Travel to Cuba from the United States has two separate layers, and confusing them is the commonest mistake. Cuba requires an entry document, now issued online. The United States separately restricts what its own citizens may travel for, through the authorised categories administered by the Treasury.
Quick facts
The old paper tourist card sold through airlines and agencies has largely given way to the electronic visa obtained on the official Cuban portal. Anyone still being sold a card should check which document their airline requires.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic tourist visa | Set by the Cuban portal | Applied for online |
| Consular visa categories | Consular tariff | Family, business, study, journalism |
| A-2 visa for foreign relatives | Consular tariff | 90 days, extendable in Cuba |
| Health insurance | Included in the ticket or bought on arrival | Required for entry |
| Extension in Cuba | Charged there | Immigration offices |
Foreign relatives travelling with a Cuban émigré are issued an A-2 visa for 90 days at the consular office, extendable through immigration once in the country.
How to apply
- Establish which entry document your situation needs: electronic visa, consular visa, or none if you are a Cuban citizen.
- Apply on the official Cuban portal for the electronic visa, or at the embassy for the consular categories.
- Check that your travel fits an authorised category under U.S. rules, and keep records of it.
- Confirm that your health insurance is valid in Cuba.
- Complete the traveller information form required before arrival.
- Keep documentation of the trip afterwards, since U.S. rules require it to be retained for years.
Required documents
- Passport valid for the trip.
- Entry document: electronic visa or consular visa.
- Health insurance valid in Cuba.
- Evidence supporting the authorised travel category, for U.S. citizens.
- Return or onward ticket.
- Accommodation details, whether a hotel or a private home.
Where to apply
Online for the electronic visa; at the embassy in Washington for consular categories and for relatives travelling with a Cuban national.
Additional notes
Two sets of rules, not one
Cuba deciding to let you in does not mean U.S. rules permit the trip, and vice versa. Both have to be satisfied independently.
Cuban citizens
A Cuban citizen enters and leaves Cuba on a Cuban passport and needs no visa. Holding another nationality does not change that.
Keep your records
U.S. regulations require travellers to retain documentation of the trip for several years. Keep receipts and itineraries even after an uneventful holiday.
Only the official portal
Many sites resell the entry document at a markup. The official Cuban portal is the source, and the embassy links to it directly.