Cuba

CUB

Cuba is a single-party socialist state under Communist Party rule, operating a state-controlled economy that has faced chronic shortages of food, fuel, and basic goods — conditions that have sharply worsened since 2020 due to tightened US sanctions, the collapse of tourism during COVID-19, and declining Venezuelan oil subsidies. Rolling electricity blackouts lasting 8 to 20 hours daily are common in many provinces.

A dual-currency system was unified in 2021 but inflation has eroded purchasing power severely. Mass emigration has accelerated, with over 600,000 Cubans leaving in 2022 alone. The Cuban passport provides visa-free access to around 54 destinations. Foreign nationals may visit but long-term residency for non-Cubans is tightly controlled. Dual citizenship is not recognised by Cuban law.

Naturalisation: 5 years
Tax system: Residence Based
Currency: Cuban Peso (CUP)
Dual citizenship: Not allowed
Capital: Havana
Region: americas
Population: 11,200,000
Cost-of-living: 22 /100

→ If you hold a Cuba passport, see the Cuba nationality guide

Passport Rank

#83

Visa-Free

destinations

Visa-free travel

A Cuba passport has visa-free access to 54 destinations. See the full Cuba passport breakdown →

Passports that enter Cuba without a prior visa (21)

Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Serbia

Singapore+3 more

Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.

Immigrating to Canada from Cuba

Current IRCC processing times for Cuba nationals, by application type.

Visitor visa (outside Canada)	21 days
Super visa	58 days
Study permit	No processing time available
Work permit	No processing time available
Sponsor a dependent child	No processing time available
Adopted child (citizenship)	Not enough data
Government-assisted refugees	Not enough data
Privately sponsored refugees	sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data

Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.

As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.

Sources & last verified

Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)

Official source

Country Details

Capital: Havana
Currency: Cuban Peso (CUP)
Languages: Spanish
Population: 11,200,000
Tax System: Residence Based
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed
Naturalisation: 5 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Tropical; hot and humid year-round, with a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May to October; hurricane risk June to November
GDP per capita: $9,605
Life expectancy: 78.26 yrs
Population growth: -0.39%/yr

GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

Tax Summary

Tax System: Residence Based
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 5 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Havana	—	—	—	—	—
Santiago de Cuba	—	—	—	—	—
Varadero	—	—	—	—	—

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Tourist Card
Visa A-X (work/business)
Family Reunification
Resident Foreign Family
Student
Investor (Mariel ZED)

Authority: Dirección de Identificación, Inmigración y Extranjería (DIIE)
Official Portal: www.gob.cu/es
Phone: +53 7-878-0022
Email: diie@minint.gob.cu

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years
Language Test: No
Civic Test: No
Oath Required: No
Dual Allowed: No
Fee: —
Processing: —

Safety

GPI Rank

#74

Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)

Regulators & official sources

Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Cuba, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.

Cuban Foreign Ministry

MINREX

Official Cuban Foreign Ministry eVisa portal for tourist visa applications, activation and verification.

Cuban Foreign Ministry

Cuba diplomatic missions

CUBADIPLOMATICA

Official Cuban diplomatic mission pages publishing consular services for foreigners, including family, journalist, business, other visas and permanent residence applications.

Cuba diplomatic missions

DViajeros

Official traveller declaration portal for people in transit through the Republic of Cuba.

DViajeros

Sources & last verified

Index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-20.

Official source

Related Guides

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Life logistics

Reference tables

Visa routes

Official visa and residence routes for Cuba, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.

Residence

Permanent Residence Application

Residence

Consular permanent-residence application route for foreigners applying for residence in Cuba with medical, police and relationship or purpose evidence.

Leads to settlementPermanent-residence application; timing and status terms must be confirmed with the Cuban consulate and migration authorities.

Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX) · reviewed 2026-06-28

Short-term / business

Business Visa

Short-term / business

Consular business visa route for business travel to Cuba, requested through the Embassy commercial office before consular issuance.

Confirm validity and permitted stay with the commercial office and issuing consulate.

Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX) · reviewed 2026-07-26

DViajeros Entry Declaration

Short-term / business

Official DViajeros traveller declaration process used alongside the visa or visa-exempt entry route for travel to Cuba.

Entry declaration for a specific trip; it does not grant immigration status by itself.

Ministry of Transport of Cuba / DViajeros · reviewed 2026-07-25

Journalist Visa D-6

Short-term / business

Consular D-6 journalist visa route that starts with the Cuban Embassy press office before the consulate issues the visa.

Confirm validity and stay terms with the Cuban Embassy press office and issuing consulate.

Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX) · reviewed 2026-07-26

Tourist eVisa

Short-term / business

Cuba tourist eVisa for single-entry visits, requested or activated through the official eVisa-Cuba portal and linked to the traveller passport.

Single entry; 90-day stay, extendable for 90 days according to the official eVisa-Cuba portal.

Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX) · reviewed 2026-07-25

Family

Family Visa A-2

Family

Consular A-2 family visa for spouses or children of Cuban citizens of another nationality travelling to stay with Cuban family members.

Confirm validity and permitted stay with the Cuban consulate that issues the A-2 visa.

Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX) · reviewed 2026-07-25

Study

Other Consular Visas

Study

Consular catch-all for Cuba student, event and other special-purpose visas that require direct confirmation with the Cuban consulate.

Depends on the visa purpose and consular authorisation; confirm with the relevant Cuban consulate.

Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX) · reviewed 2026-07-26

Sources & last verified

Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.

Official source

Sources & last verified

Last verified 2026-06-15