If you love to travel to unique and uncommon destinations, Cuba is a must see destination! Read about our experiences here and here. If you are based out of India, it is a way off the beaten path! So it is best visited as part of an itinerary that consists of either South Eastern USA or Mexico. We flew into Havana from Cancun in Mexico and flew out to Orlando in USA. Most foreign nationals can enter Cuba for Tourism by purchasing the Tourist Card or Tarjeta del Turista from the Airline counter before checkin-in to the flight that takes you there. However, if you are an Indian Passport holder, that won’t suffice. You need to obtain the same Visa from a Cuban mission after submitting few documents.
Obtaining Cuban Visa from Cuban Consulate in Cancun, Mexico
We obtained ours from the Cuban Consulate in Cancun. It took around a couple hours, including travel from the Hotel Zone.
Before Traveling : First reach out to the Consulate via Email providing details of your trip –Link. Provide details of your visit, like where and when are you entering and exiting etc. They will respond to you within a day or so, asking you to share with them copies of your Hotel Reservation, Roundtrip flight tickets, Bank Statments/Credit Card and Passport. Then a day or two before the flight you can visit them (9 am to 1pm, Monday to Friday) to receive your visa. Carry the same as hardcopies with you and couple of Passport Photographs.
During the Visit : The Cuban consulate can be located on Google maps and is best reached via a Taxi. Ring the bell and state your purpose so that they’ll let you in. Once in, there is just a waiting room and a counter. Approach the counter window and they will provide you a form to fill. Complete the form, return it to them with Photograph and Passport in original. If they have trouble locating your documents sent earlier by mail, handover the hardcopies. After 15-20 minutes, they will give you the Visa, upon which you have to make the payment in Mexican Pesos (~365 MXPs then pp, changes as per FX). That’s it! You get the same Tarjet de Turista Card, with your details typed in and an Official Seal of the Consulate.
Obtaining Cuban Visa from Cuban Embassy in New Delhi, India
If you are planning to fly in to Cuba from India, then you must obtain the same Visa from the Cuban Embassy in New Delhi. I do not have experience, but basis my email exchange with the Embassy ( the process was explained as follows :
The passengers require a visa before they arrive to Cuba.They should process the visa from one month to one week before the date you will be traveling.Our requirements to apply for a tourist visa are:
- Valid passport
- Visa application form duly filled and a passport photo.
- Reservation confirmed of hotel or house authorized for rent at least per 3 days.
- Roundtrip e-ticket. Going from India and coming back to India
For citizen from India, Bangladesh and Nepal also it is necessary to present:
- Notarized affidavit in which the person declares that only visit Cuba for tourism purposes and not for other activities
- Bank statement showing that the person has enough money to spend inCuba.
Cash payment of 8400.00 rupees if the person uses an agency for the visa processing or 6400.00 rupees if the person comes in. If you apply one day the next day you will have the visa, only if all the documents are correct
To find out the requirements of business visas, work, events, diplomats, journalists you should call to 9821495450
If you need any travel agency to send us documents from anywhere in India you may contact Mr. Nilesh Dhamelia whose contact details are as follows:
Rohan Travels, 501, Competent House, F-Block, Middle Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi-01.(M)+91-9811-52-9464 or +91-9350-059446
It is advised you check with the Consulate for the exact process before planning the trip. Above is purely based on our experience in Jan 2017.
Even if you have the above visa, you might be stopped at the Immigration and questioned. This is normal. They will ask you why are you here, for how long, where are you staying, where are you going next etc. But once they get these answers and see that you have the visa from the consulate, they will let you enter with a smile 🙂
Please do post a comment below if you have any Questions.