Tourist visa and D'Viajeros form for Varadero: steps and limits

Entering Cuba for a beach stay in Varadero takes two separate documents. The first is a tourist visa, also called a tourist card, which you need before you travel. The second is the D'Viajeros online form, which the UK says to complete within 72 hours before you arrive and Germany within 48 hours before check-in, and which produces a QR code for the border. The UK government's entry requirements for Cuba, last updated on 25 September 2026, and the Cuban tourism portal Cuba.travel describe both. For the rest of the destination, see the Varadero travel guide and the Cuba guide.

First, a note on whether to go. The UK government advises against all but essential travel to Cuba because of shortages of fuel, electricity and water, and it reports that Cuban authorities have announced that all international airports are without aviation fuel and that several airlines have suspended flights. Check flights and your government's advice before you spend money on a visa. Things to do in Varadero explains the conditions, and can Americans go to Varadero covers US citizens, who face extra rules.

The UK advice says you can apply through the Cuban Embassy in the UK, through your travel agent or tour operator, or for an electronic visa through the eVisa-Cuba site. The tourism portal describes the electronic visa as replacing the physical tourist card: it can be requested from any consular office, from a travel agency or online from anywhere, and the address it gives is evisacuba.cu. It says the service is available 24 hours a day, that you receive a visa code and payment receipts by email, and that the system removes the need for an extra physical document.

When your electronic visa is approved, the UK advice says you will receive a ten-character code, which you enter on the D'Viajeros platform when you fill in your advance passenger information. That generates the QR code you show to the immigration authorities, and the electronic visa is linked to your passport. In practice, this means the order matters: get the visa code first, then complete D'Viajeros close to your flight.

Use the address named by an official source. The tourism portal gives evisacuba.cu, and your airline, travel agent or the Cuban consulate for your country can confirm the right site. Be careful with look-alike sites and agencies that add a service charge, and check the fee and the final price before you pay. If you hold a Cuban passport or residence, the rules are different and you should contact the Cuban consulate.

The UK advice says your passport must have an expiry date at least six months after the date you arrive and three months after your planned departure date. The tourism portal states the six-month rule, counted from the date of entry. Use the stricter reading, since an airline can refuse boarding if your passport does not meet the rule. You will be denied entry if you try to use a lost or stolen passport, and you should keep your passport until you leave Cuba, because a lost passport must be replaced at an immigration office for a fee.

The UK advice also says you must show proof of onward or return travel. Keep a copy of your return ticket on your phone and on paper. If you plan to extend your stay, the portal says the 90-day limit is extendable by 90 days, and the UK advice says authorities take breaches of immigration rules seriously and that you could be detained if you overstay.

The tourism portal describes D'Viajeros as a process that provides advance information to speed up procedures at points of entry. It says completing it truthfully is mandatory for every passenger, and that the information goes to the Directorate of Identification, Immigration and Foreigners, the General Customs of the Republic and the Ministry of Public Health. The portal links the platform at dviajeros.mitrans.gob.cu, and the UK advice names the same service.

Three practical points follow from the UK advice. Complete the form no earlier than the 72-hour window it describes, because the form is tied to the arrival date. Download or print the completed form as a PDF, because wifi may not be available on arrival in Cuba. And expect your airline to check the form at check-in, so do it before you leave for the airport and keep the QR code easy to open. If a name, passport number or flight detail is wrong, correct it before you travel, because errors can cause delays at the border.

The portal says completing it is mandatory for each passenger, so plan an entry for every traveler in your group. Keep the confirmation email, the QR code and a screenshot together, and keep a printed copy in your hand luggage.

The UK advice says you must have a certificate proving a yellow fever vaccination if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk. For other vaccines and health risks, it points to the TravelHealthPro country guide. It also says Cuba has seen mosquito-borne disease, including dengue, Oropouche and chikungunya, and that these viruses continue to circulate even though the epidemic warning is no longer live. It says there are severe shortages of basic medicines in Cuba and that many items available in the UK are not available there, so bring your own medicine in its original packaging with a letter from your doctor. Check TravelHealthPro at least eight weeks before you travel, as the advice recommends.

The UK advice lists several items that cause problems. Drones are not allowed and will be confiscated on arrival and not returned until your departure. Meat products, milk, fresh fruit, vegetables, seeds and organic matter cannot be brought in, with some exceptions. Phones, tablets and laptops can be brought, but you must turn off the built-in GPS, and some heavy electrical appliances may be confiscated; complete a customs form if items are held so you can reclaim them on departure. Photography equipment may need an import license, and some art and antiques need an export permit.

On money, declare foreign currency worth more than 5,000 US dollars. The Cuban national peso cannot be exchanged outside Cuba, and it is illegal to change money anywhere other than Cadeca exchange houses. The UK advice says international cards such as Visa and Mastercard are no longer accepted, that you cannot withdraw cash from ATMs with an international card and that you should bring enough cash for your whole stay and for an emergency, with US dollars and euros widely accepted. The tourism portal says some cards are accepted and that no card issued by a US institution works. Follow the cautious position: bring cash. The money guide explains how much to carry and how to protect it.

The tourism portal says Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport receives domestic and international flights and lies about 20 kilometers from the resort area, and that Varadero can also be reached by Viazul bus or rental car. On arrival, have your passport, the QR code and your return ticket ready. The UK advice warns that fake taxi drivers and false tour operators work at airports and around Old Havana, so use your tour operator's transfer or a registered yellow taxi, and pack valuables in carry-on luggage, because theft from hold luggage is a risk at airports. Shrink-wrapping and locking suitcases are among its suggestions.

The order of spending matters this year. The UK advice says several airlines have suspended flights to and from Cuba, that others are keeping their routes under review and that options for leaving the country could shrink further if the situation worsens. A visa fee, a non-refundable hotel deposit or a prepaid excursion is money at risk if your flight is canceled. Book a ticket you can change or refund, confirm it with the airline a few days before departure, and ask your hotel what happens to your booking if you cannot arrive. If you are already in Cuba, the advice says to consider carefully whether your presence is essential and to be ready to change plans quickly.

Start eight or more weeks before departure with vaccine advice and insurance. Six to eight weeks before, check your passport dates and book flights that you can change. Three to four weeks before, apply for the tourist visa, allowing time for the code to arrive. In the 48 hours before check-in, which meets both the UK and German timing, complete D'Viajeros and save the PDF. Pack cash, medicines, a power bank and printed copies of everything. For insurance, compare policies in the travel insurance overview and check whether yours covers a destination where your government advises against travel.

Do not complete D'Viajeros weeks ahead of time. Do not use an agency whose price or site you cannot verify. Do not forget to enter the visa code. Do not assume a card will work. Do not pack a drone. Do not travel on a passport that fails the stricter validity reading.