🇨🇺 Travel Insurance for Cuba

Last updated: 26 August 2026

Quick Facts: Insurance is legally required and checked at entry • International cards stopped working in June 2026 • You cannot leave Cuba with an unpaid medical bill

Yes, Cuba Really Does Require Insurance

Cuba is one of the few countries where the requirement is real rather than advisory. It has been law since 1 May 2010, and the Government of Canada states plainly that you must be able to show proof of medical insurance on entry. If the proof you present does not satisfy Cuban immigration, you will be sent to buy a policy from Asistur S.A., the state insurer, which keeps an office inside the immigration area at the airport. That policy is more expensive and narrower than anything you would buy at home.

The policy has to be valid in Cuba specifically — a great many are not — and should cover emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation of remains. Visa-service sites commonly quote a US$10,000 minimum; that figure does not appear in any government guidance we could find, so treat it as a floor people cite rather than a published legal threshold.

If you fly on a US airline, Asistur cover is normally bundled into the ticket price and your boarding pass acts as proof. Confirm that on the airline's website rather than by phoning the call centre.

The June 2026 Change That Reshapes Everything

On 3 June 2026 the Cuban Central Bank announced that international cards, including Visa and Mastercard, would no longer be accepted in Cuba, with effect from 6 June. Payment is now cash or Cuban prepaid cards, and international cards will generally not work in ATMs either. The FCDO advises bringing enough cash to cover your entire stay plus an emergency.

For insurance this is not a detail, because three things now stack on top of each other:

Because of US sanctions, foreign insurers generally cannot transfer money to Cuban medical institutions. The normal arrangement is that you pay at the point of treatment and claim it back once you are home.
Since June 2026 you cannot make that payment with an international card.
The Government of Canada warns that Cuban authorities will not let you leave the country with outstanding medical bills.

Put together: a medical problem in Cuba can require you to produce physical cash before you are allowed to fly home. The FCDO puts a hospital stay at roughly £200 per day. Carry a cash reserve earmarked for medical costs, and choose a policy whose emergency assistance line can actually organise a payment or a cash transfer into Cuba — a reimbursement-only policy quietly assumes you can pay first, which is the assumption that breaks here.

Whose Policies Actually Work

US travellers. Medicare does not cover Cuba, and a number of US-affiliated insurers exclude the country outright rather than merely declining to pay — World Nomads, for instance, states on its own site that it cannot assist in an emergency in Cuba. Check for an explicit Cuba exclusion before you buy, not a general "worldwide" claim.

UK travellers. There is no UK–Cuba healthcare agreement and a GHIC is worthless there. Most UK policies do cover Cuba, but the FCDO has warned that the situation can deteriorate quickly and has issued guidance about leaving the country — check the current advice level before you buy, because travelling against FCDO advice invalidates most UK policies entirely.

Canadian travellers. Provincial health plans give very limited cover abroad, will not pay bills up front, and do not include air evacuation.

Healthcare: a Separate System for Foreigners

Cuba runs a two-tier system. Cuban citizens use the public network; foreigners are treated at the international clinics — Clínica Internacional Cira García in Havana is the best known, alongside Hospital CIMEQ. Cuban doctors are genuinely well trained, and the constraint is equipment and supply rather than skill.

Medication availability is unpredictable. Bring everything you take in its original packaging with the prescription, and bring more than the trip length. Serious cases may need evacuation to Mexico or the US, which is limited by how few international flights there are.

Other Risks Worth Insuring

Hurricane season runs June to November and disrupts travel badly. Trip interruption cover matters more here than in most destinations.
Dengue and Zika are present. Mosquito-borne illness is the most common medical reason travellers claim.
Internet access is limited and unreliable, so contacting your insurer at the moment you need to is not guaranteed. Print the policy, the certificate number and the emergency line on paper and carry them.

What Cover to Look For

Medical cover from $50,000 with Cuba named explicitly, not implied by a "worldwide" label. Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains stated separately, since both are part of the legal requirement. An assistance provider that can arrange payment inside Cuba rather than reimbursement only. Trip interruption for hurricane season. Bring the documents printed.

Recommended Providers for Cuba

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Because hospitals in Cuba commonly want payment before treatment, the payment model of your policy matters more than its headline limit. See SafetyWing vs Heymondo for reimbursement versus direct settlement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. It has been a legal entry requirement since 1 May 2010 and is checked at immigration. The Government of Canada states you must be able to show proof of medical insurance on entry, and the policy must be valid in Cuba specifically.

You will be directed to Asistur S.A., the Cuban state insurer, which has an office inside the immigration area at the airport. You can buy a policy there, but it costs more and covers less than one bought before departure.

No. On 3 June 2026 the Cuban Central Bank announced that international cards including Visa and Mastercard would stop being accepted from 6 June, and international cards generally will not work in ATMs either. Payment is cash or Cuban prepaid cards, so carry a cash reserve for medical costs.

Usually not. US sanctions mean foreign insurers generally cannot transfer funds to Cuban medical institutions, so the normal arrangement is that you pay at the point of treatment and claim it back at home. Choose an assistance provider that can organise a payment into Cuba rather than a reimbursement-only policy.

No. The Government of Canada warns that Cuban authorities will not let you leave the country with outstanding medical bills, which is why the ability to pay on the spot matters as much as the size of your medical limit.

No. Medicare does not cover Cuba and several US-affiliated insurers exclude the country outright because of sanctions. There is no UK–Cuba healthcare agreement, so a GHIC is not valid either. Canadian provincial plans give very limited cover, will not pay bills up front and exclude air evacuation.