If you’re planning on traveling to Cuba, know this: almost every visitor to Cuba needs what’s known as a Cuban tourist card – or a Cuban tourist visa. But what exactly are the requirements for getting the Cuban tourist card, and how can travelers get it?
As a long-time Cuba visitor turned expat, I’ve been through the process of getting the Cuba tourist card many times – certainly more than I’d care to count! Read on for the easiest and quickest ways to get your tourist card for Cuba (including how to get your Cuba tourist card online!) – and why you shouldn’t expect to get a Cuba tourist card on arrival.
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The Cuban tourist card is a document required by the Cuban government for all travel to Cuba. The Cuban tourist card is also known as the Cuban tourist visa or even as a Cuban travel card, and is a document that travelers must fill out with their basic personal information and passport information prior to arriving in Cuba.
Many people also refer to the tourist card for Cuba as a tourist visa. While it does function similarly to a visa, you do not need to apply for the Cuban tourist card with the government or at the embassy before your visit, as you might with other tourist visas.
The Cuban tourist card is one of several entry requirements for Cuba. Travelers must have a physical tourist card in their possession when they arrive on the island.
Airline workers will check passengers as they board their flight to Cuba, and those traveling without a Cuban passport or other type of Cuban visa (ex: a journalism visa, permanent residency, etc.) will be required to show their tourist card before boarding.
When passing through immigration upon entering the country, they’ll keep half of the card for their records. The other half of the Cuban tourist card should be saved for your exit from the country when you hand it over to immigration before boarding your flight.
There are two types of tourist cards – pink tourist cards and green tourist cards. If you’re arranging your tourist card beforehand, this is an important distinction to keep in mind and specify. EasyTouristCard offers both the pink tourist card and green tourist card options online.
Pink tourist cards are for travelers visiting Cuba who are traveling on a flight departing from the United States (regardless of the nationality of the traveler). They generally cost anywhere from $50 to around $110 USD.
Green tourist cards are for travelers visiting Cuba on flights from countries other than the United States. The cost of these green tourist cards is lower, generally between $20 and $50, though the cost can vary from airline to airline and even by city of flight departure.
Get Your Cuba Tourist Card Online: EasyTouristCard
While travelers don’t need to apply for the Cuban tourist card at a Cuban embassy before their trip, they do need to get their hands on the tourist card Cuba requires of travelers before they land in the country.
There are several ways to get a Cuban tourist card before you depart for Cuba. The cost and convenience of each way to get a tourist card are different. These are the most common ways to get the Cuba travel card you’ll need:
Read on for all the details about each of these ways to get the Cuban tourist card; while we generally recommend travelers either purchase their Cuba tourist card in advance from EasyTouristCard or from their airline, it’s important to know how these processes work.
The Cuban government doesn’t currently offer an “e-visa” or digital-only option for obtaining a Cuban tourist card. You must obtain a physical Cuban tourist card.
However, EasyTouristCard offers Cuban tourist cards that can be ordered online and sent to your home. This is by far the easiest way to get the tourist card Cuba requires for travelers ahead of your trip! Pink tourist cards cost $109 and green tourist cards cost $40, plus shipping.
Once ordered, the tourist card arrives quickly at your house, freeing up your time before your flight to Cuba and making sure you have all you need before your trip. You also won’t have to navigate your airline’s policies and procedures for getting the tourist card either.
Get Your Cuba Tourist Card Online: EasyTouristCard
Each airline that flies to Cuba handles their process for Cuban tourist cards differently and charges different prices for their tourist cards. This makes for a kind of confusing process, though it’s easy enough to get your hands on a tourist card regardless of which airline you’re flying:
Tourist cards can also be purchased through Cuban embassies around the world. The embassy in your country will have precise instructions on their website about the details of the process – the cost and process for this vary from country to country.
Generally, we don’t recommend using this method to purchase a Cuban tourist card. I recommend keeping it simple and either ordering your tourist card from the EasyTouristCard online service or getting it through your airline! You’ll deal with much more bureaucracy and potential delays when working directly with the embassy or consulate.
Get Your Cuba Tourist Card Online: EasyTouristCard
Cuba requires that all travelers have proof of a comprehensive travel insurance policy in order to enter the country. Check out our guide to travel insurance for Cuba for more details. We recommend these brands for Cuba travel insurance:
The tourist card for Cuba varies in cost. Pink tourist cards (for those traveling from the United States) generally cost $50-110 USD, and green tourist cards (for those traveling from any other country) generally cost $20-50.
EasyTouristCard offers Cuban tourist cards that can be ordered online and sent to your home; pink tourist cards cost $109, and green tourist cards cost $40, plus shipping.
Alternatively, get your Cuban tourist card by purchasing it from the airline you’ll use to enter the country. Below you’ll find the cost of tourist cards from some major airlines that offer international flights to Cuba.
Get Your Cuba Tourist Card Online: EasyTouristCard
Check out our Ultimate Cuba Packing List to help you pack for your trip – we’re sharing exactly what to bring to Cuba and what we never travel without.
Don’t think about traveling to Cuba without a good VPN (Virtual Private Network). Using a VPN while connecting to the internet is an easy way to keep your personal information safe from hackers and trackers. We’ve used NordVPN for years and couldn’t recommend it more – it’s a must for safety online, especially in Cuba.
While it is possible to purchase a Cuban tourist card on arrival in Cuba, it is not likely that you’ll need to – airlines simply will not let you board a flight to Cuba without a tourist card in hand. Don’t count on waiting until you’re in Cuba to make this purchase!
The easiest ways to get a Cuban tourist card are through the EasyTouristCard website ahead of time or directly through your airline.
The Cuban tourist card is valid for a 90-day stay in Cuba for most travelers. Once you arrive in Cuba, there are options to extend your tourist stay if you’d like to stay in Cuba even longer. This will require adjusting your status at a local immigration office; it’s not a challenging process, though it will require waiting in some lines.
Confusingly, the Cuban tourist card is also known as the Cuban tourist visa. Yes, the Cuban tourist card and the Cuban tourist visa are the exact same document!
Most travelers don’t have to actually apply for the Cuban tourist card or Cuban tourist visa with their country’s Cuban embassy in advance of their trip unless they’re from a select few Asian or African countries. The vast majority of travelers to Cuba can simply purchase their Cuban tourist card from the EasyTouristCard website ahead of time or directly through their airline.
