Want to know how to live in Cuba on a tourist visa or with residency?
This article will provide you with the basics of how to achieve that.
By first talking about living in Cuba on a tourist visa…
Then moving onto the nuances of that…
Such as the possibility of doing a visa run….
And also the consequences of overstaying your visa…
Before ending it on the topic of the temporary and permanent residency programs that exist.
For those who wish to live in this country longer than what a tourist visa allows…
And do to so legally and with more security.
So let’s get to it!
Tourist Visa in Cuba
You can stay in Cuba for 30 days upon entry.
From my understanding, it seems possible to extend your visa while in Cuba for another 30 days.
And, according to this source, Canadians are initially allowed 90 days…
And you can apparently renew your visa repeatedly but you have to leave the country for 3 days if you intend to renew your 30 day visa for a second time or more.
Overstay Your Visa?
From what I have read online, Cuba seems relatively stricter on those who overstay their visa.
With some apparently spending many hours with immigration to resolve the issue.
Anyway, I couldn’t find any specific dollar amounts for fines for overstaying in Cuba online by the Cuban government.
There also seems to be limited information online by other travelers.
The only actual dollar amount I could find online was by one person who claimed they had to pay 40 USD for a 7 day overstay.
So take it for what you will.
My impression reading about it online is that Cuba does seem more strict on people overstaying relative to most Latin American countries but the dollar amount you will pay for overstaying is not quite clear to me.
Visa Run?
From what I read, it doesn’t seem like Cuba has any restrictions on foreigners spending time in their country and coming back to renew their visa.
And, like I said before, they seem relatively more relaxed on foreigners renewing their visa locally without having to leave for another 30 days.
Anyway, based on what other foreigners have posted online, it seems a visa run is possible with Cuba.
Temporary Residency in Cuba
Thinking of getting temporary residency in Cuba?
Well, from what I have read, there are different visas available that give temporary residency, including the following:
D-1 visa for employees with technical, scientific, or other special qualifications
D-2 visa for students and scientists
D-3 visa for artists
D-4 visa for athletes
D-5 visa for asylum seekers and refugees
D-6 visa for journalists
D-7 visa for traders and businesspeople
D-8 visa for religious workers
D-10 visa for medical tourists
Permanent Residency in Cuba
From my understanding, Cuba seems relatively restrictive compared to other Latin American countries on who can get permanent residency in the country.
It seems only folks who marry a Cuban citizen, can put 5000 CUC (5,000 USD) into a Cuban bank account and can prove financial sustainability can gain permanent residency in the country.
Anyway, the source for that is here.
That seems to be the case for permanent residency.
Now that’s the basic info for residency in this country. More to come later.
And if you have any questions or comments, drop them below.
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Thanks.
Best regards,
Matt