Cuban authorities have announced that they will soon introduce an e-visa. There is no word yet on what date travellers will be able to apply for the e-visa Cuba. For the time being, travellers will still have to use the old visa, also known as the Cuba tourist card.
E-visa to replace tourist card
Cuba's tourism minister Juan Carlos García announced on 2 May at the Fit Cuba international tourism fair that the country plans to introduce an electronic visa. This e-visa will replace the current tourist card for Cuba. The new digital platform aims to make the application process easier and more efficient for tourists. Tourists will be able to apply online, which will make the application process more environmentally friendly. The reason is that it will no longer be necessary to send visas by post and fill them out by hand.
Outdated application system
Cuba is one of the few countries that still issues paper tourist visas. Travellers must fill in these visas twice with a pen. The first half of the visa must be handed in at border control on arrival, the second half on departure. A mistake when filling in the visa immediatly invalidates the document, meaning that the traveller will have to apply for a new visa card. Many travellers consider this application procedure cumbersome and outdated. By modernising its visa system, Cuba is following the example of other countries that have adopted electronic visas some time ago.
Disappointing numbers for the tourism industry
The introduction of the e-visa should also boost tourism in Cuba, which has still not fully recovered since the corona pandemic. Although tourism revenues increased by 50% in 2023 compared to the previous year, the Cuban government's targets were not met. Cuba's ambition was to welcome at least 3.5 million foreign tourists by 2023. The actual number of tourists ended up staying at 2.4 million. Partly by modernising the visa application process, the country hopes to attract more foreign tourists this year.
Visa requirements still unknown
Cuban authorities have announced plans to launch the new e-visa platform between 6 May and 30 June. From which date travellers will actually be able to apply for the new visa for Cuba is still unclear. Information on the requirements of the e-visa and which nationalities will be eligible has not been announced either. Expectations are that both British and Irish travellers will be eligible for the e-visa. Furthermore, the exact cost and validity period of the e-visa remains unknown. If you want to travel to Cuba soon, keep an eye on this website to stay informed.
Tourist card for Cuba
Travellers planning a holiday to Cuba will have to use the tourist card for now. You can easily apply for this visa online just like for the e-visa. After filling in the application form and making the payment, the visa will be sent by post. Travellers will then fill out the card themselves and take it with their passports on the trip.
Directly apply for the Cuba visa here