Visa Requirements
Do South African citizens need a visa for Cuba?
Official Requirement
e-Visa required
for South Africa citizens travelling to Cuba
Visitors who require a tourist visa may apply online through the official e-visa platform before departure. All travellers must also complete the D'Viajeros online arrival form within 72 hours before entry.
Checked 19 September 2026
We are not a government authority. Requirements change without notice. Always verify with the official consulate link before travel.
Havana
The short answer
South African citizens need an eVisa to enter Cuba. An eVisa has to be applied for and approved online before travelling to Cuba. On arrival: every passenger must complete the D'Viajeros advance traveller information form before arriving. The Ministry of Transport describes it as a mandatory digital form serving the Directorate of Identification, Immigration and Foreign Nationals, the General Customs of the Republic, and the Ministry of Public Health. This covers tourist and short business visits only, not work, study or residence, and a border officer makes the final decision on entry in every case. Entry rules change without notice, so the requirement is read again from the official source on a schedule and the date above is the last time that happened. This was last checked on 19 September 2026.
At a glance
Key facts for South African citizens visiting Cuba
- Requirement
- e-Visa required
- On arrival
- Every passenger must complete the D'Viajeros advance traveller information form before arriving. The Ministry of Transport describes it as a mandatory digital form serving the Directorate of Identification, Immigration and Foreign Nationals, the General Customs of the Republic, and the Ministry of Public Health.
- Official source
- Official source for this route →
Step by step
How South African citizens enter Cuba
Check your passport is valid for the whole trip. Many countries also want it valid for a period beyond your departure date, so confirm the exact rule on the official page below.
Apply online before you travel and wait for approval. Book nothing that you cannot change until the approval arrives.
Carry proof of onward or return travel and of where you are staying. Border officers ask for both, and an airline can refuse boarding without them.
Check the requirement again close to your departure date. This route was last checked on 19 September 2026, and rules change without notice.
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Reconsider Travel
UK FCDO: The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the whole of Cuba due to shortages of fuel, food, and medicine, repeated power grid failures, and related disruption to transport, medical care, and communications. International card payments have been banned since 6 June, so visitors need to carry enough cash for their whole stay. Some international airlines have suspended flights, which may limit departure options.
Updated 2026-07-19 10:39:20
Practical Info
Travel Essentials
Apply for your Cuba eVisa
Official eVisa application — processed in minutes with instant confirmation.
Questions
What South African citizens ask about entering Cuba
Yes. South African citizens need an eVisa, applied for and approved online before travelling to Cuba. This was last checked on 19 September 2026.
Through the official application page linked on this page. Yoogo does not process applications and takes no fee for them.
A passport valid for the trip, proof of onward or return travel, and proof of where you are staying. Officers can ask for evidence that you can support yourself for the visit. Entry is always the officer's decision, whatever the paperwork says.
Cuba uses CUP. Check the rate before you exchange anything at the airport, where the spread is usually widest.
Changes to this route
No changes recorded since the first check on 19 September 2026.
Full change history for this route →