🇬🇼→🇨🇺Guinea-Bissau→Cuba

Short-term tourism, leisure, and visiting family. From July 1, 2025, replaces the physical tourist card; all visitors not covered by a bilateral visa-free agreement must obtain this before departure.

• Obtained via evisacuba.cu; applicant receives an alphanumeric code by email.
• The official e-Visa portal states applicants receive a response within 72 business hours (approx. 3 business days) of applying.
• The tourist visa is single entry for a 90-day stay, extendable for a further 90 days (180 days total) inside Cuba.
• Passport must be valid for at least 6 months from arrival.
• Visitors must also complete the D'Viajeros digital declaration form (dviajeros.mitrans.gob.cu) no later than 3 days before departure, carry proof of medical insurance covering Cuba, a valid return ticket, and demonstrate financial solvency of at least USD 50 per day.
• Certain nationalities (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, India, Iraq, Iran, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Uzbekistan, Yemen) cannot use the online portal and must apply for the Tourist Visa A1 directly from a Cuban consulate.

Short-term tourism for nationalities excluded from the e-Visa portal. Issued at Cuban embassies and consulates abroad.

• Required for nationals of: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, India, Iraq, Iran, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
• These nationalities cannot use the evisacuba.cu portal and must appear in person at a Cuban diplomatic mission.
• Same entry requirements apply (medical insurance, D'Viajeros form, return ticket, financial solvency).

For foreign nationals traveling to Cuba for business activities, commercial negotiations, investment, or participation in trade events.

• Issued by Cuban embassies and consulates.
• Applicants typically require an invitation letter from a Cuban state entity or authorized Cuban business partner.
• The new Law 172 (Aliens Act, in force ~November 2026) introduces an 'investor and businessperson' immigration status but it is primarily aimed at Cuban diaspora; foreign nationals with business ties may apply for residency under the investment/economic ties pathway.
• Specific fee schedule was not accessible from official sites at the time of research.

For passengers transiting through Cuba en route to a third country without passing through immigration controls.

• Required for nationals who do not benefit from visa-free transit.
• Passengers remaining airside (not clearing immigration) generally do not require a transit visa, but this depends on nationality and airline policy.
• Passengers who must clear Cuban immigration (e.g., due to a flight connection requiring terminal change) need a transit visa issued by a Cuban consulate.
• Kosovo nationals are refused transit.

Issued to foreign nationals contracted to work in Cuba for Cuban state entities, joint ventures, or authorized foreign companies operating in Cuba.

• Requires a labor contract with a Cuban state entity or an authorized employer.
• The employing entity typically initiates the process with Cuban immigration authorities (MININT).
• Under Law 172 (Aliens Act), foreigners with employment ties to Cuba may qualify for provisional or permanent residency after five years of continuous residence.
• Cuba does not have an open private labor market; all work authorization flows through state-sanctioned channels.

For foreign nationals enrolled in accredited Cuban universities, medical schools, or other educational institutions.

• Requires an official enrollment letter from an accredited Cuban educational institution.
• Cuba historically accepts international students on scholarship programs (Latin American School of Medicine - ELAM is a well-known example).
• Visa validity generally aligns with the duration of the academic program.
• Holders of student visas must register with immigration authorities upon arrival.

For foreign press professionals (journalists, correspondents, camera crews) travelling to Cuba to carry out journalistic work for a foreign or Cuban media outlet.

• The D-6 visa is mandatory for any foreign journalist entering Cuba to work.
• It is authorized by the International Press Center (Centro de Prensa Internacional, CPI), a body of MINREX, through Cuban embassies and consulates: the media outlet submits the request to the Cuban diplomatic mission, which forwards it to the CPI, which issues the final decision.
• Granted for temporary assignments (from several days up to 3 months) or for permanent accreditation (periods of one year or more).
• Applicants should apply at least 30 business days before travel.
• Holders must carry a valid D-6 visa to be accredited by the CPI to work in Cuban territory.

For accredited diplomats, government officials, and staff of international organizations with official missions in Cuba.

• Issued through diplomatic channels.
• Holders of diplomatic or official passports from countries with bilateral visa-exemption agreements covering diplomatic/official/service passports enter Cuba without a visa.
• Countries with diplomatic/official-only visa waivers (not covering ordinary passports) include Fiji (signed bilateral agreement) and various others listed in the 2018 MINREX Convenios PDF.

For foreign nationals travelling to Cuba to join or visit an immediate family member (spouse or minor child) who is a Cuban citizen.

• Consular entry visa issued by Cuban embassies and consulates to immediate family members (spouse or minor children) of Cuban citizens who wish to enter Cuba to be with their relative.
• Distinct from the permanent-residency family-reunification pathway created under Law 172 (Aliens Act).
• Applicants typically must document the family relationship.
• Specific stay length and fee are not published on the currently accessible official pages.

Allows foreign nationals who are spouses, parents, or dependants of Cuban citizens to reside in Cuba.

• Under Law 172 (Aliens Act, approved July 2024, in force ~November 2026), foreign nationals who are parents of Cuban-born citizens with actual Cuban residence are explicitly eligible for permanent residency.
• Foreign families with employment, economic, or survival ties to Cuba are also recognized.
• Provisional residence is available as a step before applying for permanent residency or citizenship.
• Applications handled by MININT (Ministry of the Interior).

Special immigration status for foreign nationals (and Cuban diaspora) with significant investment activity or assets in Cuba, established under Decree-Law 117/2026.

• Created by Decree-Law 117/2026, effective immediately upon publication in May 2026.
• Grants a specific immigration status to investors and businesspersons.
• Although initially framed around Cuban diaspora, the Granma article confirms it applies to those with 'significant assets or bank accounts in Cuba' as a basis for residency - which extends to foreign nationals.
• No minimum investment threshold was published in the official source.
• This is a residency-track status, not a citizenship-by-investment program.

A temporary residency status for foreign nationals establishing ties with Cuba, serving as a prerequisite for applying for permanent residency and eventually citizenship.

• Introduced under Law 172 (Aliens Act, approved July 2024).
• Provisional residence is a recognized pathway before permanent residency.
• The law also introduces protections for vulnerable foreign nationals (victims of armed conflicts, insolvent tourists) - an implicit humanitarian stay category.
• Applications processed through MININT.

For foreign nationals traveling to Cuba to receive medical treatment at Cuban healthcare facilities.

• Cuba has a well-established medical tourism sector (operated through Servimed/Salud Cuba).
• Foreign patients typically enter on a tourist visa but may be issued a dedicated medical visa category when extended treatment is required.
• Specific procedural details were not accessible from official MINREX sources during research due to server inaccessibility; this category is confirmed to exist in practice through Cuba's international health cooperation programs.