Cuba, a place of wonder and beauty, mystique and wonder. Not one of the very well known tourist destinations, especially if you are planning on enjoying a sustainable travel experience. As the start of your travel preparations you will need to obtain a Tourist Card. So how can you go about it?
Getting your Cuba Tourist Card
You may be wondering about your travel requirements. If you are traveling to Cuba for a holiday, you will need to obtain a Tourist Card. This is an actual physical card that you will need to carry with you at all times whilst you are in Cuba.
A standard Cuba Tourist Card grants you a maximum stay of 30 days in Cuba unless you’re Canadian – then you get 90 days!
There are only 19 countries in the world who do not require a tourist card, these are: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Bosnia and Hercegovina, China, Dominica, Grenada, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Mongolia, Namibia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia and Singapore.
If you are not from one of the above countries, you will need to apply for a tourist card prior to your entry into Cuba through one of the following ways.
Option 1:
Contact the Cuban Embassy in your country and apply for your tourist card. The application process is easy, and you only need to meet a few requirements to get a Cuba Tourist Card:
- Valid passport
- Application form
- Travel itinerary
- Travel insurance (We recommend World Nomads for this)
- And payment for your visa – your embassy will advise the cost.
Cost of the card varies, depending on how you get it, anywhere between 25USD to 85USD.
Option 2:
Buy it from your airline could be a great option, however not all airlines provide this option, so we recommend checking in with your airline of choice to make sure you’re on the same page. Even those that offer this option, each handle it differently.
Some airlines have you pick up your tourist card at the gate before boarding your flight, while others hand out the card mid-flight. If you need to pick up your card in person prior to departure, be sure to know whether it is at the ticketing office or at the airport to make sure you got it in hand.
This is an easy option if you are traveling from Mexico, Panama, Canada as an example, but if you are coming from Australia – this is not a viable option for you as you will not be able to arrange it prior to your departure.
Option 3:
Buy it at the airport. This may not be an option at all airports, so really the best way is to get yourself organise way before your trip and have the card in hand prior to your travel. However if you find yourself in Mexico City or Panama to name a couple, on your way to Cuba with no visa, they can definitely help for around 25USD.
If you have several legs of travel, and considering using this option, make sure you have plenty of time at Mexico or Panama (your last travel leg) to obtain this, because lines in these countries can get hectic. So if you have a short connection time, do yourself a favour and organise the visa prior to travel or you will not be able to board your flight to Cuba.
Option 4:
Purchase one on arrival to Cuba… This can be tricky, as most airlines will not let you find without a visa, but if you somehow managed to get on the flight and you land without a visa, you can definitely purchase one at the airport. This will set you back about 75USD potentially, and will definitely not be a quick process, so would leave this as last resort!
Oprion 5:
Hop online and complete your application through iVisa. Fast, easy and they will deliver your tourist card to you within 3 business days.
It’s quite simple really! Just have to apply now!
