What documents do I need to enter Cuba?
Cuba requires a passport, a Cuban tourist card, medical insurance valid in Cuba and the online D'Viajeros form. US rules restrict travel to Cuba for tourism.
Updated
Entering Cuba - what you need
Cuba asks for more paperwork than most Caribbean destinations, and the pieces need to line up before you fly. Your trip1 booking confirmation covers the accommodation details that the arrival form and the border officers ask for.
- A passport valid for your whole stay, plus free pages for entry and exit stamps. Rules depend on your nationality: UK advice asks for at least six months from arrival, while Canada asks only for validity for the stay.
- A Cuban tourist card, sometimes sold as a tourist visa.
- Proof of medical insurance that is valid in Cuba.
- A completed D'Viajeros form and the QR code it produces.
- A return or onward ticket and the address where you are staying.
The Cuban tourist card
Almost every visitor needs one. It is a separate document from your passport, and you get it before you travel from a Cuban consulate, from some airlines and tour operators, or through Cuba's own online visa platform.
The stay it grants depends on your nationality. Canadian passport holders are usually admitted for up to 90 days, while most other visitors get a shorter period, so check the length that applies to your own card rather than assuming.
If you buy the electronic version, you receive a code that you enter into the D'Viajeros form, which then produces the QR code you present at the border.
Important: Travellers who have visited Cuba since 12 January 2021 are not eligible to enter the United States on the visa waiver programme, so anyone who normally uses an ESTA would have to apply for a US visa instead.
The D'Viajeros arrival form
D'Viajeros is Cuba's free official online form for arriving travellers. It covers your traveller details, a customs declaration and a health declaration in a single submission.
Complete it within 72 hours of arriving. You get a QR code by email, which airlines check at check-in and Cuban officials scan when you land.
Save it as a PDF or a screenshot. Internet access in Cuba is limited and slow, so do not count on opening an email after you land.
Rules for travellers subject to US law
US regulations restrict travel to Cuba. They apply to US citizens, US residents and anyone else subject to US jurisdiction, regardless of which country they fly from.
Under those regulations, travel to Cuba for tourism is not permitted. Authorised travel falls into a set of categories administered by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and record-keeping obligations apply to authorised travel.
We cannot advise you on whether a particular trip qualifies. Read OFAC's Cuba sanctions guidance and the US State Department's Cuba country information page, and speak to a qualified adviser if your situation is not clear-cut.
These rules move with US policy, so confirm the current position close to your travel date rather than relying on older articles.
Hotel check-in in Cuba
Bring your passport and your tourist card. Cuban hotels register foreign guests, so the desk asks for both, and sometimes for your insurance details as well.
Your trip1 booking confirmation gives you the hotel name and address for the D'Viajeros form and for the questions officers ask on arrival.
Plan how you will cover costs on the ground. Many foreign-issued bank cards do not work in Cuba and cash is used widely, so work this out before you go rather than after you arrive.
Entering Cuba - FAQ
Not as tourists. US regulations do not allow tourist travel to Cuba for US citizens, US residents or anyone else subject to US jurisdiction. Your trip has to fit one of the 12 categories authorised by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, and record-keeping rules apply. Read OFAC's Cuba guidance and the State Department's Cuba page before you book.
Yes. D'Viajeros is Cuba's free official online form for arriving travellers, covering your details plus customs and health declarations. Submit it within 72 hours before you arrive and you receive a QR code by email, which airlines check at check-in and officials scan on landing. Save it offline, because internet access in Cuba is limited.
It is the tourist visa almost every visitor needs, separate from your passport. Get it before you travel from a Cuban embassy or consulate, some airlines and tour operators, or Cuba's official eVisa platform, which gives you a code for the D'Viajeros form. Canadians are usually allowed up to 90 days; other nationalities should check the stay their card grants.
Yes. Cuba requires proof of medical insurance that is valid in Cuba, and officers can ask to see it when you land. If you cannot show it, Cuban authorities may make you buy a local policy at the airport. Check that your policy does not exclude Cuba, and keep a copy saved offline.
Two sets of rules apply. Under US law, your trip must fit an authorised OFAC category, because tourism is not permitted, and travellers leaving the US for Cuba are generally asked to certify their category. Under Cuban rules, you need a passport, a Cuban tourist card, medical insurance valid in Cuba, a completed D'Viajeros form and your accommodation details.