Everything you need to know about a Cuban Visa

cuba-visa-image UK visitors need a visa to enter Cuba. But the Cuban Embassy only accepts personal applications. Hence, we won’t be able to provide you with the required assistance during the application process.

But we have outlined the entire entry requirements to make your travel easy and hassle-free.

Before planning your travel, you should make sure that you apply for the right visa according to the purpose of your visit. Below are the major visa types issued by theCuban Embassy in the UK.

Tourist Card
Business Visa
Event Visa
Journalist Visa
Family Visa

Tourist Card

A Cuban tourist card is issued only in single-entry and it grants a maximum stay span of 30 days per visit. If you wish, you can extend it for a further period of one month.

You can lodge an application via post or in person. The documents required are as follows:

A completed and signed visa application form
A copy of the main page of your passport, which is valid for at least two months from the date of departure from Cuba and contains a minimum of one blank page
One passport-size photo
Flight tickets
Accommodation bookings
The visa fee of £39.00 per tourist card, payable through postal orders and banker’s drafts made to HAVIN Bank. Payments cannot be made via cash or personal cheques

Business Visa

A Cuban business visa allows a stay of up to 30 days and comes in a single entry. You can extend it after you arrive in Cuba.

Documents required

A business visa application form, completely filled in with all the necessary details and signed after completion
A photocopy of your British visa, carrying a validity of at least two months from the date of exiting Cuba, with a minimum of one unused visa page
One passport-sized photograph taken against a light backdrop and not older than six months
A letter of invitation from the Cuban company, not older than one month, and addressed to the Consulate of Cuba. It should contain the applicant’s signature in original, the purpose of the trip, entry and exit dates, and guarantee of sufficient funds
A business cover letter from your company in the UK
Application fee of £22.00 plus visa fee of £47.00. The payment terms are similar to those of a tourist card
Postal applications should be sent in a pre-paid self-addressed envelope. It should also contain an additional non-in person fee of £22.00 per person

The processing time for a business visa is one week, provided it is approved by the mission.

Event Visa

A Cuban event visa is available only in single-entry and is issued for maximum stays of up to 30 days, extendable upon reaching Cuba.

For this, you will need a passport, a photo, a completedevent visa application form, an application fee of £22.00 + visa fee of £47.00.

These should be accompanied by a letter of invitation from the Cuban company organizing the seminar, conference, or any other event.

Applications sent through post or courier need an additional non-in person fee of £22.00 per applicant. An event visa takes a minimum of 48 hours to be processed.

Journalist Visa

A Cuban journalist visa must be authorized by the International Press Center of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba. The process takes a minimum time of three weeks.

The steps for the application procedure are:

Complete the journalist visa application form and submit it to the Cuban Press Office of the Cuban Embassy
Along with the form, you also need to share a copy of your 2-month valid passport
Submit a cheque or postal order for £22.00, which is payable at HAVIN Bank
Share a letter that details your journalistic project and accompany it with a sponsor letter from your employer in the UK
You additionally need to submit a complete list of the photographic or filming equipment you will be taking to Cuba
Once you receive the authorization, you have to submit your original passport and two passport-sized photos
Send £47.00 through postal order or banker’s draft payable at HAVIN Bank
Postal applications should be sent in a self-addressed envelope

After you get the visa and arrive in Cuba, you need to report to the International Press Center for accreditation. Please remember to carry two photographs and $60.00 CUC.

Family Visa

A family visa is issued only to UK nationals related to a Cuban national. For this purpose, you will need your UK passport, a completed and signed family visa application form, one photograph, and an application fee of £22.00 plus a visa fee of £47.00.

Additionally, you will require a copy of your marriage certificate. Once you submit the application package, if approved, the visa should take a minimum processing time of four weeks.

Additional points

Once you reach Cuba, you should know that you will be subjected to health screening. If you have symptoms of any infectious disease like Zika or you have come in contact with another infected person, you have to partake in a medical examination.

Serious cases are referred for medical observation of up to 10 days.

An airport tax of 25 Cuban convertible pesos (CUCs) is applicable for all international travelers visiting Cuba. It is generally included in the price of the air ticket.

You are not allowed to carry certain types of electrical items, which consume heavy power. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) should also follow import requirements and may be confiscated. However, they will be returned to you at the time of leaving Cuban borders.

Mobile telephones, tablets, and laptops are allowed but inbuilt GPS must be disconnected or disabled.

UK ETDs are accepted by Cuban authorities at points of entry, exit, and air transit via Cuba.

Important: Travelling to Cuba through the USA

Cuban authorities do not allow travelers directly arriving from the USA for tourism activities. This policy is applicable both for US nationals and US residents who are foreign nationals.

Direct travel between Cuba and the US is allowed only under certain conditions, which must fall under the 12 permitted reasons/categories of travel, prescribed by the US law. And tourism does not belong to this category.