The Consulate General of Colombia in Havana published the schedule for the opening of its visa web platform for the period from October 2026 to January 2027, with five scheduled access windows for those wishing to start their application process from Cuba.
After the first opening, held on October 21, the next scheduled date is Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
Applicants should take into account an important change: Cuba has decided to maintain daylight saving time, so there will still be a one-hour difference with Colombia, despite the original consular notice stating that both countries would have the same time starting in November.
Visa calendar for November, December, and January 2027
The four pending dates announced by the consulate are:
- Wednesday November 4, 2026.
- Wednesday November 18, 2026.
- Wednesday December 9, 2026.
- Wednesday January 20, 2027.
Important change: Cuba will maintain a one-hour difference with Colombia
On October 24, Cuban authorities announced that they will maintain daylight saving time until November 7, 2027, which means the scheduled time change on November 1, 2026, will not take place.
This means that Cuba will continue to use UTC-4 time, while Colombia remains on UTC-5 throughout the year. Therefore, Cuba will be one hour ahead of Colombia.
The notice initially published by the consulate stated that, starting in November, both countries would be on the same schedule and that the platform would be available from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in both territories.
However, that time equivalence became outdated after the decision made by the Cuban authorities.
On the opening day of October 21, the announced schedule was from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Havana, equivalent to 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Colombia.
If the consulate maintains the same time frame based on Havana time, the equivalence with Colombia will continue to be from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. However, it is essential to confirm with the consulate the actual schedule for the upcoming openings, especially for November 4, to avoid mistakes when trying to access the platform.
How to submit the application correctly?
The process is carried out solely online through the official platform of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The most important step is selecting the office responsible for reviewing the application. Applicants processing their visa at the Colombian office in Cuba must mandatorily choose «Consulate General of Colombia in Havana».
The consular notice warns: “If you select another office or a different consulate, your visa application will be deemed inadmissible and/or rejected, with no reimbursement of the visa processing fee.”
Choosing any other location by mistake may result in the loss of the money paid, with no possibility of recovery.
The expression "study visa platform" used by the consulate refers to the analysis of visa applications and not exclusively to visas for students.
Costs and warnings
The official costs of the procedure are published on the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
The payment for the study must be made within 10 calendar days following the generation of the reference number. Without this payment, the application is not formally submitted.
Paying the visa application fee does not guarantee its approval: the payment only covers the review of the application and is non-refundable under any circumstances.
Cubans need a visa to travel to Colombia
Cuban citizens with ordinary passports require a visa to enter Colombia, as Cuba is not listed among the nationalities exempt from this requirement.
Only holders of diplomatic passports—exempt indefinitely—and holders of official passports—exempt for up to six months—can enter without a visa according to the relevant exceptions.
Before starting any procedure, it is advisable to check your personal immigration history, as records of expired stays or other irregularities can result in denial of entry into Colombian territory.
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