Havana Cuba. – Cuba is experiencing one of its worst crises in recent decades. Scarcity, the repressive response of the Cuban State after the massive protests of July 11, 2021 and the new, more intransigent legal framework of the Government have forced thousands of Cubans to flee their country.
According to data from the United States Customs and Border Protection Office, more than 140,000 Cubans have entered that country in 2022 and the number is expected to continue to rise.
Faced with this situation, several Latin American countries have modified their immigration policies. Some are even asking Cubans for transit visas to stay in airports while they board their connecting flights.
Below is a summary of the visa situation for Cubans in various countries in the region. The data comes from official information from embassies and consulates.
Argentina
To travel to the Argentine Republic it is necessary to have a tourist or transit visa if your flight makes a stopover in that country. Visas are requested in person and for this you must make an appointment at the consulate by calling (+53) 7204 2573 (extensions 102, 103, 104 and 105).
bolivia
The Andean nation allows transit without a visa, as long as the stay in its airports is less than 24 hours and the traveler carries the confirmed tickets and reservations for the next trip. However, to enter Bolivian territory for a period of up to 90 days, a tourist visa issued by the consulate is required.
To obtain information on the tourist visa, the embassy makes available the email [email protected] and the phone (+53) 7214 0756.
Brazil
It does not require a transit visa to be in its airports for up to 24 hours while boarding another flight. The traveler must have all the tickets that confirm their journey. To leave the airport, a tourist visa is required, which can be obtained from the consulate in Havana. Telephones (+53) 7214 4713 – 16 (extension 115) and (+53) 5285 1576. Appointments can be requested by sending an email to [email protected].
Chili
Chile allows visa-free transit for those travelers who have their connecting flight within the next 24 hours. They must have the plane tickets that confirm their journey and they will not be able to leave the airport to enter Chilean territory.
Colombia
In order to transit through Colombian airports, a transit visa is required, requested at the consulate of that country in Cuba. However, on February 15, 2022, Colombia warned that it would not accept new transit visa applications until the requests were answered by February 11.
Cubans also need a visa to enter Colombian territory, the so-called type V visas, which last up to 30 days.
Costa Rica
The Costa Rican State announced last February that Cubans need a transit visa for flights that make a stopover in its territory and the visa only allows a stay of 12 hours until boarding the next flight. The appointment for the transit visa is requested in the email [email protected]. More details on the required documentation can be accessed at this link.
To enter Costa Rican territory, Cubans need a tourist visa that they can apply for at the country’s consulate in Havana. The appointment for this visa must be made by calling (+53) 7204 6937 or by email [email protected].
Ecuador
Ecuador does not ask for a transit visa for Cubans. However, Cubans wishing to travel to Ecuador do need a tourist visa. The appointment must be made in the following link.
The Savior
According to the official website of the Consulate General of the Republic of El Salvador in Havana, “Cuban citizens do not require a transit visa, as long as the stopover does not exceed 12 hours and they must stay within the limits of the airport.”
Guatemala
The Republic of Guatemala allows Cubans to transit through their country without the need for a visa with a limit of eight hours until boarding the next flight and as long as the passengers remain within the airport area. Passengers need to have all the documentation for their next confirmed flight.
Haiti
Cubans do not need a transit visa to stop at Haitian airports. To enter Haitian territory, they do need a tourist visa that lasts up to one year with multiple entries.
Mexico
Mexico does not request a transit visa from Cubans who need to stop at its airports to travel to third countries. The stay must have a maximum time of 24 hours and the passenger must have all the documentation that confirms an international flight outside of Mexico.
To travel to Mexico, Cubans do need a tourist visa issued by the consular office of the Aztec country in Havana.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua does not ask for a visa for Cubans.
Panama
The Panamanian government approved the transit visa requirement for Cubans last March. The only exceptions are Cubans who travel back to the Island with a stopover in Panama and those who have valid residence (not less than six months at the time of transit) or multiple visas previously used in the United States or Canada.
Those Cubans who have residence or multiple visas from the states that are part of the European Union, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom and Singapore are also excluded from transit visas.
The rest of the travelers with Cuban nationality must request a transit visa to make a stopover in Panama. This visa will only authorize a 24-hour stay in the international transit area of the airport, in order to continue the trip to another destination.
Peru
In the legislation of this country there is no category of transit visa and at the Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Cubans who make connections without the need to do immigration control for a new check in or pick up luggage do not need a visa.
Recently, the Peruvian government explained in a statement that Cubans do require a visa to “enter, stay and leave Peruvian territory.”
Dominican Republic
The Government of the Dominican Republic updated its immigration policy for Cubans on March 23 and announced that they will need a transit visa to make a stopover at its airports.
Cubans who have a visa, residence or citizenship of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, the countries of the European Union or the member countries of the Schengen area are exempt from presenting a transit visa.
Uruguay
Cubans who need to stop over at airports in Uruguay will need a transit visa. Likewise, those who wish to visit the Uruguayan territory must apply for a tourist visa at the country’s consulate in Havana.
Venezuela
Cubans need a transit visa to make a stopover in Bolivarian territory. Applicants must fill out an application form that can be downloaded at the consulate’s website.
*This work was done in collaboration with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR).
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