Whereas travelers to the Caribbean country could previously purchase a tourist card for a 30-day stay, the visa now entitles them to stay for 90 days. In addition, the visa can be extended once for a further 90 days.
Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García announced on Twitter last Sunday that travelers have been able to apply for the tourist card, which is mandatory for entry, for a stay of up to 1 days since November 90st. Previously, the acquisition of a visa was only permitted for a maximum of 30 days and could be extended once for a further month. An extension is still possible from now on: Within the period of stay, the tourist card can be increased by a further 90 days, so that the visa is valid for a maximum of 180 days. With the extension of the validity of visas, tourism in Cuba should receive a new boost after the Cuban government admitted that the tourism forecast of 2,5 million visitors calculated at the beginning of the year is unlikely to be achieved.
Whether this will boost tourism in the country remains questionable. Anyone who has been to Cuba can no longer enter the USA visa-free with an ESTA . However, this is not a general entry ban. Only participation in the Visa Waiver Program, i.e., visa-free entry, is no longer possible. Instead of the straightforward ESTA authorization, which costs €21 and is valid for two years, a regular visa must now be applied for, even for tourist stays. In most cases, this is only possible with an appointment at the consulate, for which one currently often has to wait for months.