Travel to Cuba: Everything you need to know

Are you considering taking a trip? To CubaThen all the information below will be very useful to you.

We'll provide you with the entry requirements you must meet to travel to the country. We'll also share tips for preparing for your trip.

Before traveling to Cuba, you need to know the entry requirements and determine whether or not you need a visa or tourist card.

Learn about the requirements for traveling to Cuba.

The documentation required for a trip to Cuba is as follows:

• Have a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry to Cuba.
• Have a round-trip airline ticket.
• Have a visa or tourist card (A-1 visa). Exceptions are Cuban residents and citizens of nations that have a visa agreement with Cuba, which exempts them from this requirement.
• Have a health insurance policy.

Visa for your trip to Cuba

Citizens of these nations do not require a visa to enter Cuba:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Benin
• Bosnia
• China
• Dominica
• Granada
• Macedonia
• Malaysia
• Montenegro
• Mongolia
• Namibia
• Saint Kitts
• Santa Lucía
• San Vicente
• Serbia
• Singapore

Meanwhile, citizens of these nations do require a visa to enter Cuba:

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Cameroon
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• India
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Sierra Leona
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka

Citizens of all nations not included on either of these lists require a Tourist Card to enter Cuba.

Tourist card for a trip to Cuba

The Tourist Card or A-1 Visa is valid for one trip for 30 days. This period can be extended for an additional 30 days with Cuban Immigration authorities once you arrive on the island.

Applying for an A-1 Visa or Tourist Visa

These are the tourist visa application options for a trip to Cuba:

1. Submit the application directly to the Cuban Consulate in the country where you are located and from which you intend to visit the island.
2. Apply for an A-1 visa to enter Cuba through the travel agency where you booked your travel package or airline ticket.
3. You can obtain a Tourist Card directly at the airport, at the counters of the airline you will be traveling with, as long as the airline is authorized by the Cuban Consulate.
4. Some airlines allow online applications for a Tourist Card on their official website.

The cost of a visa for a trip to Cuba

The cost of the Visa depends on the country from where the request is made. In general, Rates range from $20 to $80.

The approval time of a Visa application of tourist to travel to Cuba, is usually less than 24 hours. It can only take longer in the case of group trips.

Upon receiving the Tourist Card for travel to Cuba and the stamp from the travel agency or airline on the back of this document, you must complete it, avoiding errors, with your personal information:

• Name and surname.
• Birthdate.
• Passport number.
• Citizenship (Please print or type).

Please note that you cannot travel to Cuba without your Tourist Card, as the stamps are not in your passport. Without it, you will not be allowed to board your flight.

Medical insurance for your trip to Cuba

Cuban authorities require that you, as a tourist visiting the island, have medical insurance, recognizable in Cuba.

A medical insurance policy for a trip to Cuba includes:

• Medical expenses caused by illness or accident.
• Includes emergency cases or other medical care in hospitals and clinics in the country.
• Includes primary medical care available in the island's hotels.
• Repatriation and transportation.

Our recommendation is that you, before your trip to the Island, review the list of insurance companies with coverage in Cuba, through ASISTUR.

ASISTUR SA is the insurance company for medical care in Cuba. It is responsible for offering this type of service.

You have the option of purchasing medical insurance for travel to Cuba in your home country, either at the agency where you book your trip or online, on the official websites of these companies.

Alternatively, you have the option of purchasing an insurance policy that covers your potential medical expenses on the island, immediately upon your entry into Cuba. This option costs approximately $1,000. 3.00 CUC per day.

The price of health insurance in Cuba depends on the tourist's age and the recreational activities they wish to engage in. Here are some examples:

1. Tourists who love diving, skydiving, or other sports activities, who visit Cuba for the purpose of doing so, must pay an extra 2.00 CUC each day.
2. Tourists over 70 years of age must also pay this extra amount, 2.00 CUC additional per day.

Coins used in Cuba

Currently, there are two currencies in circulation in Cuba: the freely convertible currency or CUC and the national currency or CUPTourists visiting the island can use both during their stay in the country.

Our recommendation is to exchange the money you have with you in both currencies. You can check the exchange rates at the same locations where you exchange currency. These locations are: at the airport where you enter the country or at exchange offices, known for short as "casas de cambio" (exchange offices). CADECAS and are found in all municipalities of Cuba.

You also have the option to change your money at the hotel where you are staying and at the Banks: BFI, Bancos Metropolitanos, Credit and Commerce Banks (BANDEC) or another bank that is close to where you are staying.

It is important for you to know that: 1.00 CUC In Cuba it is equivalent to 25.00 CUP (National currency), if you are going to buy it. However, if you are going to sell your money in CUC, in Banks or CADECAS, the rate is 24.00 CUP by 1.00 CUC.

You should also know that the US dollar in Cuba carries a 10 percent tax if exchanged at these state entities.

The best time of year to travel to Cuba

Cuba is a country where almost any time of year is good. This is a nation with a pleasant tropical climate and year-round sunshine.

However, the non-rainy season, which coincides with the cooler climates and runs from November to April, is the most recommended time for your trip to the island. It is a less humid time of year with temperatures between 20 and 26°C.

The months from May to October are the warmest in Cuba, with temperatures reaching up to 34°C. These are also the wettest months of the year, during which spring and the intense summer seasons occur.

Meanwhile, hurricane season on the island runs from June 1 to November 30. This is the period when temperatures rise in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico, and when the greatest number of meteorological phenomena occur.

High tourist season in Cuba

Every year, from mid-December to mid-March of the following year, the island's peak tourist season takes place.

It has been established as the peak tourist season because it is the period in which the number of foreign visitors to the country increases the most. This has the side effect of increasing the prices at hotel facilities.

Internet in Cuba

It is important that you know how to access the Internet in Cuba:

• You can connect from one of the public areas with access Wifi-ETECSA.
• You can connect from the hostel where you are staying, if the place has internet service. Nauta Home.
• You can connect from the hotel where you are staying, with a card for this purpose.
• You can connect to the Internet by browsing the web. 3G mobile data on your cell phone.

Currently, one hour of internet browsing on the Island costs 1.00 CUCNavigation cards can be purchased at all commercial offices of the Telecommunications Company SA (ETECSA), at ETECSA's own Telepoints, and from telecommunications agents.

General tips for your trip to Cuba

Whenever you travel, it is advisable to keep in mind some essential details.

Keep in mind that Cuba is a tropical country. As such, it has its climatic characteristics and particular cultural ones.

It's important to pack your luggage as carefully as possible for your visit to Cuba. If you have everything you need, your stay will be more pleasant and you'll have as few setbacks as possible.

In terms of health, our recommendation is that you keep in mind that:

• You should pack sunscreen in your travel luggage: cream or other types, but with a high SPF.
• You should pack insect repellent, especially mosquito repellent, in your travel luggage.
• You should pack any medications you may need. Prescription medications, as well as other supplements, for minor emergencies.

Customs regulations you should know if you travel to Cuba

Finally, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with Cuban Customs regulations before traveling to Cuba. This will help you avoid any inconveniences.

If you live outside of Cuba and visit the country, you have special treatment at Cuban Customs.

Check here What privileges do foreign tourists have at Cuban Customs?

You must declare to Customs if you enter the country with more than 5 USD or its equivalent in another currency.

You may import merchandise as gifts, and you will be charged for miscellaneous goods according to your declared value. Customs authorities will collect the miscellaneous goods based on the value you assign and declare.

When leaving Cuba, you are entitled to export 50 Cuban cigars or 200 cigarettes. We recommend purchasing them at official state stores. You are also entitled to export five bottles of Cuban rum.