Tourist Visa
You can use a tourist visa if you are staying in a hotel or a rental house. If you are staying with a friend or relative, you need a personal visa. You can buy a tourist card or visa at airports in Montreal and Toronto and at the three Cuban consulates in Canada. Your airline, travel agent or tour operator may obtain a tourist card for you. You can get a tourist visa by mail in a few days. Send the application form (available on the consulate website); a money order for $56 CAD; a photocopy of the photo page of your passport; a self-addressed stamped envelope.
If you were born in Canada, you may stay in Cuba for six months. However, you will have to apply to immigration authorities or with a tourism office in Cuba for an extension before the 90th day of your visit. If you were not born in Canada, but are traveling under a Canadian passport, you may only be allowed to stay in Cuba for 30 days. You will be informed of how long you may stay when you enter Cuba.
Personal Visa
Personal visas are only given to people who have close relatives in Cuba or are married to a Cuban citizen. You can obtain a personal visa through the mail or in person at one of the Cuban consulates in Canada. It will take you at least 15 days to get a personal visa. You will need the application (available on the consulate website); your passport or a photocopy of your passport's main page; a photocopy of your marriage certificate (if you are married to a Cuban citizen); a money order or certified check for $112 CAD. If you are applying by mail, you must pay an extra $32 CAD and prepay return messenger service. If you apply in person at the consulate in Toronto or Ottawa, you can also pay in cash.
Business Visa
A business visa is required if you are going to conduct any business in Cuba. You will need the A-7 visa to explore business opportunities in Cuba, or a D-7 to conduct business in Cuba. If you are applying for an A-7 visa, the Cuban consulate recommends that you contact the Commercial Office at the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa for introduction to appropriate companies. For a D-7 visa, you will need to provide letters from both the Cuban and Canadian companies involved in the business with your application. Both types of business visas allow you to stay for seven days.
You can get a business visa through the mail or in person at the Cuban consulate. You will need the application (available on the consulate website); a photocopy of the main page of your passport; a money order or certified check for $112 CAD. If you are applying by mail, you must pay an extra $32 CAD and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. You can obtain an urgent business visa in one day for an additional $32 CAD. If you apply in person at the consulate in Toronto or Ottawa, you can also pay in cash.
Student Visa
A student visa is required to study or do research in Cuba. You must have been accepted by a university or institution to be eligible for a student visa. The educational organization that has accepted you will apply for a visa on your behalf. You will be notified when the visa is approved. You can pick up your student visa in person at the Cuban consulate or by mail. You will need a student visa application form (available on the consulate website) and a money order or certified check for $112 CAD. If you are applying by mail, you must pay an extra $32 CAD and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. If you apply in person at the consulate in Toronto or Ottawa, you can pay in cash.
