Cuba

Visas & Work Permits

Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Work permits are required for visiting crew.

If the project isn’t of a political nature, such as a television commercial or travel show, the process is generally quick and easy. A local state approved producer will require project information, flight details and photocopies of passports. The producer will lodge the application inside Cuba, and the work permit approval will be handed to immigration officials awaiting the crew’s arrival. The process usually only takes a few days.

If the project is a film or documentary of a politically sensitive nature, work permits can take months to process and are often rejected altogether.

Crew intending to enter as tourists need to obtain a visa before travel or a tourist card from one of the Cuban diplomatic missions, travel agencies or authorised airlines, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. A tourist card grants a stay of 30 days (with the option to extend this by an additional 30 days – totalling a maximum period of 60 days).

Please contact a local embassy, consulate or representative for more information. Alternatively, there are specialist companies that provide visa and immigration support to the media industry, and may be able to assist.


Film Location Permits

In Cuba, film location permits can only be obtained through a state approved production company. 

Firstly, the project needs to be authorised to film. Permission to film projects of a politically sensitive nature is generally not granted. Once the project is approved, general film permits for guerrilla style shoots take about two weeks to process. Depending on the locations, separate permits may be required from different government departments, which will affect permitting times.

Larger shoots involving road closures, pyrotechnics or traffic control usually take up to three weeks to permit. Allow extra lead time for permitting locations outside of Havana. Please note, crews that try to film without appropriate permits may be arrested and have their equipment seized.

Drone filming is far less expensive than aerial shoots. Temporary import of drones is currently illegal, but there are some drone models currently in Cuba available for filming.


Customs

For productions looking to bring in film equipment, Cuba is not an ATA carnet country.

Cuba has all of the standard equipment available locally. More specialised equipment can be easily brought in from Mexico or Europe. Temporary import of equipment documentation usually takes about a week to organise.

When to Film

The Cuban climate is mild and sub-topical, with cool trade winds that temper the heat and humidity. 

The rainy season is from May to October. May and June are the wettest months, whilst August and October is the hurricane season. November to April is the dry season marked by plenty of sunshine.

In Cuba, Christianity is the largest religion, so those holidays are observed.


Public Holidays

Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Cuba.

Cuba is generally a cost competitive place to shoot. Depending on the shoot, some key crew and equipment may need to be brought in, which will add to those costs.

Many visiting crews bring in cash (up to $5,000 can be brought in undeclared).

Cuba doesn’t have a VAT system but a Sales Tax Rate that, at the time of writing, is set at 10%.

Funding

DOCTV Latinoamérica

Ibermedia


Tax Incentives

Tax incentives for Cuba

At the time of writing, the UK does not have a trade agreement with this country. However, up-to-date information about UK trade agreements can be found on the GOV.UK website.