Yes, most Cuban citizens need a visa for Vietnam. Only holders of a passport for public affairs are exempt, under an agreement between the two governments. An ordinary Cuban passport is not, so the usual choice is the Vietnam visa for Cuban citizens issued online: a 90-day e-visa costing US$25 for single entry or US$50 for multiple entry, usually ready in about 3 working days.
Many websites say Cubans can visit Vietnam without a visa, because of the close ties between the two countries. That is only true for official travel. This page explains which passports are exempt, the options for Cubans with Spanish citizenship, how to pay when Cuban cards do not work online, timing, flights and the embassies on both sides.
Vietnam visa for Cuban citizens: quick facts (November 2026)
- Ordinary Cuban passport: visa needed. Use the 90-day e-visa, US$25 single or US$50 multiple entry.
- Passport for public affairs (or an ordinary passport endorsed for public affairs): visa-exempt.
- Spanish passport: up to 45 days visa-free for Cuban-Spanish dual citizens.
- Processing: about 3 working days, longer around Tet.
- Payment: Cuban bank cards usually cannot pay foreign websites, so ask someone abroad or a service to pay.
- Embassies: Vietnam in Havana; Cuba in Hanoi, plus a consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City.
How many Cuban visitors go to Vietnam
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security counted 1,509 arrivals from Cuba in 2019. The number fell to 23 in 2021, when Vietnam’s borders were closed, and then recovered strongly to 825 in 2022, more than half of the pre-pandemic level. In January 2023 alone, 159 Cubans arrived.
Vietnam visa for Cuban citizens: which passports are exempt
| Passport | Visa needed? | Best choice |
|---|---|---|
| Passport for public affairs | No | Travel on it for official missions |
| Ordinary passport endorsed “for public affairs” | No | Official travel only |
| Ordinary Cuban passport | Yes | E-visa, up to 90 days, US$25 / US$50 |
| Spanish passport (dual citizens) | No, up to 45 days | Short trips |
| Phu Quoc island | No, up to 30 days | Direct flights to Phu Quoc only |
In short, if you travel for tourism, family or private business, you need an e-visa on an ordinary passport, even if you are going to meet Vietnamese partners.
Cubans with Spanish citizenship
A large number of Cubans have gained Spanish nationality in recent years, many of them through Spain’s Democratic Memory Law for descendants of Spaniards. If you already hold a Spanish passport, you can enter Vietnam on it for up to 45 days without a visa. Then use the same passport for check-in, entry and exit. However, a pending Spanish application or a birth certificate does not count; until your passport is issued, apply for the e-visa on your Cuban passport.
How to apply for a Vietnam visa as a Cuban citizen
- Check your passport. It must be valid for at least six months after arrival, with blank pages.
- Write your name exactly as in the passport, including both surnames. If the form will not take accents or ñ, copy the spelling from the two lines of letters at the bottom of your data page.
- Prepare a 4×6 cm portrait on a white background, no glasses, plus a full scan of the data page. See our Vietnam visa photo guide.
- Arrange the payment. Cuban-issued cards usually cannot pay on international websites. So ask a relative abroad or your partner company to pay with an international card, or apply through our service.
- Apply on evisa.gov.vn and choose your entry gate from the list of e-visa ports of entry.
Business travel between Cuba and Vietnam
Vietnamese companies are among the most active Asian investors in Cuba. For example, Viglacera develops the ViMariel industrial park in the Mariel Special Development Zone, and Thai Binh Group runs the Suchel TBC joint venture. As a result, many Cuban visitors are engineers, managers and officials. Official delegations usually travel on passports for public affairs, while employees of joint ventures on ordinary passports need an e-visa; a multiple-entry e-visa (US$50) suits repeated trips within 90 days.
When to apply: time difference, holidays and flights
Vietnam is 12 hours ahead of Havana in winter and 11 hours ahead in summer. The 3 working days are counted on Hanoi time, so if you apply at 9 pm on a Thursday in Havana, it is already 9 am on Friday in Hanoi, and Friday counts as your first working day. Read more in our Vietnam visa processing time guide.
- July, August and December: the busiest travel periods. Apply at least 2 weeks before you fly.
- Tet: Vietnam’s Lunar New Year starts on 6 February 2027. Processing slows or pauses around it; in 2026 the pause ran from 14 to 22 February.
- Flights: there are no direct flights. Most routes connect in Madrid, Paris, Istanbul or Moscow, so check each transit country’s rules for Cuban passports too.
Embassies on both sides
Embassy of Vietnam in Havana. It handles paper visas, official travel and consular matters. You do not need it for an e-visa.
Embassy of Cuba in Hanoi, with a consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City. Contact them if you lose your passport or need consular help during your trip.
Worked examples
- Couple from Havana visiting friends in Hanoi for 3 weeks: two single-entry e-visas (US$25 each), paid by a relative in Spain.
- Engineer from Mariel training in Vietnam twice in 2 months: one multiple-entry e-visa (US$50) on an ordinary passport, covering both visits within 90 days.
- Cuban-Spanish dual citizen, 2-week holiday: no visa needed on the Spanish passport, because the trip is under 45 days.
- Ministry official on a work mission: no visa needed on a passport for public affairs.
FAQ: Vietnam visa for Cuban citizens
Do Cuban citizens need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes, on an ordinary passport. Only passports for public affairs, or ordinary passports endorsed for public affairs, are exempt.
Is there a Vietnamese embassy in Cuba?
Yes, in Havana. You do not need to visit it for an e-visa.
Can I get a visa on arrival?
Only with an approval letter arranged before the flight, and only at international airports. See our guide to Vietnam visa on arrival.
Do I need the Digital Arrival Card?
If you land in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc or Cam Ranh, submit the free card within 72 hours before arrival. It is not a visa. Learn more about the Vietnam e-visa.
Sources: Vietnam Government Resolutions 44/NQ-CP, 229/NQ-CP, 127/NQ-CP and 389/NQ-CP; Vietnam Ministry of Public Security arrival figures; Visa policy of Vietnam (Wikipedia). Last reviewed: 9 November 2026. We are an independent visa service, not a government website.
