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Cuba: visa and passport requirements

Passport required Return ticket required Visa required
Australian Yes Yes Yes
British Yes Yes Yes
Canadian Yes Yes Yes
Other EU Yes Yes Yes
USA Yes Yes Yes/1
Passports: 

A passport must be valid for at least two months after the entry date for those without diplomatic representation in Cuba.

Passport note: 

Persons of Cuban origin who are nationals of other countries must travel with a Cuban passport if they left Cuba after 1970.

Neither visa exemptions nor tourist visa-card facilities are applicable to foreign passport holders born in Cuba, unless holding a document proving withdrawal of Cuban citizenship.

Visas: 

Visas for Cuba are required by all nationals referred to in the chart above, except transit passengers continuing their journey to a third country within 72 hours, providing they hold confirmed onward tickets and have US$50 per day.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.

Visa note: 

Nationals of the USA (1) are subject to the Cuban assets control regulations enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC; www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/cuba.aspx).

Types and cost: 

Tourist visa card: £15.

Business visas cost £45, plus £20 processing fee.

Validity: 

Tourist visas are valid for stays of up to 30 days, and visas must be used within 180 days from date of issue. Extensions of 30 days are only are available in Cuba.

The exception is Canadian tourists who can stay up to 90 days, renewable for another 90.

Application to: 

Consulate (or consular section at embassy).

Application forms for tourist visa-cards can be obtained from certain tour operators and travel agents, or downloaded from the website of the embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the UK.

Entry documents: 

All visitors to Cuba are required to prove they have travel insurance covering medical expenses from approved foreign companies during their period of stay, or they will have to buy it from Cuban vendors on arrival in the country. US travel insurance policies are not accepted.

Extension of stay: 

Visits may be extended through the main immigration office in Havana located at Factor and Final streets. In the provinces, visits can be extended at the Dirreción Provincial de Inmigración.

Entry with children: 

Parents travelling with minor children may be required to show proof of parental rights or guardianship.

Entry restrictions: 

Visitors entering Cuba on a tourist visa are prohibited from undertaking business or journalism activities.

Entry with pets: 

Bringing pets to Cuba is possible, but it can be time consuming and costly. You will need an international (or in the case of licensed travellers from the USA, a state) veterinary certificate, executed no more than 10 days before travel to Cuba and proof of rabies and distemper vaccination.

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