The Cuban government announced their plans to replace the tourist card with an e-visa in May 2024. The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently launched a new website for e-visa applications. This is one more step towards the introduction of the electronic Cuba visa.
Digital platform for the e-visa
The Cuban authorities launched a new website for e-visa applications in July 2024. In the future, travellers will be able to apply for a Cuba e-visa on this website. Travellers will also be able to check the status of ongoing visa applications and the validity of previously issued visas. Although the new application platform has come online, the Cuban government has not yet announced when travellers will be able to actually apply for an e-visa. Therefore, travellers are advised to apply for a tourist card for Cuba for the time being.
Application procedure and payment options
It is not yet possible to apply for an e-visa on the new website of the Cuban government, but there is some new information about the application procedure. First, applicants have to fill in their contact and travel details in a digital form. Next, they can add up to 10 other travellers to their application. It does not seem to be necessary to submit any documents for the e-visa application, such as passport photos or passport scans. The Cuban authorities should be able to process e-visa applications within 3 working days.
After filling in the form, applicants can choose a payment method. The available payment methods depend on the embassy or consulate in the country where the applicant wants to carry out their visa application. If you want to apply through the Cuban embassy in France, for example, you may choose to pay by bank transfer or check. In other countries, such as Germany, Italy and Spain, applicants may also pay the cost at the embassy or consulate in cash or by card. If the cost is paid by bank transfer, the applicant needs to upload a proof that they transferred the full amount.
E-visa requirements and validity
When the Cuban Minister of Tourism announced the electronic visa in May this year, he did not provide any information about the requirements for or the validity of the e-visa. The new e-visa application platform has some more information about this. This is all we presently know about the new e-visa:
- The e-visa is only intended for tourist travel, not for business trips or other travel purposes.
- The e-visa will only be valid for one trip to Cuba (single-entry).
- Travellers will be allowed to stay in Cuba for up to 90 days with an e-visa.
- The permitted duration of stay may be extended once by another 90 days.
Apply for a tourist card for Cuba
It is not known yet when the Cuban government will start issuing e-visas. For the time being, travellers have to apply for a tourist card for Cuba. According to the Cuban authorities, the tourist card will remain valid until at least the end of 2024. You can apply for the tourist card online, but you have to fill in the card yourself once you receive it. The tourist card is not an electronic visa but a paper document, which needs to be filled in by hand. You can apply for the Cuba visa easily online. Filling in the application form only takes a few minutes and the visa will be delivered to you within 3 days by post.