Cuba is a country that attracts tourists from all over the world with its national color and vibrant nature. It also has excellent leisure facilities.
Residents of Russia very often seek to visit the “Liberty Island”, but getting to it is not so easy - the country has established a visa regime for entry for foreigners. Do Russians need a visa to Cuba? What are the conditions for its receipt and what list of documents must be provided for this? About it further.
What is a visa?
A visa is a document that provides the right to enter a specific state and stay on its territory for a certain period. Russians can obtain this permission only in the representative offices of Cuba, organized in Russia, subject to the presentation of a certain package of documents.
Such a permit document, such as a visa, is a small stamp, which is put on the page of the passport. In some countries, it takes the form of a small card, which is pasted into an international document. As for Cuba, a visa authorizing entry and stay in this state is a card that is issued to the tourist in his arms.
Who does not need to apply for permission
Do Russians need a visa to Cuba? There are two answers to this question: yes and no. Among the citizens of the country who do not need to apply for permission to enter and stay include all those who plan to travel with a view to tourism. However, there are some restrictions for this category: they can stay on the territory of Liberty Island for no more than 30 days.
In order for the Cuban migration service to allow the state to cross the border, Russian citizens must have certain documents with them. Particular attention in the process of their consideration is paid to those that confirm the purpose of the visit, as tourism.
Documents for visa-free entry
So, what documents should be presented in order to enter Cuba without a visa? First of all, you must have a passport with you, the validity of which at the time of arrival expires in no less than 30 days. In addition, each tourist must have a couple of copies of the migration card, the issuance of which is carried out on the plane at the time of flight. It is recommended to fill it in during the flight from Russia to the island, since at this time the flight attendants can advise on the correctness of the data entry.
The above documents should also be accompanied by pre-arranged insurance and a return ticket, the departure date for which is scheduled no later than 30 days after the arrival time. As practice shows, instead of the original tickets in the migration service, you can also present a document that indicates their reservation.
In addition to all of the above, travelers who plan to enter Cuba without a visa must confirm their financial viability.
Confirmation of financial solvency
A document that is suitable for confirming the financial viability of a tourist can be an extract from a bank account issued in his name, travel checks, as well as an extract from a personal card of an international format. In addition, some tourists provide the migration service with a pre-prepared certificate drawn up at the place of work. It must contain information on the company or organization in which the tourist carries out his labor activity, his position, as well as data on wages for the last six months. In the event that a person is engaged in entrepreneurial activities, he can provide data on his income.
A variant of confirmation of financial solvency can also be a sponsorship letter, the content of which says that a certain person assumes obligations to make all payments during the trip. If such a letter is presented, it is necessary to provide confirmation of the financial solvency of the sponsor.
What amount is considered optimal in order to confirm the financial position of the traveler? As practice shows, 50 US dollars for the day of the planned stay in Cuba is quite enough for this.
In the case of a trip with a child ...
In the event that a family trip is planned and the company of tourists has a minor, additional documents are required. Among them, special attention is paid to the original and copies of the birth certificate of the child, as well as his foreign passport. In the event that traveling children have reached the age of six, it is allowed to present passports of parents with pasted children's photos on their pages. For 14-year-old tourists (and older), a personal passport is required.
In the event that the child makes an entry to the island with one of the parents, among the documents it is necessary to provide a notarized permission to take the child from the second parent.
When a visa is required
As is clear from all the information provided above, for Russians, a visa to Cuba in 2018 is not needed, but only if they plan to make a short tourist trip, the duration of which will not exceed 30 calendar days. However, in practice, many residents of Russia want to go to Liberty Island for other purposes. In such cases, it is necessary to apply for a visa to Cuba for the Russians. How to do this - consider below.
What types of visas to Cuba are available? All of them are divided into several categories, depending on the intended purpose of the visit: student, business, guest, children. As practice shows, the procedure for obtaining such a permit is quite simple and completely does not require material investments.
Documents required to apply for a visa to Cuba for Russians
In order to apply for a permit to visit Cuba for a specific purpose, you need to go to the nearest embassy, consulate or visa center located on the territory of the Russian Federation. This can only be done by appointment, which should be done online.
What documents will be required to obtain a visa to Cuba for Russian citizens? First of all, originals and copies of identification documents, as well as citizenship of the Russian Federation (passport and internal Russian passport) should be provided. In addition, in the general package for obtaining a visa to Cuba, you should provide a questionnaire filled out in accordance with all requirements, you can always download its form on the website of the official representative office of Liberty Island in Russia.
Also, in order to obtain a permission document for target entry and stay, it is necessary to supplement the above package with four photographs measuring 3.5x4.5 cm and confirming the availability of residence in Cuba (hotel reservations, the presence of a hostel or relatives who can shelter).
In addition to all of the above, a paper confirming the validity of the purpose of the visit must be attached to the general package of documents. An example of this can be an official letter of invitation from a business partner located in Cuba, a copy of a labor agreement (for a work trip), a letter from a clinic (for treatment), a letter from a university, a copy of a student card, or an order for admission to a university ( for students and applicants planning to get an education in Cuba), an invitation from relatives (for a guest visa), etc.
Application Form Requirements
In the process of filling out the questionnaire, which is necessary in order to obtain a visa to Cuba, you should be especially careful. First of all, it should be remembered that each tourist must fill out such a document personally. As for minor children, their parents must fill out the questionnaire for them and put their signature on it.
What are the basic requirements for the content of the questionnaire? First of all, it should be understood that all the data that is entered into it must be presented in English. In addition, the tourist is obliged to provide all the data accurately, without errors or corrections. In accordance with the rules, all personal information should be entered in strict accordance with the way they are presented at the turn of the passport.
In the event that a mistake was made in the filling process or a correction was made, the embassy has every right to refuse a Russian citizen entry into the country.
Extension of a visa
Often there are situations when there is a need to extend the previously obtained targeted visa. In order to do this, you must contact the migration service with a specific package of documents. Among them, there must be a certificate from the hotel, in which the fact of residence, a monthly medical insurance, as well as a brand purchased at a bank branch (its cost is 65 cookies) will be confirmed.
As practice shows, in this way a visa for a trip to Cuba is extended without any problems. When giving an affirmative answer to extend the period of stay on Liberty Island, the applicant is issued a pink card. According to the established rules, such a procedure can be performed three times.
Features of applying for a business visa
What visa does Cuba need for Russians who plan to find a job on Liberty Island or open their own business? Business.
As practice shows, the procedure for submitting it is special, since it requires the submission of additional documents, including a separate application, a business invitation, and a certificate of employment, which indicates that the person was sent on vacation to make a targeted trip on business.
Another feature of the provision of this type of document permitting entry is that the passport must have a validity period of more than six months from the date of the alleged return of the person to Russia.
In the event that such a visa is issued by an individual entrepreneur, he is obliged to provide a copy of the declaration, which contains information about the payment of taxes, as well as a license, which allows him to do business.
A work visa can be granted for a period not exceeding a couple of weeks.
Features of applying for a student visa
Do you need a visa to Cuba in 2018 for Russians planning to get an education on the island? Yes, I need it. And moreover, for its provision it is necessary to present a certain package of documents that will confirm the purpose of the trip in an appropriate manner. In a standard package of such, there must be a certificate received at school, a medical certificate issued by a doctor recommended by the embassy, and a certificate of no criminal record. In the event that the university in which it is planned or is already taking place provides a student with a scholarship, it is necessary to provide a document confirming the financial viability of the person.
Student visa to Liberty Island is issued on a fee basis - its cost is $ 30. If desired, all documents can be submitted through the declared representative - in this case, the price of consideration of documents will be $ 50.
Guest Visa Features
Do I need a visa to Cuba to people who plan to visit their relatives or friends living on the island? Yes, its execution is necessary and provides for a number of nuances associated with the submission of documents. Among them, it is necessary to provide an invitation from relatives, duly executed. It must bear the seals of the regulatory authorities operating in Cuba, as well as the signature of the person who draws up the invitation. If necessary, this document can be replaced by confirmation of the hotel reservation.
As for the requirements for a passport, the main one is that its validity should be more than six months from the moment of arrival in the country.
The main conditions for obtaining a guest visa are not the personal arrival of a tourist at a representative office of the Cuban diplomatic mission in Russia - if necessary, all documents can be transferred through an officially authorized person. For this purpose, residents of Moscow can contact the embassy of Cuba, located on Bolshaya Ordynka 66.
As for the cost of processing an entry document, it is $ 30. As in the case of a student visa, in the case of filing documents through a representative, the visa fee sharply increases almost twice - up to $ 50. A visa is issued quite quickly - within five days. In appearance, it is a small document consisting of two parts (one of them at the time of tourist's entry is taken away by employees of the migration service).