How to Get a Cuba Visa (Tourist Card) in the US [2024]
Last Updated September 20, 2024
The Tourist Visa (or Tourist Card) is required by the Cuban Government for travellers from nearly every country; check the entry requirements for your nationality to determine whether this information applies to you.
The visa is valid for one entry for a stay of up to 90 days but can be renewed for an additional 90 days while you are in Cuba. It is important not to lose your visa while in Cuba because they will collect it when you depart.
Cuba's New eVisa for US travelers
In August 2024, Cuba rolled out its new electronic visa to replace the 'pink' or 'green' paper visas required to enter the country. Travellers going to Cuba in 2024 can now opt to get an eVisa, although the paper visas will still be valid until 2025.
The process is very new and there are many kinks to work out, so if you aren't going to Cuba until 2025 we recommend you wait until a month or two before your dates to purchase your visa so that the process will be smoother.
Currently, US travellers can still purchase the visa at the airport from Cuba Travel Services, the airline's contracted seller. It is sold at check-in in any airport with direct flights to Cuba- currently Miami, Tampa, or Houston. If you have a layover in any of these airports, the visa is sold at the gate, it is easy to spot where to buy it and it takes only a few minutes. Some airports may have the eVisa, some may still have the paper visa, regardless, whatever they provide will be valid to enter Cuba.
US citizens can purchase the eVisa directly from the Cuban Government on the eVisa website, but currently you must pay with a money order mailed to the Cuban Embassy and upload proof of payment (a copy of your money order). This method, although inconvenient, is cheaper than purchasing a visa from Cuba Travel Services, which will cost US$85-100. The eVisa is around US$50. You should allow three weeks to receive your eVisa.
You can also purchase the eVisa from a third party, such as easytouristcard.com, the benefit being that you can pay with credit card instead of mailing a money order. However, as with the pink visa, there is a special US eVisa, so you need to make sure that the vendor is selling you the visa provided by the US embassy. The special visa is not just for US citizens, it is for all nationalities flying direct to Cuba from the US. Expect to pay around US$50-70 for a third party evisa. If you are a US citizen, but not flying from the US, you can use the regular visa.
The evisa is automatically linked to your D'Viajeros form, the customs and immigration forms you fill out two days prior to arrival. The evisa is not valid until the D'Viajeros form is submitted.
The Pink Visa for US to Cuba Flights
If you are flying directly to Cuba from the US (e.g. Miami, Tampa, Houston), regardless of nationality, you need a 'pink' visa, an example is pictured above. You will purchase the visa in the airport before you board your flight to Havana. In the process of purchasing the visa, you will be asked to verify that you are traveling legally to Cuba. This is the time to select your category of general license, the most common is Support for the Cuban People.
The pink visa will cost between $50-100USD and the transaction takes just a few minutes, no need to worry about adding extra time to your layover to get it. Some US airlines will also allow you to buy the visa in advance and ship it to your home. Airline call center staff are usually not well informed about travel to Cuba, so it's best to search the airline's website (Airline name + Cuba + Visa in a Google search) instead of calling to ask about the Cuba visa.
The Green Visa for non-US Flights to Cuba
If you are flying from any other country to Cuba (even on a US passport), you will buy what is known as the 'Green' visa, which looks exactly the same as the "pink" visa above but is a different color.
Where to get the green Cuba tourist visa.
Cuban Embassy
We do not recommend contacting the embassy to obtain a paper tourist visa because it is very slow and inefficient.
Visa vs License
Many Americans use these words interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. The general license for Cuba is a legal requirement of the US government, the visa is a Cuban Government requirement.
Cuban Citizens
All Cuban born citizens require a special Visa. Visit the Cuba embassy website for current information.