Cuba Entry Requirements: Complete Guide for Travelers [2024]

For most travelers, even travelers from the United States, entry to Cuba is as simple as landing on the island and passing through immigration. However, it’s important to be aware of a few important entry requirements to Cuba before planning your trip to Cuba – you’ll need to prepare for them before arriving!

We travel to and from Cuba frequently and have helped thousands of travelers visit the island over the past few years. Keep reading for all the information you need about current Cuba entry requirements you’ll need to be aware of for your visit to the island.

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What Are Cuba’s Entry Requirements?

In order to enter Cuba, all travelers must meet the following requirements. While most of these requirements don’t require too much preparation or forethought, it’s important to be aware of these entry requirements for Cuba and prepare for them.

• A Valid Passport
• A Cuban Tourist Visa (also known as a Cuban Tourist Card)
• Comprehensive Travel Insurance
• A Completed D’Viajeros Travel Form

There are certain exceptions to this list for Cuban-born and Cuban-resident travelers. Travelers who were born in Cuba or who are Cuban permanent residents do not need a tourist visa. Cuban-resident travelers don’t need comprehensive travel insurance, though Cuban-born travelers may.

Health Requirements for Entry to Cuba

Cuba no longer has outstanding entry requirements related to the pandemic and no longer requires any testing or vaccination before arriving in the country. When you complete the D’Viajeros Travel Form required before you’re arrival, you’ll note that the form asks about vaccination status. However, vaccination is not required to enter the country.

Cuba Entry Requirements

The current entry requirements for Cuba are straightforward. However, there are steps that you must take to prepare in advance. With this in mind, it’s extremely important to be aware of all the details of the Cuba entry requirements before touching down on the island.

Let’s look at the entry requirements for Cuba in more detail.

1. A Valid Passport

Having a valid passport is the most straightforward requirement for entering Cuba. Keep in mind that your passport must have at least six months of validity when you arrive on the island. If your passport has less than six months of validity upon your arrival, you may be denied entry to the country.

2. A Cuban Tourist Visa / Cuban Tourist Card

Everyone visiting Cuba who is not Cuban-born or a permanent resident of Cuba needs to present a Cuban tourist visa upon arrival in the country. Don’t worry – getting a Cuban tourist visa, which is also known as a Cuban tourist card, is a straightforward process that you even complete on the day of your arrival if you’re pinched for time.

Most travelers purchase their Cuban tourist visa at the airport prior to departing on their flight to Cuba. For travelers arriving on a flight from the United States, tourist cards cost between $50-100 and are pink, while travelers arriving on flights from most other countries will get a green tourist card that usually costs around $25-40.

If you have a bit more time and want to streamline the process, you can also use a service like EasyTouristVisa to order your Cuban tourist visa in advance. EasyTouristVisa will ship the Cuban tourist visa directly to your home prior to your departure to Cuba.

Make sure to check out our extensive guides should you need any further clarity on Cuban tourist visas and tourist cards:

• A Traveler’s Guide to Cuban Tourist Visas
• A Traveler’s Guide to Cuban Tourist Cards

Travelers from a select few African and Asian countries will need to apply for a Cuban tourist visa before arriving in the country – make sure to check with the Cuban embassy in your country before you travel if you are unsure about the rules of entry from your country of origin.

3. Comprehensive Travel Insurance

One of the most important Cuba entry requirements is comprehensive health insurance that would cover a traveler in the case of a health emergency during their stay in Cuba. This is the entry requirement for Cuba that requires the most forethought, as shopping for and purchasing a travel insurance policy valid in Cuba can be more challenging than you might think.

The vast majority of travel insurance companies do NOT cover travel to Cuba, meaning that even if you have a blanket travel insurance plan, it likely won’t cover you in Cuba. This is particularly true for travelers from the U.S. who are traveling to Cuba – even fewer companies cover U.S. travelers.

We always recommend traveling with Visitors Coverage (though this company doesn’t cover travelers from certain U.S. states) or Insubuy, which covers travelers from every U.S. state and most other countries.

You need to carry proof of comprehensive health insurance coverage when entering the country – make sure to check out our guide to travel insurance coverage for Cuba for more details.

Many times, proof of insurance coverage isn’t specifically requested by immigration authorities when they stamp your passport, but you must have it. If you don’t have proof of coverage, you may be made to purchase a plan at the airport – at the cost immigration officials see fit.

Read More: Ultimate Guide to Travel Insurance for Cuba

4. A Completed D’Viajeros Travel Form

In 2023, completion of the D’Viajeros Travel Form formally became a requirement for travelers entering Cuba. This straightforward online form can be completed up to 48 hours before your arrival in Cuba but is a requirement for travelers before arriving on the island.

The form usually takes less than ten minutes to complete and covers basic information like passport number, flight information, and information for customs.

Once the form is completed, save the PDF form it generates to present to immigration when you enter the country. You can print the form or save it in a digital wallet – either version is accepted.

Read More: A Traveler’s Guide to the D’Viajeros Travel Form for Cuba

Cuba Entry Requirements for U.S. Travelers

U.S. travelers don’t have any additional entry requirements for Cuba. Travelers from the United States need to have a valid passport, Cuban tourist visa, comprehensive travel insurance for Cuba, and a completed D’Viajeros Travel Form, just as any other travel would.

Remember, limitations on U.S. travelers in Cuba (like restrictions about staying in specific hotels or how you can spend your money on the island) come entirely from the government of the United States, not the government of Cuba. Once you’re on the island, you’re seen in the eyes of the Cuban government as you would be if you were from Canada, the United Kingdom, or any other foreign country.

Looking for some more clarity on travel to Cuba from the United States? We have plenty of guides about that! Check them out here:

• Can Americans Travel to Cuba?
• Support for the Cuban People Guide – Legal Travel Guide to Cuba