Most foreign nationals require a Cuban visa to fly to Cuba. The Cuba visa is known as the Cuba Tourist Card, and before traveling to Cuba, every visa-required citizen must be in possession of one. If you're curious that, Do I Need a Visa to Cuba?, the reply to this question is, Yes, you do need a visa for Cuba if you're not from a visa-exempt country and you will need to comply with the Cuban visa requirements. However, owing to the troubled relationship between the two nations, there are some extra limitations on flying to Cuba from the USA.
In the northern Caribbean, Cuba is a country where the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean converge. The Island of Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, and other smaller archipelagos make up Cuba.
TYPES OF CUBAN VISAS
The most common Cuba Visa Types are:
- Tourist Visa: This type of Visa is issued to foreign nationals who want to visit Cuba for tourism purposes and sightseeing.
- Business Visa: This visa is required by foreign nationals who want to travel to Cuba to do business. As for the Visa Journalist, applicants must receive a Business Visa authorization from the Commercial Office of the Embassy of Cuba before applying for a visa at the Consulate.
- Cuba work visa: This is issued to foreign citizens, such as technicians and scientists, who have a working contract with a Cuban company or organization.
- Student Visa: The visa is needed by foreign citizens who have been accepted to a Cuban institution of education. You need the help of your Cuban educational institution to apply for this form of Cuban visa as well.
- Journalist Visa: As the name suggests, this visa is issued to foreign journalists who come to Cuba for work purposes. The journalist must seek authorization from the press office at the Cuban Embassy for this sort of visa. Once approved, they can apply to the Cuban consulate for a visa.
READ ALSO: CUBA VISA TYPES
CUBA VISA APPLICATION FORM
You can apply to the closest Cuban representation abroad for a Cuba visa (consulate or embassy). You must apply by sending the required documentation, either in person or by post, directly to the consulate. Also, the Cuban authorities allow applicants, through authorized visa application agencies or travel agencies, to get a Cuba visa online.
You can apply for a Cuban Visa via Tourist Visa Online. All you have to do is fill up an Application form available on the website and upload the required documents. Pay the fees using your Debit/Credit Card and submit the form. Once processed, you will receive your approved visa through your registered Email ID.
CUBA VISA REQUIREMENTS
You will have to upload a few documents with your application form when applying for a Cuban Visa. Those documents are as follows:
- Original and Valid Passport holding a validity of at least six (6) months and should have two blank pages.
- Scan images of your first and last page of your passport to upload them with the application form.
- Two recent Passport Size Photographs with a white background and quality should be clear and the face is also visible.
- Confirmed return flight bookings.
- Income Tax Documents which shows the transactions of the last 3 months.
- Proof of accommodation like your hotel bookings in Cuba.
NOTE: Other types of Documents can also be asked depending on what type of visa you applied for.
READ ALSO: CUBA VISA REQUIREMENTS
DO I NEED A VISA TO CUBA
Citizens of the following countries can travel to Cuba without needing a visa in advance, as long as they stay for a limited period of time (maximum of 30 to 90 days):
For up to 90 days, the following countries can remain in Cuba without applying for a tourist visa (tourist card):
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kenya
- Malaysia
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Russia
- Serbia
For up to 60 days, the nationals of the following countries can remain in Cuba without applying for a tourist visa (tourist card):
- Grenada
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The citizens of the following countries can remain in Cuba for up to 30 days without applying for a tourist visa (tourist card):
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Belarus
- Mongolia
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Singapore
The nationals of the following countries can remain in Cuba for up to 28 days without applying for a tourist visa (tourist card):
- Barbados
- Dominica
NOTE: Citizens of Namibia can remain in Cuba for an undisclosed amount of time without seeking a tourist visa.
Kosovo as an independent state has not been recognized by Cuba, so Kosovo nationals are denied entry into Cuba as they fall under the Cuba Travel ban category.
Before they travel, anyone who is not a citizen of the countries listed in the above lists must receive a Cuba tourist card or Cuba tourist visa.
REQUIREMENTS FOR US CITIZENS TRAVELLING TO CUBA
US Citizens are allowed to visit Cuba but not for specifically tourism purposes only. Cuba Visa Services are different for US Citizens.
You can travel to Cuba if you are a U.S. citizen only if the intent of your travel falls into one of the categories of authorized travel to Cuba. The authorized travel categories for US people to Cuba are as follows:
- Support the Cuban people
- Humanitarian projects or activities
- Educational Purposes
- Journalism Projects
- Visits to Family
- Research Work or professional meetings
- Some authorized export transactions
- Competitions like athletics or workshops or Public Performances
- Religion Purposes
This suggests that you can fly to Cuba only if it is for one of the purposes listed above. Before the Trump administration abolished the "People to People" category on June 5, 2019, which was seen as a loophole for quick tourist travel, there were 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba.
The travel of US civilians to Cuba is limited because of a trade ban imposed on Cuba by the US government in the 1960s and which has not been lifted ever since.
TRANSITTING THROUGH CUBA
You do not have to get a Cuba transit visa as long as the transit does not extend 72 hours. You are allowed to enter the country as well.
You must, though, be able to confirm that you are indeed just transiting and will leave the country by providing an airline ticket for your next flight within 72 hours.
CONCLUSION
The above-mentioned information answers every doubt related to the question, Do I Need A Visa To Cuba including how to apply for Cuba Visa online.
