Are you preparing a trip to Cuba? If so, you’ll be interested to know how to get a visa and all the documentation necessary to enter the country. In this post we tell you in detail all the types of visas to Cuba that you can apply for and the steps you need to follow. You will see that it is not complicated, you just have to carefully prepare the necessary documentation and in less than a week you will have your visa for Cuba.
If you’re travelling from the United States the process is slightly different due to restrictions imposed by the US government itself. But don’t worry, because below we’ll also tell you how to get your visa if you’re coming from the US. So pay attention and get your documents ready to travel to this amazing Caribbean country.
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Types of visas for travel to Cuba
To travel to Cuba you will need to apply for a visa before entering the country. These are all the types of visayou can get depending on the reason for your trip.
- Tourist Visa: for leisure travel. There are two types, the pink visa and the blue visa. We will elaborate on these later.
- Cuban Family Visitor Visa: visit family members by blood or marriage.
- Transit Visa: visa for a logistical and operational stopover of maximum 7 days.
- Transhipment Visa: visa for a stopover to change vehicles. Maximum 7 days.
- Crewman’s visa: for personnel on aircraft, ships or other vessels.
- Events Visa: attendance at non-governmental events.
- Business or Services Visa: offering services and developing business without state links.
- Residential Visa for Technicians and Services: people with contracts from official Cuban organisations.
- Residential Visa for Students and Scholarship Holders: for students and researchers in a Cuban educational or research centre, within an educational exchange programme.
- Residential Visa for Athletes: includes technical assistants and members of sports delegations as well as athletes.
- Artists’ Residential Visa
- Residential Visa for Political Asylum Seekers and Refugees
- Residential Visa for Journalists
- Residential Visa for Commercial Representatives or Business Agents: these commercial activities must be approved by an official Cuban agency.
- Residential Visa for Religious Activities:
- Residential Visa for Medical Treatments: it is managed through the Ministry of Public Health upon request of the foreigners interested in being treated in Cuba.
1. Types of Tourist visas
If you are organising a trip to Cuba for pleasure, then you will need a tourist visa. Within this category there are two types of visa depending on the traveller’s airport of origin:
- Green or Blue Visa: This is the standard visa thatcitizens from all over the world can apply for as long as they are not travelling from US airports. The visa covers a maximum stay of 90 days with the possibility of extending the stay for an additional 30 days (up to 90 days for Canadians). The visa is valid for 6 months from the date of issue.
- Pink Visa: This visa allows entry to Cuba from US airports regardless of the traveller’s nationality. The visa covers a stay of 90 days maximum with the possibility of extending the stay for an additional 30 days (up to 90 days for Canadians). The visa is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. Please note that if you make a stopover in the United States, even for a few hours, you must apply for the Pink Visa in addition to the ESTA. And remember that, to travel from the United States, you will also need an authorisation from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. In this post you can find out about the procedures and documentation you will need if you are travelling from the USA: What do I need to travel to Cuba from the United States?
2. How to apply for a tourist visa to Cuba
There are several ways to apply for a visa to travel to Cuba: when buying the plane ticket, in person at the embassy or consulate, with a travel agency, on arrival in Cuba or online. Each process requires a minimum amount of time in advance, and prices also vary. We remind you that from the moment the visa is granted, it is valid for six months, so you cannot apply for it too far in advance if you want it to cover your entire holiday.
These are the five ways to get the visa:
- When you buy the plane ticket: In the United States, many airlines such as American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, Jet Blue or Air Canada, among others, handle the visa with the purchase of the ticket. This procedure adds between $75 and $100 to the price of the ticket, but in many cases, the processing costs are lower than if the visa is processed directly or through an agency, so it is advisable to compare prices beforehand.
- In person or by mail at the consulate or embassy: If you prefer, you can also get your visa in person at the Cuban embassy or consulate. The cost ranges from $26 to $46, but you must print out and bring all the necessary documents already filled out. This is the most cumbersome way to get visas to Cuba. You can also do it by post, but there will be an extra handling fee.
- Online: This is the most convenient way to get a visa. You can do the procedure through the official website and you will receive the visa in your email in less than a week. It usually takes about 3 days. You will be able to fill in all the necessary forms when you apply.
- Through a travel agency: Travel agencies can handle your visa application for you. Most of the time this service is included in the travel package, so you don’t have to worry about extra costs.
- At Cuba’s airports: This option is not entirely true as in many cases you’ll need a visa before boarding the outbound flight. If your airline doesn’t require a visa, you can get one at the airport on arrival for €25, but you’ll have to queue and delay the start of your journey. This is the least recommended option.
3. Prices of tourist visas to Cuba
The price of visas to Cuba will depend on where you come from and whether you go online or in person. It also varies depending on how urgently you need it. It is possible to get it even in 24 hours, but the cost will be higher. In this table, you will find all the prices according to the option you choose to apply for the visa.
| Application / Origin | USA | Europe | Mexico | Other Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buy Online | $103 | €35 | $40 | $40 |
| Consulate | $26/$46 | €17/$42 | $230/$805 | $10/$35 |
| Airport | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 |
| Airline | $50/$100 | – | – | – |
At the consulate, the price of the visa is lower if you apply in person, but you can also apply by post. If you apply in person, you must make the transfer at least 72 hours in advance.
4. Documents and information needed to apply for visas to Cuba
When applying for a visa, either online or online, you will need a series of documents in order and provide the information that we tell you below. So read carefully and prepare everything we tell you before applying for a visa.
- Passport: You will need to submit your passport number along with the date of issue and expiry, and origin. It is also necessary to attach a photo of the first page of the passport.
- Personal details: In the application form you will be asked for your first and last name, landline and home phone number, and email address.
- Working details: are not mandatory, but the workplace, telephone, fax and email are also requested.
- Flight details: You must specify the date of the flight, the date of entry into Cuba, the country and airport of embarkation and the airline you are flying with. It is also necessary to attach an image of the return ticket.
- Data relating to the stay: days of stay, place of accommodation, municipality and province. In addition, the hotel reservation must be attached.
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 else should I know before I travel to Cuba?
- 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.
- Don’t forget to pack light clothing, insect repellent and sunscreen in your luggage.
- Cover yourself for medical emergencies: travel insured.
- 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 a US citizen, you should keep all your 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 inspired by other travellers’ experiences, photos and itineraries.
- 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, etc.
- Book your flights, accommodation, transfers and activities through a single app.
- Save all your documents in the app so that you always have everything at hand: reservations, boarding passes, important documentation, etc.
- 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’ve visited on your trip to the app and inspire other travellers with your experience. You can also share your own tips on visas to Cuba.
If you have doubts on how to do it, you can check our post: How to create a travel itinerary in Passporter.
Frequently Asked Questions about Visas 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. It 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 visa takes about 3 days to process online and about a week at the consulate. If you pay more, it can be processed in 24 hours.
The price depends on the place of origin and the urgency with which you need it. It ranges from 25€ to 100$.
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