{"id":6566,"date":"2026-08-04T10:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/cuba-visa-entry-requirements"},"modified":"2026-08-04T10:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:28:10","slug":"cuba-visa-entry-requirements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/en\/cuba-visa-entry-requirements","title":{"rendered":"Cuba Visa &amp; Entry Requirements: Everything to Sort Before You Go"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.sayna-article .quick,.sayna-article .tip{background:#f4f7fb;border-left:4px solid #467AFF;border-radius:8px;padding:14px 18px;margin:20px 0}.sayna-article .tip{background:#fff7ef;border-left-color:#ff7900}.sayna-article .h{font-weight:700;font-size:1.05em;margin-bottom:6px;color:#0a0a0b}.sayna-article table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:18px 0}.sayna-article th{background:#eef1f7;text-align:left;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:700;border-bottom:2px solid #dfe3ec}.sayna-article td{padding:10px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f7}.sayna-article .faq details{border-bottom:1px solid #e5e8ee;padding:4px 0}.sayna-article .faq summary{font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;padding:9px 0}.sayna-article .cta-box{background:#fff5ec;border:1px solid #ffd8b0;border-radius:12px;padding:22px;text-align:center;margin:26px 0}.sayna-article .cta-box a{display:inline-block;background:#ff7900;color:#fff;padding:12px 26px;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;margin-top:8px}<\/style>\n<div class=\"sayna-article\">\n<div class=\"quick\">\n<div class=\"h\">\u26a1 In short<\/div>\n<p>Cuba&#8217;s requirements changed recently. Most tourists now need an <strong>e-Visa<\/strong> (around 22 euros) instead of the old paper card, plus a <strong>passport valid six months<\/strong>, <strong>mandatory medical insurance<\/strong>, and the <strong>D&#8217;Viajeros<\/strong> online form within 7 days of arrival. One catch: visiting Cuba costs you the US <strong>ESTA<\/strong> waiver. Save every document offline.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\"><span class=\"h\">Stay connected on arrival<\/span> Set up your <a href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/cuba\">eSIM for Cuba<\/a> before you go: 100% online activation, no physical SIM to swap.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<nav aria-label=\"Contents\" class=\"toc\">\n<div class=\"h\">Contents<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#evisa\">The e-Visa, the big 2026 change<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#passport\">Passport and length of stay<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#insurance\">Mandatory medical insurance<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dviajeros\">The D&#8217;Viajeros form<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#health\">Health and vaccines<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#usa\">The United States catch<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#customs\">Customs and arrival<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#checklist\">The document checklist<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#connection\">Handling paperwork and staying reachable<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p>The requirements for Cuba changed recently, and a lot of the information still circulating is out of date. The famous paper tourist card, long the rule, has given way to an online system. Better to travel with the right facts.<\/p>\n<p>Here are all the up-to-date steps for 2026, in the order to sort them, with the deadlines not to underestimate.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"evisa\">The e-Visa, the big 2026 change<\/h2>\n<p>This is the major change: since July 2024, the paper tourist card has been replaced by an <strong>e-Visa<\/strong>. The old physical cards are no longer issued.<\/p>\n<p>The key points to remember:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Price<\/strong>: around 22 euros.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Application<\/strong>: online, on the official Cuban e-Visa portal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Validity<\/strong>: one year, for a stay of 90 days, extendable once on the ground with Inmigracion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Timing<\/strong>: the electronic visa usually arrives by email a few days after payment and form submission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>My tip: use the <strong>official portal<\/strong> and beware of intermediary sites that charge inflated fees for the same process. Plan ahead, do not leave it to the day before departure.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"passport\">Passport and length of stay<\/h2>\n<p>Your <strong>passport must be valid for at least six months<\/strong> after your planned return date. This is the first thing to check, before you even book, since a renewal can take several weeks.<\/p>\n<p>The standard tourist stay runs up to <strong>90 days<\/strong>, extendable once by 90 days on the ground. For the vast majority of travellers, the e-Visa comfortably covers a classic trip.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"insurance\">Mandatory medical insurance<\/h2>\n<p>Cuba requires <strong>medical insurance covering your stay<\/strong> to enter the country. This is not a mere recommendation, and a check can take place on arrival.<\/p>\n<p>Keep an <strong>insurance certificate<\/strong> on you, ideally translated into Spanish or English. Given the shortages and the fragility of the local health system, cover with repatriation is not a luxury. Check that your policy really covers Cuba, as some bank-card insurance excludes it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"dviajeros\">The D&#8217;Viajeros form<\/h2>\n<p>The last step before departure, and often forgotten: the <strong>D&#8217;Viajeros form<\/strong>. It is a mandatory online health and customs declaration, to be filled in within the <strong>7 days before arrival<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Once completed, you receive a <strong>QR code<\/strong> to show Cuban immigration. Fill it in while you still have a good connection, at home or at the departure airport, and <strong>save the QR code as a PDF<\/strong> on your phone. Relying on it once you arrive, on the Cuban network, would be a bad idea.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"health\">Health and vaccines<\/h2>\n<p>No vaccine is mandatory to enter Cuba from Europe, except yellow fever if you arrive from a country where it circulates. Up-to-date routine vaccinations remain recommended, and depending on your profile, hepatitis A and typhoid are often advised.<\/p>\n<p>The point not to neglect is your personal medicine kit. The Cuban health system is severely short of medicines, including basic ones. Bring enough to treat yourself independently and keep your prescriptions translated for prescription-only treatments. In case of a serious problem, insurance with repatriation makes full sense.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"usa\">The United States catch<\/h2>\n<p>Here is a subtlety many travellers discover too late. Since Cuba is designated a US State Sponsor of Terrorism, travelling to the United States on the simple ESTA is no longer possible once you have been to Cuba. Anyone who has visited Cuba since 12 January 2021 loses the benefit of the visa waiver programme and must then apply for a full US visa.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, if you plan a trip to the United States soon after, or in the months that follow, anticipate this constraint before travelling to Cuba. It changes nothing about your Cuban stay, but it has a real impact on your US plans.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"customs\">Customs and things to know on arrival<\/h2>\n<p>A few practical points to cross the border smoothly.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have your e-Visa, your D&#8217;Viajeros QR code and your insurance certificate to hand, preferably printed as a backup.<\/li>\n<li>Declare significant sums in foreign currency on entry, above the threshold in force.<\/li>\n<li>Drones and some electronics are subject to restrictions, so check before bringing them.<\/li>\n<li>Have a first-night address (casa or hotel) ready to give, as you may be asked.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"h\">\ud83d\udca1 Worth remembering: forget nothing<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>e-Visa applied for on the official portal, not a costly intermediary.<\/li>\n<li>Passport valid 6 months after return, checked early.<\/li>\n<li>Mandatory medical insurance, translated certificate on you.<\/li>\n<li>D&#8217;Viajeros filled within 7 days, QR code saved as PDF.<\/li>\n<li>All documents saved offline on the phone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"checklist\">The document checklist<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Document<\/th>\n<th>When<\/th>\n<th>Where<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Passport (6 months validity)<\/td>\n<td>Before booking<\/td>\n<td>Passport office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>e-Visa (~22 euros)<\/td>\n<td>A few days before<\/td>\n<td>Official online portal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Medical insurance<\/td>\n<td>Before departure<\/td>\n<td>Travel insurer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>D&#8217;Viajeros (QR code)<\/td>\n<td>Within 7 days before<\/td>\n<td>Official online portal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>First-night address<\/td>\n<td>On arrival<\/td>\n<td>Casa \/ hotel booking<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"connection\">Handling your paperwork and staying reachable in Cuba<\/h2>\n<p>All these formalities are done online, which is easy from home but complicated once in Cuba, where the network is slow and controlled by the state operator. The rule: <strong>prepare and save everything offline before you leave<\/strong>, e-Visa, D&#8217;Viajeros QR code and insurance certificate as PDFs on the phone.<\/p>\n<p>On the ground, you will still need to stay reachable, to confirm a casa, contact a driver or handle the unexpected. For that, set up an <a class=\"cta-inline\" href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/cuba\">eSIM for Cuba<\/a> before departure. It connects by roaming to the Cuban mobile network over 3G\/4G in the cities, with no paperwork on arrival. Thanks to its roaming agreements, Orange connects you to the right local network, with <strong>24\/7<\/strong> support and an eSIM that is <strong>fully refunded<\/strong> if you do not use it.<\/p>\n<p>Still, keep your documents accessible offline. In Cuba, you never rely entirely on the network, even when prepared.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta-box\">\n<p>Papers ready? Sort your Cuba connection too<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/cuba\">Discover the Orange Travel Cuba eSIM<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<section aria-label=\"Frequently asked questions\" class=\"faq\">\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Do you need a visa for Cuba?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Most tourists need an e-Visa, which replaced the paper tourist card. It costs around 22 euros, is requested online on the official Cuban portal and covers a stay of up to 90 days, extendable once.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How long must your passport be valid for Cuba?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">At least six months after your planned return date. Check this before booking, as a renewal can take several weeks.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Is travel insurance mandatory for Cuba?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Yes. Cuba requires medical insurance covering your stay to enter, and a check can happen on arrival. Carry a certificate and confirm your policy actually covers Cuba.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>What is the D&#8217;Viajeros form?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">A mandatory online health and customs declaration, completed within the 7 days before arrival. You receive a QR code to show immigration. Save it as a PDF on your phone.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Does visiting Cuba affect US ESTA?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Yes. Cuba is a US State Sponsor of Terrorism, so travellers who have been to Cuba since 12 January 2021 are no longer eligible for the ESTA waiver and must apply for a full US visa. Plan for this before you go.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":6565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"Cuba Visa &amp; Entry Requirements: e-Visa and Docs 2026 | Orange Travel","_seopress_titles_desc":"Cuba visa and entry requirements for 2026: the e-Visa, passport rules, mandatory insurance, the D'Viajeros form, the ESTA catch and a full document checklist.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/en\/cuba-visa-entry-requirements","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-turism","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":6566,"fr":6438,"es":6440},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6566"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6567,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6566\/revisions\/6567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}