Study abroad in Cuba: the European Health Insurance Card does not apply there, and the Federal Foreign Office requires proof of health insurance valid for Cuba on entry. A visa is needed for tourist stays, and for studies you ask the Cuban mission. The Foreign Office currently strongly advises against travel to Cuba. The DAAD sets 875 euros per month.
Travel warning of the Federal Foreign Office (status 24.10.2026): The German original reads, in our translation: “Travel to Cuba is currently strongly advised against.” The source is the Federal Foreign Office page on Cuba (in German). Before any planning, check the current status with the Federal Foreign Office and the position of your university and your funding programme.
Study abroad in Cuba at a glance
| Item | Information (status October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) does not apply. On entry you must prove health insurance valid for Cuba, and German statutory insurance is not recognised according to the Federal Foreign Office. | European Commission (EHIC FAQ, undated), Federal Foreign Office, Cuba (status 24.10.2026) |
| Visa | Tourist stays of up to 90 days require a visa, applied for exclusively online through the eVisaCuba portal. We do not state a separate rule for studies. | Federal Foreign Office, Cuba |
| Travel document | Passport, provisional passport or child passport, valid for at least six months on entry. The ID card is not accepted. | Federal Foreign Office, Cuba |
| Living costs | 875 euros per month as the DAAD scholarship rate for students and graduates, a guide figure and not a budget | DAAD, scholarship rates (undated) |
| Auslands-BAföG | Possible, competent office per the DSW assignment: Studierendenwerk Bremen | German Student Services, leaflet (as of January 2026) |
All details are general information, not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative.
How are you insured in Cuba?
The European Health Insurance Card and social security agreements
The European Health Insurance Card applies in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Cuba is not among them, so the card on the back of your German health insurance card does not help you there. We have not found a social security agreement with Cuba that covers health insurance, so we name none. The Federal Foreign Office states expressly for Cuba that German statutory health insurance is not recognised there.
Ask your statutory health insurance fund (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) in writing whether and to what extent it covers you during the semester abroad before you sign the learning agreement. If you have private cover, the basics are in Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German), and the specifics for countries outside the EU in Private health insurance for students outside the EU (in German).
Healthcare, advance payment and vaccinations
The travel and safety advice describes the medical situation in Cuba plainly. According to the page, you cannot assume that you will receive medical care in an emergency. Many medicines, pharmacy items, medical supplies and hygiene products are often unavailable. Clinics for foreigners accordingly do not treat patients without valid travel health insurance or advance payment by credit card.
Since 6 June 2026, payments with Visa or Mastercard are no longer possible in Cuba according to the Federal Foreign Office, so cash in euros or US dollars is needed. No vaccinations are compulsory for direct entry from Germany. The page names the standard vaccinations of the German vaccination schedule (STIKO) and travel vaccinations, including hepatitis A. Talk to a doctor before you leave about which medicines you need to bring in sufficient quantities.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
Because entry requires valid health insurance for Cuba, private travel health insurance is in practice the usual route. We have not found the minimum requirements that the Cuban authorities set for the proof. Clarify this with your insurer and with the Cuban mission. We have not checked whether your statutory health insurance fund covers repatriation from Cuba, so ask it about the scope of cover. More in Travel health insurance for Erasmus, the USA and work and travel (in German).
Do you need a visa for Cuba?
For tourist stays of up to 90 days, yes. According to the Federal Foreign Office, the visa can be applied for exclusively online through the eVisaCuba portal. An extension by 90 days is possible in principle, but it is at the discretion of the Cuban authorities.
Whether and which visa you need to study in Cuba is something the mission of the country tells you with binding effect. We do not state a rule of our own, because we have not documented an official source for it. The Federal Foreign Office travel and safety advice for Cuba (status 24.10.2026) lists the entry requirements for German citizens. The embassy of Cuba in Germany is the point of contact.
A passport, a provisional passport and a child passport are accepted, the ID card is not. Documents must be valid for at least six more months on entry. The page also requires an entry and customs declaration, which you must submit online within 48 hours before check-in through the D’Viajeros system. Keep ready:
- A passport or provisional passport, valid for at least six more months on entry
- A visa, applied for online through eVisaCuba for tourist stays, or as the Cuban mission tells you for studies
- Proof of health insurance valid for Cuba
- The customs and entry declaration through D’Viajeros, within 48 hours before check-in
- Cash in euros or US dollars, because card payments with Visa and Mastercard are no longer possible according to the page
The Federal Foreign Office currently strongly advises against travel to Cuba (status 24.10.2026) and names no sub-regions. On the situation, the page states that the crime rate is rising, planned power cuts of up to 20 hours a day are the rule and fuel sales have been limited to 20 litres per refuelling.
What does a semester in Cuba cost?
Tuition fees
Which fees the host university charges depends on the exchange agreement of your university. We state no general amount, because we have not documented an official source for it. Ask your university and the host university before you accept a place.
Living costs
The DAAD applies a monthly scholarship rate of 875 euros for students and graduates in Cuba. This is a guide figure, not a budget. The list carries neither a status date nor a publication date. We have not found a monthly amount from the host university or an official body, so ask the host university about its budget for exchange students. The national currency is the Cuban peso (CUP), so convert amounts into euros at the current exchange rate. Note that the Federal Foreign Office names cash in euros or US dollars.
Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG
Cuba is not one of the Erasmus+ programme countries that the European Commission lists in the Programme Guide. Your international office can tell you what funding your university offers for a partnership with Cuba. More in Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German).
Auslands-BAföG, the German study abroad grant, is available for part of a degree abroad if you have studied at least one academic year in Germany and have your permanent residence in Germany. For Cuba, the Studierendenwerk Bremen (Office for Educational Funding) is responsible according to the DSW assignment. According to the leaflet (as of January 2026), there is a one-off supplement for the outward and return journey, a health insurance supplement and tuition fees of up to 5,600 euros for a maximum of one year. Outside the EU and Switzerland, a monthly foreign supplement may be added. For places of study outside Europe, the foreign supplements ordinance names a travel supplement of 500 euros each for the outward and the return journey. All details are in Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German).
Worked example: For five months, the DAAD rate gives a guide figure of 4,375 euros for living costs (5 times 875 euros). Flights, the visa, travel health insurance, a cash reserve for treatment and any fees of the host university are not included, because we have no documented amounts for them. The total is a rough guide, not a commitment.
Steps before you leave
- Ask your insurer to confirm in writing whether and how you are insured in Cuba before you sign the learning agreement.
- Clarify with the insurer and the Cuban mission which travel health insurance counts as proof on entry, and check that repatriation is included.
- Check that your passport is valid for at least six more months on entry, and do not travel with the ID card.
- Ask the Cuban mission which visa applies to your studies, and apply for tourist visas only through the eVisaCuba portal.
- Submit the customs and entry declaration through D’Viajeros within 48 hours before check-in.
- Bring cash in euros or US dollars, and ask your doctor which medicines you need to take in sufficient quantities.
- Follow the Federal Foreign Office advice until shortly before you leave, and clarify with your university and funding programme whether a stay in Cuba is covered there at all.
- Submit your Auslands-BAföG application to the Studierendenwerk Bremen about six months before you start if you want funding.
- Ask your international office about funding and the fees of the host university.
Frequently asked questions
Does my European Health Insurance Card work in Cuba?
No. The card applies in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Federal Foreign Office also states that German statutory health insurance is not recognised in Cuba.
Do I need a visa for Cuba?
For tourist stays of up to 90 days, yes, and the application runs exclusively online through eVisaCuba. For studies, the Cuban mission tells you with binding effect which visa applies, and we have not documented a rule of our own.
Is my ID card enough to enter Cuba?
No. According to the Federal Foreign Office, a passport, provisional passport or child passport is accepted, each valid for at least six months on entry.
How high are living costs in Cuba?
The DAAD applies a scholarship rate of 875 euros per month for students. This is a guide figure. We have not found a documented amount from your host university.
Is there a travel warning for Cuba?
The Federal Foreign Office currently strongly advises against travel to Cuba (status 24.10.2026). Check the current status and the position of your university and funding programme before you plan.
Do I have to pay in advance in a Cuban hospital?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, clinics for foreigners do not treat patients without valid travel health insurance or advance payment by credit card. Card payments with Visa and Mastercard have no longer been possible since 6 June 2026, so cash in euros or US dollars is needed.
Who handles Auslands-BAföG for Cuba?
According to the DSW assignment, the Studierendenwerk Bremen, Office for Educational Funding.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office, Cuba: travel and safety advice (page of 24 October 2026, in German)
- European Commission, social security FAQ: European Health Insurance Card (undated)
- European Commission, Erasmus+ Programme Guide: eligible countries (undated)
- DAAD, scholarship rates for students and graduates (undated, in German)
- BAföG foreign supplements ordinance, section 4 (undated, in German)
- German Student Services, Auslands-BAföG leaflet (as of January 2026, in German)
Sources accessed on 25 October 2026, unless stated otherwise.
Related guides
- Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German)
- Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German)
- Semester abroad in Mexico (in German)
- Semester abroad in the Dominican Republic (in German)
- All countries for your semester abroad (in German)
You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
