Cuba entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): At least 6 months after the day you arrive and at least 3 months after the day you leave
Visa (FCDO): Read the official visa text below
Official source: GOV.UK – Cuba travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 25 September 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Cuba, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Australian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Do I need a visa for Cuba with a British passport?
We quote the FCDO text word for word and do not summarise it: its first sentence has conditions or a wording we do not turn into a one-line answer.
If you’re visiting Cuba as a tourist, you need to get a tourist visa, also known as a tourist card, before you travel. Apply through the Cuban Embassy in the UK or check with your travel agent or tour operator. You can also apply for an electronic visa through the eVisa-Cuba site. When your application is approved, you will receive a ten-character code which should be entered as you fill in your advance passenger information on the DViajeros platform (see below). This will generate a QR code to be presented to the immigration authorities at the border. The electronic visa will be linked to the applicant’s passport.
You must also show proof of onward or return travel. See Cuba’s consular services information for details.
For more information and advice about other types of visas, contact the Cuban Embassy in the UK.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Overstaying your visa
The authorities take any breach of immigration rules seriously. You could be detained if you overstay your visa.
Checks at border control
You must complete an online arrival form on the D’Viajeros traveller information portal within 72 hours before entering the country. You’ll get a QR code by email. This must be shown to the authorities on arrival as an electronic or printed version. Airlines will check completion of the form at check-in.
You should download or print your completed DViajeros form as a PDF, as wifi may not be accessible to do so on arrival in Cuba.
Travelling from the USA to Cuba
US regulations do not authorise tourist travel to Cuba from the US. Travellers departing the US for Cuba are generally required to certify that their travel falls within one of the 12 categories for which the US authorities approve direct travel to Cuba.
For more information see the US State Department’s travel advice for Cuba.
Travelling from Cuba to the USA
You cannot travel from Cuba to the USA without a US visa.
Official source: GOV.UK – Cuba travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 25 September 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter Cuba, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and 3 months after your planned departure date.
Official source: GOV.UK – Cuba travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 25 September 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Cuba
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 25 September 2026: “This travel advice has been reviewed for accuracy with changes made throughout, including protests in Cuba, power outages and fuel and water shortages, travel disruption, international card transactions, travel insurance, visa requirements, travelling to the USA from Cuba, taking money into Cuba, crime, money, taxis, emergency medical numbers and healthcare in Cuba (‘Warnings and insurance’, ‘Entry requirements’, ‘Safety and security’ and ‘Health’ pages).”
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 30 June 2025: “Updated information about power outages in Cuba and visa requirements ('Warnings and insurance' and 'Entry requirements' page).”
- 25 September 2023: “New links provided on customs regulations (‘Entry Requirements’ page).”
- 17 January 2023: “Updated Cuban customs website and email ('Entry requirements' page).”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Cuba (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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