Cuba recently introduced an electronic visa in addition to the already existing tourist card. The tourist card is a paper visa for Cuba that travellers have to submit on arrival in the country. It was recently announced that the tourist card will be suspended in 2025. There is also news about the electronic visa for Cuba.
Tourist card to be permanently replaced
For a long time, the tourist card was the only visa for Cuba that was specifically meant for tourists. This is a paper visa that travellers can apply for at a visa agency, travel agency or at the Cuban embassy. Usually, travellers have to fill in the visa themselves. One half of the tourist card has to be submitted upon entry to Cuba, and the other half is handed over upon departure from Cuba. You are allowed to stay in Cuba for 90 days on a tourist card.
Earlier this year, Cuban authorities announced to introduce an electronic visa. The new visa is supposed to replace the tourist card at a later stage. The electronic visa was recently introduced and Cuba announced that the tourist card would be permanently suspended on 30 June 2025. Travellers holding a tourist card may travel to Cuba until 30 June 2025, but after that, the tourist card may no longer be used.
Electronic visa for Cuba
The electronic visa for Cuba was introduced in July 2024. You can apply for this e-visa on a portal of the Cuban immigration service. The application is processed by a Cuban embassy, meaning that you have to make a payment to the embassy in question. The visa can be linked to a specific passport by filling in the digital immigration form for Cuba, also known as D’Viajeros. You can do this no earlier than 48 hours before your arrival in Cuba.
D’Viajeros now available 7 days before your arrival
On 1 October 2024, the Cuban authorities made it easier to apply for an electronic visa, by opening the D’Viajeros immigration form a few days earlier than before. Since then, travellers can fill in the mandatory immigration form for Cuba up to 7 days before their arrival in Cuba. This gives travellers more time to finalise all required procedures before departing for Cuba.
Apply for a Cuba visa on e-Visa.ie
You can apply for your visa for Cuba online on e-Visa.ie. If you travel to Cuba at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025, you will receive a tourist card by post. You must fill in the tourist card yourself, and submit one half of it on arrival and the other half upon departure. This tourist card is valid for one trip to Cuba before 30 June 2025. It allows you to stay in the country for up to 90 days.
If you travel to Cuba later in 2025, you will automatically receive an e-visa. The e-visa is issued as a code, confirming that the payment has been made, and that the Cuban embassy or consulate has issued to visa. You have to enter this code while filling in the mandatory D’Viajeros immigration form. By doing that, the visa is linked to your passport.
Apply for your visa for Cuba here