Mandatory travel insurance for Cuba

Cuba requires foreign visitors to hold travel insurance with medical coverage in order to enter the country. It is not a new rule or a formality invented for tourists: it is an entry condition that has been in place for years, and it is best sorted out before you board your flight. This guide explains what the policy should cover, how to prove it at the border, and why travel insurance has nothing to do with the D'Viajeros form, which is a separate, free requirement.

In brief: to travel to Cuba you need travel insurance that includes medical assistance and expenses. You can buy it at home or, if you arrive without it, purchase a policy on arrival. Carry a printed copy. Insurance does not replace D'Viajeros, and D'Viajeros does not replace insurance.

Why Cuba requires medical insurance

Cuba established some time ago that tourists and other foreign visitors must hold an insurance policy covering healthcare during their stay. The reasoning is simple: if you fall ill or have an accident, medical care in the country has a cost, and the authorities want to avoid travelers being left without coverage or leaving unpaid hospital bills.

The rule applies to most nationalities. It does not matter whether you fly in from the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom: if you are a foreign visitor traveling for tourism, you are expected to carry insurance. In practice, checks vary and you may not be asked at the desk, but the rule exists and they can require it.

In short: medical insurance is an entry condition meant to ensure no visitor travels without healthcare coverage.

What the policy must cover

This is where it pays to look closely. Not just any card or product will do: you want travel insurance that includes, at a minimum, medical assistance and expenses during your stay in Cuba. A good policy usually covers:

• Medical expenses for illness or accident during the trip.
• Hospitalization in a Cuban facility.
• Sometimes repatriation or medical evacuation in serious cases.
• Emergency care and, in some products, medication.

We do not quote specific amounts, because coverage limits and sums insured depend on each insurer and each policy, and they change often. The sensible approach is to read the terms and confirm with your provider that the coverage is valid in Cuba before you buy.

Worth knowing: trip-cancellation insurance or baggage insurance do NOT cover medical care. Make sure your policy explicitly includes medical expenses and hospitalization, not only travel disruptions.

In short: look for a policy with medical expenses and hospitalization; repatriation is a desirable extra. Always confirm the terms with your insurer.

What to check when comparing policies

Not all policies are equal, and price is not everything. Before you buy, go through what each policy offers point by point. This table sums up the aspects worth checking and what to look for in each one:

With this list in hand, comparing two offers is much easier: do not stop at the amount, look at what each one actually covers.

In short: compare coverage, validity in Cuba, duration and assistance, not just price; always print the proof.

The catch with U.S. insurance

This point is sensitive and needs to be explained carefully. Because of the sanctions the United States maintains on Cuba, some U.S. insurers do not provide coverage on the island or exclude Cuba from their policies. In other words, you could hold a policy that is perfectly valid at home and discover, once in Cuba, that it does not respond there.

If your insurance is issued by a U.S. company, or if you bought your ticket through a U.S. airline, the prudent thing is to ask the insurer directly whether Cuba is included. Do not assume it is. This is a common concern for U.S. travelers in particular, so check it case by case and, if in doubt, buy a policy that expressly covers Cuba.

In short: because of sanctions, some U.S. policies may not be valid in Cuba; verify it with your insurer before you travel.

Does your airline ticket include it?

Here is an important distinction many travelers overlook. Some airline tickets already include basic medical insurance for Cuba, built into the fare, and others include nothing at all. It depends on the carrier and the route.

• Certain airlines flying to Cuba add minimal medical coverage to the ticket.
• Other carriers include nothing and expect the traveler to bring their own insurance.
• If your ticket includes insurance, it is often enough for the entry requirement, but keep the document that proves it.

The best move is to ask your airline whether the ticket carries insurance and, if so, request the proof. If it does not, buy a policy on your own.

In short: some tickets include basic insurance and others do not; ask your airline and keep the proof.

How to prove it at the border

If you are asked to show insurance on arrival, the safest way to be in order is to carry the printed policy. Even though almost everything runs on phones now, at an immigration checkpoint paper spares you from relying on battery or signal.

• Carry the policy on paper, with your name, the travel dates and the coverage.
• The document can be in English or Spanish; both are understood at the border.
• If your insurance comes with the ticket, also bring the airline's proof.
• Keep the insurer's assistance phone number handy in case of emergency.

They do not always review insurance at the desk, but they may do so on a spot-check basis. Being prepared costs nothing and saves you trouble.

In short: carry the printed policy, in English or Spanish, with your details and coverage clearly shown.

Insurance and D'Viajeros are not the same thing

This is the most common mix-up, so let us be clear. D'Viajeros is Cuba's Advance Passenger Information: a digital form, mandatory and free, that consolidates the personal, migration, health and customs data that used to be collected on several paper forms. It generates a QR code you present on arrival.

Medical insurance is something entirely different: it is a policy you buy from an insurer (or that already comes with your ticket) covering your healthcare costs in Cuba. D'Viajeros is not insurance and includes no medical coverage. Filling in the form does not insure you, and having insurance does not exempt you from the form.

Worth knowing: D'Viajeros is free and completed on the official portal; insurance costs money and is bought from an insurer. They are two separate requirements you must meet separately.

In short: D'Viajeros is a free data form; insurance is a paid medical policy. You need both.

Cover the whole family and the whole stay

Two details are easily overlooked and later cause trouble. The first is duration: the policy must cover every day of your trip, from departure to return, with no gaps. If you extend your stay, check that the coverage extends too.

The second is who travels with you. If you go with your partner, your children or your parents, each person needs to be covered. Some family policies include everyone on a single document; others require separate purchases. Pay particular attention to:

• Minors, who must appear on the policy as insured.
• Older travelers, who sometimes face age limits or surcharges.
• Pre-existing conditions, which may be excluded if not declared.

Read the document carefully before you pay, and confirm any doubts about coverage or exclusions with the insurer.

Worth knowing: if you travel as a family, check that each member is listed as insured. One covered adult does not automatically cover the children traveling with them.

In short: make sure the policy covers the whole stay and everyone traveling with you, children included.

Entry requirements: how each piece fits

To travel to Cuba fully in order, think of several requirements that do not overlap:

1. A valid passport, with several months of validity to be safe.
2. A tourist card or eVisa (a paid entry document; check which one applies to you).
3. Medical insurance covering medical expenses and hospitalization.
4. D'Viajeros, the free digital form with its QR code.
5. Sometimes, an onward or return ticket showing you are not staying indefinitely.

Each one is independent. Insurance does not replace the tourist card, and D'Viajeros does not replace insurance. Cover all of them.

In short: passport, tourist card or eVisa, medical insurance and D'Viajeros are distinct requirements; none replaces another.

Buying insurance on arrival

What if you land without insurance? The good news is that, in general, it is possible to buy a policy on arrival, at the airport or point of entry. It is an emergency route, not the ideal one, because it is done in a hurry and the terms offered at the border may not be the ones you would have chosen.

The recommended approach is to arrive with insurance already in place from home, calmly, comparing coverage. Keep the arrival-purchase option only for the case where you have ended up without valid coverage.

Worth knowing: buying insurance ahead of time is usually not only cheaper, it also lets you compare coverage calmly and reach the border with the proof already printed.

In short: you can buy a policy on arrival, but it is better to travel with insurance already bought and verified.

What happens if you do not have it

If you show up without insurance and it is required, you will most likely be made to buy a policy at the point of entry before being allowed through. In practice this means paying on the spot, with no choice of product and sometimes worse terms than you would have found at home.

In extreme cases, failing to meet an entry requirement can cause problems and delays. It is not worth the risk: insurance is cheap to arrange in advance and expensive to improvise at the airport.

In short: without insurance you may be forced to buy it at the border on poor terms; planning ahead always works out better.

Useful links to prepare your trip

If you are organizing your entry to Cuba, these articles will help you get everything in order:

• What is the D'Viajeros form
• Cuba tourist card and eVisa
• Cuba entry requirements
• Cuba customs and cash declaration

In short: insurance is one piece of a set of requirements; review the tourist card, customs and D'Viajeros too.

Tips depending on where you travel from

Your situation changes quite a bit depending on your departure point, so it helps to fine-tune:

• From the United States: this is where the sanctions catch matters most. Confirm in writing that your policy covers Cuba, and if in doubt buy one from an insurer that expressly names the island. Flights via Miami are common but do not change the insurance rule.
• From Canada: many Canadian travel policies cover Cuba, a frequent winter destination, but check that your specific plan does not exclude it and that the medical limit is adequate.
• From the United Kingdom: confirm that your annual or single-trip policy includes Cuba and that it is valid for the full length of your stay, layovers included.
• Via a third country: if you connect through another country, make sure the policy covers the whole trip, not only the days on the island.

In every case the advice is the same: buy ahead of time, keep the proof, and carry the assistance phone number with you.

In short: match the policy to your route and nationality, but always buy ahead and with coverage that expressly applies to Cuba.

Key points

• Cuba requires foreign visitors to carry travel insurance with medical coverage.
• The policy must cover medical expenses and hospitalization; repatriation is a desirable extra.
• Some airline tickets already include basic insurance and others do not; ask your airline.
• Because of sanctions, some U.S. policies may not be valid in Cuba: confirm it.
• Carry the printed policy, in English or Spanish, in case you are asked at the border.
• Insurance is not D'Viajeros: one is a paid policy, the other a free form.

FAQ about travel insurance for Cuba

Is medical insurance mandatory to enter Cuba?

Yes. Cuba requires foreign visitors to carry travel insurance with medical assistance coverage. Even if it is not always checked at the desk, it is an entry condition and they can ask you for it.

What must the insurance cover?

At a minimum, medical expenses and hospitalization during your stay. Many policies add repatriation and emergency care. Confirm the exact coverage with your insurer before buying.

How much does the insurance cost?

We do not quote amounts, because they depend on each insurer, the country, the length of the trip and the coverage. Compare several options and confirm the price and terms directly with the company.

Does D'Viajeros include medical insurance?

No. D'Viajeros is a free digital form for personal, migration, health and customs data. It is not a policy and includes no medical coverage. They are two separate requirements.

Can I buy insurance when I arrive in Cuba?

Generally yes, it is possible to buy a policy at the point of entry. It is an emergency option; the recommended approach is to travel with insurance already bought and verified from home.

Is my U.S. insurance valid in Cuba?

It may not be. Because of U.S. sanctions, some U.S. insurers exclude Cuba from their policies. Ask your company directly whether the coverage is valid on the island.

How do I prove insurance at the border?

Carry the printed policy with your name, the travel dates and the coverage. It can be in English or Spanish. If the insurance comes with your ticket, also bring the airline's proof.

Does my airline ticket already include insurance?

It depends on the airline and the route. Some carriers add basic medical coverage to the fare and others include nothing. Ask your airline and request the document that proves it.

What happens if I arrive without insurance?

You will likely be required to buy a policy at the point of entry before being allowed through, on terms you may not choose. It can cause delays. It is better to sort it out in advance.

Does insurance replace the tourist card or eVisa?

No. Insurance, the tourist card or eVisa, and D'Viajeros are distinct, independent requirements. None replaces another; you must meet all that apply to you.

Last updated: July 2026. Entry rules change; always confirm the current requirements on the official D'Viajeros (MITRANS) portal and with your airline before you travel.