Cuba extends tourist visas to 180 days starting today
Cuba now offers 90-day tourist cards, extendable once, allowing stays up to 180 days—ushering in sweeping travel policy changes for visitors.
Starting today, Tuesday 1 November, Cuba will issue tourist cards valid for 90 days—up from the previous 30-day limit. The announcement was made on Sunday by the Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos Garcia Granda, via Twitter.
In his tweet, Mr. García Granda also explained that the visa will be “extendable once for the same period,” which means visitors can stay in Cuba for up to a total of 180 days.
Until now, the mandatory tourist visa had a maximum duration of 30 days and could be extended for an additional month, provided the renewal was processed one week before expiry through the Office of Immigration and Foreigners, typically requiring a return-flight change and payment for an extended accommodation booking.
A few days ago, the Cuban government acknowledged it is no longer possible to meet the tourism target it had set. Instead of welcoming 2.4 million arrivals in 2022, the economy minister, Alejandro Gil Fernández, announced the year will close with 1.71 million visitors.
Important: If you plan to travel on to the U.S., you’ll need to renew your passport. You cannot apply for an ESTA to the U.S. after a recent visit to Cuba.
