companies. We recommend you get information before taking out the policy and compare options. Travel insured and cover yourself in case of medical emergencies.
- Visa: before you set off on your trip, you will need to apply for a tourist visa that will allow you to stay in the country for 90 days. There are two types of visa, the Pink Visa for Americans, and the Green Visa for all other countries. Both can be applied for at the Cuban embassy in your country or on their website. To apply, you must present a copy of your passport valid for at least 6 months from the start of your trip and travel insurance, in addition to paying the corresponding fees, which vary depending on the country of origin. For travel from the USA, the visa costs $120. It is also possible to apply for a visa at Havana airport, but this will delay the start of your trip. In this post, you can read more about visas for Cuba: Travel visas to Cuba: How to obtain a visa to travel to Cuba
- Return flight ticket: To prove that you intend to return to your home country, you may be asked for a visa at check-in or when boarding the plane. It may also be requested by immigration officials in Cuba upon arrival.
- OFAC clearance and the 12 categories: This clearance is only for US citizens or anyone travelling from the United States. To apply for it, you must justify your trip under one of the legal categories and present a detailed itinerary with all the activities you are going to carry out during your stay. Remember that these categories cannot be for tourism purposes and must be linked to the selected category.
What should I consider before travelling (if there are problems returning to your country)?
Wherever you are travelling from, when you leave Cuba, you must declare any goods that are not considered personal items. You should also be aware that you will not be able to leave the country with more than 5,000 Cuban pesos in cash.
If you are travelling from the United States, you will have to take into account other aspects in addition to those mentioned above. Remember to keep all receipts and invoices generated during your trip for at least 5 years. And when you return to the United States and go through customs, you may be subjected to an additional inspection and asked questions related to your trip to Cuba. In this case, it is essential to be honest and provide accurate information about the purpose of your trip and activities in Cuba. Cooperating with the authorities during this process should generally not cause problems, although it is important to note that these additional inspections are not common in most cases.
Generally, you should not need to worry if you are travelling from the United States in compliance with the requirements of your authorised category of travel and following all regulations set forth by the US government.
As a non-US citizen, if you have previously been to Cuba and want to travel to the United States, you will need to apply for a special visa instead of the ESTA.
If I am of another nationality but a resident of the United States, how can I enter Cuba without problems on my return to the U.S.?
Even if you are another nationality, if you reside in the United States you must apply for travel authorisation under one of the 12 legal categories, in addition to applying for a pink visa (unless you are Cuban). On your return to the US, you will have no problem as long as you have respected the restrictions and adjusted your activities to your travel category.
If you are not a US resident or citizen, but are making a stopover in the US to get to Cuba, you will need to apply for a pink visa, authorisation for one of the 12 categories and ESTA, the US visa.
As you can see, making a stopover in the United States to travel to Cuba takes time and paperwork. So if you’re visiting both countries, it’s advisable to travel first to Cuba and then to the US, as there are no restrictions on tourism, and it’s easier to get around.
If I am a US resident Cuban, can I travel to my country under what category and how often?
That’s right, as a Cuban you can travel to your home country without applying for a visa, however, as a US resident you must select one of the 12 authorised travel categories. In this case, you can select the Family Visit category to justify your trip without any problems. If you are a Cuban’s spouse, you will also be able to travel under this category, but as you are not Cuban by birth, you will have to apply for the pink visa.
Other information for travelling to Cuba?
- Check out the important information on travelling to Cuba discussed in this post before you embark on your trip.
- The currency of Cuba is the Cuban peso.
- The official language is Spanish, but you will be able to communicate in English as well.
- Travel with a first-aid kit containing basic medicines, as there may be shortages in pharmacies.
- US credit and debit cards don’t work in Cuba; you’ll need to bring cash and exchange it for Cuban pesos.
- Get your travel insurance for medical emergencies.
- Always drink bottled water.
- Wear sunscreen, especially in the summer months, as well as light but sun-protective clothing and stay hydrated.
- Always carry your travel documents with you.
- If you are American, you must keep all tickets and receipts from Cuba for 5 years.
How to organise a trip to Cuba?
Register or download the Passporter App and discover all its possibilities.
- Get ideas from other travellers’ experiences, photos and itineraries.
- Check out important information for travelling to Cuba and the necessary documents.
- Organise your trip by the categories that suit you best: dates, number of days or type of trip (beach, mountain, restaurants…).
- Add your friends so they can see and modify all the plans and information about the trip.
- Create your own itinerary of your destination with everything you feel like visiting each day.
- Add the stops that interest you the most, including your accommodation, restaurants, museums…
- Book your flights, accommodation, transfers and activities through a single app.
- Save all your documents in the app to always have everything at hand: reservations, boarding passes, important documents…
- Make any modifications you need, and you’re all set for your trip.
- Share your experience with other users. Upload photos of the places you have visited on your trip to the app and inspire other travellers with your experience. You can also share the most important information for travelling to Cuba.
If you have any doubts about how to do this, you can check our post: How to create a travel itinerary in Passporter.
Frequently asked questions about important information for travelling to Cuba
To travel to Cuba you will need your passport, visa, travel medical insurance, return airline ticket, customs and health form. And if you are traveling from the United States you will also need the Office of Foreign Assets Control Travel License.
To travel from the United States you will need the Pink Visa, which allows you to stay in the country for up to 90 days.
U.S. residents may travel to Cuba provided they present the necessary documents and authorization under one of the 12 legal categories.
The category will depend on the type of travel you will be doing, but if your objective is to travel for tourism purposes, the best option is to select the category of “Support for the Cuban People”.
To enter the country you need to have a medical insurance that covers health incidents. It is not necessary to cover aspects of the trip such as flight delays or lost luggage.
The authorization process is free of charge, but remember that the visa costs $120.
The price depends on the place of origin and the urgency with which you need it. It ranges from 25€ to 100$.
The Support the Cuban People category authorizes travel to Cuba that promotes direct contact and activities that benefit the Cuban people, encouraging cultural and humanitarian interactions.
In this case, you will need to apply for authorisation under one of the 12 categories, the pink visa and the ESTA.
In this case, it is not necessary to apply for any type of visa, but you will need to apply for travel authorisation under the family visit category.
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