Traveling to Cuba? Well, why not when you’ve got options to choose from! With about 12 different Cuba visa types you can plan your travel today itself! But still, wondering how is it possible and what options would be the best one for you? Don’t worry! Tourist visa online will cover it up for you. Keep on reading the article to know further!
Why Cuba?
This has been a good question among most of the travelers! Why would anyone want to go to Cuba when you’ve got so many other tourism destinations? Well, the reason is quite simple. With the favorable climate, the beaches, architecture, and culture all adorned in exhilarant beauty, this place has the tourism industry as one of its main sources of revenue. Not only that, the whole place called Cuba or the Republic of Cuba also has about 253 Cuba protected areas, 257 national monuments, 7 UNESCO world heritage sites, 7 natural biosphere reserves, and about 13 fauna refuge along with other tourist sites! Well, what more reason right? This place has enough for you to get around in about a year. Well, even that would be less, won’t it?
So to go to this extraordinary place of adventure here is the list of the 12 verified visas you can acquire and take along with you!
1. Cuba tourist visa card:
Unlike the tourist visa you get for other countries, Cuba gives out a card known as the tourist visa card. This card is a visa that will have a maximum validity of 30 days and can be used in about 180 days of the issuing date of the visa. This visa is for all the tourist purposes you are aiming at. This visa card can neither be used for business purposes or even for working in the country. For this purpose, there are other types of visas that you can use. Using the tourist card visa for any of the above-stated purposes can get you in trouble for sure! One good thing about the visa card is that you can extend it for about a month again before it reaches the expiration date.
2. Cuba family visiting visa:
This visa is provided to all those people who are part of the family of a Cuban resident. This visa can only be made available by the immediate family members and not the relatives of the Cuban resident. In short, this family must be related to you by blood if not a relative. This can, however, be applied to an adopted child as well, as long as the child is the immediate ancestor of the Cuban resident. This visa requires a processing time which is longer than the others and hence while applying for this visa you might as well apply for it before 30 days of your estimated visit to Cuba. This visa is normally valid for a total of 30 days and this visa can be extended by sending in a request letter of extension to the Cuba immigration directorate which will verify the documents and then extend the visa. This extension can be valid for about 90 days after the former visa expires.
3. Cuba official government visa:
This visa is given to those people who wish to enter Cuba based on contracts or other employment opportunities. The people who can avail of this visa can be given as follows:
- Contractors
- Employees
- Grantees of US government
- Grantees of a foreign government or an international organization
- On a business trip based on an official purpose
- Those companies with which the US government has an affiliation
All of the above-mentioned categories can avail of this facility. This visa can also be taken by the representatives of the government bodies.
4. Cuba business visa:
This Cuba business visa allows an individual to conduct foreign businesses in Cuba. This is for those foreign nationals who wish to expand their business in Cuba. The journalists’ might also have to get approval of this before applying for the journalist visa itself. This business visa can be any other business activity other than those affiliated with the government. This visa, however, will not allow the individuals to stay for a longer period of time in Cuba. His means if one wants to work in Cuba they will have to get another visa. While going on a business visa and then taking part in tourism is fines but the vice versa as mentioned before will not be allowed.
There are two types of business visas one can get hold of and they can be given as follows:
Business visa to explore business opportunities in Cuba:
This visa also known as the A7 type of visa has a maximum validity of 30 days. This means a person who wishes to explore the opportunities affiliated to the type of business he or she wants to conduct can stay for a period of 30 days from the entry into Cuba. This visa while applying through the consulate might also require you to submit a written confirmation of the purpose of the visit and the duration both being clearly mentioned.
Business visa to engage in a business service in Cuba:
This visa also known as the D7 visa unlike the above-mentioned one will need a sponsorship letter. This is an invitation letter that is provided by the company that wants to conduct business and is situated in Cuba. Without an invitation letter, it will not be possible for you to get a business visa for this purpose. This visa will also have a validity of 30 days.
5. Cuba educational purpose visa:
This visa as it claims is only for educational purposes but however, it won’t give you the authority to learn at a university or a school. For this, you need another visa. This educational purpose visa will let both the professor and students to go to Cuba for any education-specific purposes.
6. Cuba student visa:
This visa is for those foreign nationals who are accepted in the Cuban university and schools. This visa allows them to stay in the country for a specified time period and complete their education. This visa is also known as the D2 types visa. However, for a student to qualify for this visa, he or she must have a university acceptance letter ready without which a visa won’t be given. This visa can also be used by the people who wish to learn Spanish in Cuba. This visa will have a validity of 30 days which can be further extended once you reach the country.
7. Cuba journalist visa:
This visa is for those journalists who will be going to Cuba from a foreign country based on work purposes. This visa will only be available if they apply for a business visa successfully. This visa will then be authorized and provided to the journalists. However, just for the authorization, it may take a month or so, and hence looking out for the visa as soon as possible will be recommended. This visa will also need the foreign journalist to submit a record of the photographic pieces of equipment or the work plans that will be conducted in Cuba.
8. Cuban people support visa:
This is for those people who wish to extend their support to the Cuban people. This visa will allow some of the individuals and non-governmental organizations who wish to conduct peaceful and equal democracy in Cuba.
9. Cuba visa for religion-related activities:
This visa can be given to those foreign individuals who are going to Cuba based on carrying out some religious activities. This visa will however only be provided to those people who have a full-time schedule of religion-based purposes.
10. Cuba visa for humanity rights:
This visa has a lot of categories specified under it, it mainly includes educational training, adult literacy, enhancement of small scale industries, and other human-based rights to be executed in Cuba.
11. Cuba medical treatment visa:
This visa also is known as the D10 type of visa is provided for those individuals who are in need of medical assistance from Cuban hospitals or medical institutions.
12. Export Cuba visa:
This visa is based on all export-related purposes. This visa also counts the publishing of music and of film industries in Cuba.
FAQs:
Q. Can all of these visas which have been mentioned above be accessed by a foreign national?
Accessing particular types of visas will need the citizens of certain countries to follows some conditions and norms set by the Cuban government. However, if they fail to follow any of those there might be chances that they cannot have access to the visa. To check out these possibilities you can take a look at the visa policy of Cuba which clearly explains all the points.
Q. Is it that a person can acquire a journalist visa without a business visa?
As far as the rules are concerned if a person wishes to get their hands on the journalist visa or the D6 type of visa then it is a compulsion that the person must acquire a business visa. Only after getting authorized can the person get a journalist visa issued to him or her.
Q. Which type of visa would be the best if a Cuban citizen’s family wishes to visit Cuba?
If a Cuban citizen’s family wishes to visit Cuba then he or she can apply for a family visit visa which is eligible for a stay for 30 days from the entry.
Now that you know all about the 12 Cuba visa types you can easily apply for one that matches your purpose of visit the most!
