Cuban Tourist Cards & Visas

Visa required for entry: 

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka.

No Tourist Card or Visa required for entry:

Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Bosnia, China, Dominica, Grenada, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Mongolia, Namibia, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Serbia, Singapore, and Vietnam. 

Tourist Card required for entry:

Everyone not on the above two lists.

If you're from the USA, you need a Tourist Card but you do not need a visa. However, the Tourist Card is often referred to as a visa. Confusing, we know.

Tourist Cards grant the holder a maximum stay of 30 days in Cuba (90 days for Canadian citizens). However, these can be extended (one time) for additional days. All tourist cards are the same except in color. If you're flying direct to Cuba from the US, your card will be pink instead of green. Even if you're a non-US citizen, if your last stop before Cuba is in the US, you'll need the pink tourist card. 

Pink or Green Tourist Card?

If you've done some reading on Tourist Cards before, you may be worried about whether you need a pink or green Tourist Card. But it's easy to know which one you need. If you travel directly to Cuba from the US, you'll need a pink Tourist Card. If you travel to Cuba via any other country, you'll get a green Tourist Card.

If you purchase from a third-party website, make note of the last airport you depart from—if it's in the US then you need a pink Tourist Card, otherwise, get a green Tourist Card. It doesn't matter what country your passport is from. Your card color depends on the last place you depart from before arriving in Cuba.

Pro tip: green cards are always cheaper than pink cards, because of Cuba's difficult relationship with the US.

How to get a Cuban Tourist Card

There are four simple ways to acquire a Cuban Tourist Card:

1. The simplest way to get your Cuban Tourist Card is to purchase it online, ahead of time. 

• Buying your Tourist Card ahead of time means you won’t be waiting until the last minute to secure your necessary documentation. 
• If traveling from the US (regardless of citizenship) to Cuba, use Online Tourist Card for the best rate on your pink Cuban Tourist Card. 
  • Online Tourist Card ships cards anywhere in the contiguous US via UPS, and there are many shipping options to choose from. 
• If traveling from anywhere else in the world to Cuba, you can use Easy Tourist Card to buy your green Cuban Tourist Card. 
  
  • Easy Tourist Card ships anywhere in the world via DHL. There is only one shipping option. 
• Buying online allows you to skip the Tourist Card line at the airport (especially important if you have a connecting flight to Cuba).

2. You can also purchase your Tourist Card from your airline. Here are the details on the different airline procedures: 

• If you're flying from Canada direct to Cuba your airline will likely (but not always) provide the tourist card in-flight. The price is generally included in your flight, but you should call your airline just to make sure.
• If you're flying from Mexico direct to Cuba you can pay $20 USD (or the equivalent in MXN) for a green Tourist Card at the airport in Mexico City or Cancun.
• If you're flying from Panama direct to Cuba, you may purchase a green tourist card at the airport in Panama City. 
• If flying from the US direct to Cuba, the process varies.
  • JetBlue sells Tourist Cards at the last airport before your entry to Cuba for $50. Just remember: you absolutely need a Tourist Card to enter Cuba, so if you're using this method, make sure to get to the JetBlue counter with plenty of time to spare before your flight.
  • American Airlines refers you to an issuing agency to purchase the tourist card before you travel.  It costs $50 plus $35 for processing. The tourist card is also available from American Airlines at the Miami Airport but it is more expensive to get it there. 
  • Delta Airlines sells Tourist Cards at the airport for $50. Again, make sure to arrive with plenty of time before takeoff (especially if you're coming in on a connecting flight). 
  • United sells the tourist card at Houston and New York/Newark airports for $50 plus $25 processing. The same advice applies as above.
  • Southwest charges $50 plus $35 processing. Alternatively, you may purchase at Tampa and Fort Lauderdale airports. 

Prices and availability of tourist cards from airports and airlines may change but are up to date as of this writing. Always double-check with your airline before traveling. 

3.  Visit your country's Cuban Embassy. Prices vary depending on the embassy/consulate.