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The European Commission (EC) has confirmed that Cuba will continue to require a Schengen visa to travel to Europe, with no immediate plans for exemption.
Alongside Bolivia, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, the island remains one of the few countries in Latin America whose citizens need this document to enter the Schengen Area.
Sources from the Community Executive explained in statements cited by EFE that, although there is strong interest from these countries to be included on the visa exemption list, no changes are currently anticipated. “We are aware of the great interest from many countries, including Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, in being transferred to the visa exemption list,” they stated. However, they indicated that “at this stage, we are not in a position to announce any possible changes to the EU lists.”
Although the final decision rests with the European Commission, some member governments, such as Spain, have expressed their support on various occasions for visa exemptions for Cubans. In 2021, the then Consul General of Spain in Havana, José Antonio Hernández Pérez-Solórzano, stated that if the exemption were proposed in European forums, Spain would advocate for and promote it. However, to date, no progress has been made in this regard.
In 2022, Spain granted more than 16,000 visas to Cuban citizens, including both short-term and long-term permits, as well as transit visas. Official data revealed that 12,969 people obtained short-term visas, 2,972 long-term visas, and 255 transit visas. The high demand for processing these applications has led to a collapse of consular services in Havana, particularly following the implementation of the Law of Democratic Memory (known as the Grandchildren's Law), which has caused an increase in applications for Spanish nationality from Cubans with Iberian ancestry.
Although the exemption has not been approved, the European Union has made progress in the digitalization of the Schengen visa application process. With the new platform, applicants will be able to process their visa online, eliminating the need for most to appear in person at the consulate. The digitalization also aims to streamline processes and reduce the administrative burden on embassies.
Spain, for its part, implemented new fees for consular services in Cuba last October, including the Schengen visa price: 90 euros for adults and 50 euros for children aged 6 to 12 years. Additionally, payments must be made in euros and in cash, with no option for change.
For now, Cubans will have to continue applying for a Schengen visa to travel to Europe, with no estimated date for a possible exemption.
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