Visa policy of Cuba explained

Visitors to Cuba must obtain a visa before travel from one of the Cuban diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. Electronic visa is also available for most nationalities.

All visitors, including those with Cuban nationality residing outside Cuba, must hold valid return tickets and proof of medical insurance. Non-Cuban passport holders must also provide proof of financial solvency of at least 50 USD per day.

Visitors from many countries are expected to hold a passport valid for at least 2 months from the arrival date.

Cuban nationals

Persons who were born in Cuba must use their Cuban passports for travelling to Cuba, unless they have official documentation to prove that they no longer have Cuban nationality.

Visa exemption

Citizens of the following countries neither need a visa to visit Cuba, for stays up to the duration listed:^[1]

Indefinite stay Namibia 90 days Bosnia and Herzegovina China Kenya^1 Malaysia Montenegro ^2 Serbia United Arab Emirates 1 - No more than 90 days within any 1 calendar year 2 - No more than 90 days within any 180 days 60 days Grenada Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 30 days Antigua and Barbuda Belarus Mongolia Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Singapore 28 days Barbados Dominica

According to the original visa agreement between Benin and Cuba, Beninese students who hold a normal passport may enter Cuba without a visa for a maximum stay of 90 days. However, this condition is not mentioned on Timatic, which states that all normal passport holders of Benin can enter Cuba without a visa, for a maximum stay of 90 days.^[1]

Travelling on Duty

Citizens of the following countries who are holders of normal passports are exempt when travelling on duty:

Mexico Nicaragua^[12]

Diplomatic and Service passports

Holders of diplomatic or various categories of service passports (official, service, special, public affairs) issued by the following countries are allowed to enter and remain in Cuba without a visa (allowed period of stay in brackets):^[13]

Afghanistan ^D ^O ^S (30 days) Albania ^D ^S (90 days) Algeria ^D ^S (3 months) Angola ^D ^S (90 days) Antigua and Barbuda ^All (30 days) Argentina ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Armenia ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Azerbaijan ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Bahamas ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Barbados ^D ^O (28 days) Belarus ^D ^S (30 days) Belize ^D ^O (30 days) Benin ^D ^S (30 days) ^D ^O (undefined) Bosnia and Herzegovina ^D ^O (90 days) Botswana ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Brazil ^D (180 days) Burkina Faso ^D ^O ^S (30 days) Chad ^D ^S ^Sp (90 days) Cambodia ^D ^S (undefined) Cape Verde ^D ^O ^S (undefined) China ^D ^S ^PA (undefined) Colombia ^D ^O (undefined / 6 months) Congo ^D ^S (undefined) Costa Rica ^D ^O (30 days) Croatia ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Cyprus ^D ^S (undefined) Djibouti ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Dominica ^All (28 days) Dominican Republic ^D ^O (90 days) Ecuador ^D ^O (undefined / 90 days) Egypt ^D ^S ^Sp (90 days) Equatorial Guinea ^D ^O ^S (90 days) El Salvador ^D ^O (90 days) Gabon ^D ^O ^S (90 days)

Gambia ^D ^S (undefined) Georgia ^D ^S Ghana ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Grenada ^All (60 days) Guatemala ^D ^O ^S (3 months) Guinea ^D ^O ^S (3 months) Guinea-Bissau ^D ^O ^S (3 months) Guyana ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Haiti ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Honduras ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Hungary ^D ^S (90 days) India ^D (90 days) ^D ^S (90 days) Jamaica ^D ^O (undefined) Jordan ^D (30 days) Kazakhstan ^D ^S (30 days) Kenya ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Kuwait ^D ^Sp (90 days) ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Lebanon ^D ^O ^S ^Sp (30 days) Malaysia ^D ^O (3 months) Mali ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Mexico ^D ^O ^S (90 days) ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Mongolia ^D ^O (30 days) Montenegro ^D ^O (90 days) Morocco ^D ^O ^S ^Sp (3 months) Mozambique ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Namibia ^DO (undefined) Nicaragua ^D (undefined) Niger ^D ^S (30 days) Nigeria ^D ^O (90 days) ^D ^S (30 days) ^D ^O (90 days) Panama ^D ^O ^S ^Sp (undefined)

Paraguay ^D ^O (3 months) Peru ^D (90 days) Philippines ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Qatar ^D ^S ^Sp (90 days) Romania ^D ^O ^S (90 days) ^D ^S (undefined) Saint Kitts and Nevis ^All (30 days) Saint Lucia ^All (30 days) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ^All (60 days) Sao Tome and Principe ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Serbia ^D ^S (90 days) Seychelles ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Singapore ^D ^O ^S (30 days) Slovakia ^D (90 days) Slovenia ^D ^S (3 months) South Africa ^D ^O ^S (90 days) Sri Lanka ^D (30 days) Suriname ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Switzerland ^D ^O ^S (90 days) ^D ^S ^Sp (90 days) ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Timor-Leste ^D ^S (90 days) Togo ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Trinidad and Tobago ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Tunisia ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Turkey ^D ^S ^Sp (90 days) Uganda ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Ukraine ^D ^S (30 days) United Arab Emirates ^D ^Sp (90 days) Uruguay ^D ^O ^S (90 days) ^D ^O ^S (90 days) ^D ^O ^S ^PA (30 days) Yemen ^D ^O ^S ^Sp (30 days) Zambia ^D ^O ^S (undefined) Zimbabwe ^D ^O ^S (undefined)

_{D - Diplomatic passports
O - Official passports
S - Service passports
Sp - Special passports
PA - Passports for public affairs}

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Armenia and Moldova are not applying bilateral agreements in practice.

Agreement with Indonesia signed on 26 March 2003 was applied from 17 March 2005 to 17 March 2015.

Visa-free agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passport was signed with Pakistan in October 2019 and it is yet to be ratified.^[14]

eVisa

Since August 2024, visitors from most countries may obtain an eVisa valid for 90 days, and extendable for another 90 days.^[15]

Tourist card

Until the introduction of eVisas in 2024, citizens of countries that are were not visa exempt had to purchase a Tourist Card (Tarjeta de Turista) before arrival, which could be acquired from Cuban missions, travel agencies, airlines, or licensed online retailers. A tourist card used to grant a maximum stay of 90 days for most nationalities. It could be extended once for the same period in Cuba. Cards issued before the introduction eVisas of can still be used until 31 December 2024.^[16]

Visa required

Citizens of the following 20 countries are ineligible to obtain an electronic visa and must obtain a regular visa:

Afghanistan Bangladesh Cameroon Eritrea Ethiopia Ghana Guinea Haiti

India^1 Iraq Kenya Nepal Nigeria Pakistan Philippines

Sierra Leone Somalia Sri Lanka Uzbekistan Yemen

_{1 - nationals of other countries required tourist card travelling to Cuba from India also require a visa.^[17]}

However, they are eligible to travel to Cuba with an eVisa if they also hold a valid visa or permanent residence permit issued by Canada, the United States or an EU member state.

Transit

Passengers in transit are exempt from visa requirements if their transit time does not exceed 72 hours. They are allowed to enter Cuba.

Kosovo

Entry and transit is refused to Kosovo nationals, even if not leaving the aircraft and proceeding by the same flight.

See also

• Visa requirements for Cuban citizens

Notes and References

1. Web site: Listado de acuerdos exención de visado Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba . cubaminrex.cu.
2. Web site: PDF.js viewer. www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs.
3. Original visa agreement indicates that visa exemption for normal passport holders of Benin only applies to Beninese students; however this condition is not mentioned on Timatic, which states that all normal passport holders of Benin can enter Cuba without a visa. It is not known if amendments to the agreement were subsequently made.
4. Web site: 古巴对中国公民短期来古免签政策正式生效. 中国驻古巴大使馆. 2024-05-18.
5. Web site: Error. www.eda.admin.ch.
6. Web site: Exchange of Notes between the Government of the Kingdom of Netherlands and the Government of Cuba concerning the abolition of visas. Ministerie van Buitenlandse. Zaken. treatydatabase.overheid.nl.
7. Web site: Was applied under visa exemption agreement from 1 January 1954.
8. Was applied under visa exemption agreement from 17 March 1951. Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Cuba for the Abolition of Visas
9. Web site: Was applied under visa exemption agreement from 30 August 1978.
10. Web site: Was applied under visa exemption agreement from 5 December 1990.
11. Web site: Vyhláška 16/1979 Zb. O Dohode medzi vládou Československej socialistickej republiky a vládou Kubánskej republiky o bezvízovom styku úplné a aktuálne znenie.
12. Applies to students, fellows or persons in artistic, cultural, scientific, journalistic missions, or on an official mission.
13. Web site: Listado de acuerdos exención de visado.
14. Web site: Pakistan signs visa-free agreement with Cuba . Khaleej Times.
15. https://en.granma.cu/cuba/2024-08-15/new-electronic-tourist-visa-platform-available-for-cuba New electronic tourist visa platform available for Cuba
16. Web site: VisasNews . 2024-08-16 . Cuba activates its electronic visa . 2024-11-30 . VisasNews . en-US.
17. Web site: Tourist visa . Embassy of Cuba in India . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121010918/http://app.ivsource.com/app/img/forms/Tourist%20Visa%20Requirement.pdf . 2019-01-21 . 2023-12-29.