D'Viajeros in Varadero and Cuba's Other Airports

Not everyone enters Cuba through Havana. Many travelers land at Varadero (VRA) on the way to a resort, or at Holguin, Santa Clara, Cayo Coco or Camaguey. The D'Viajeros is exactly the same form at all of them, but you should declare the correct airport and flight. This guide runs through each entry point and its quirks.

In brief: D'Viajeros does not change by airport: it is one digital form, mandatory and free. What matters is entering your flight and arrival point correctly. Here you have Varadero as the second big gateway, the resort and cay airports, and what to do if you enter through one and leave through another.

One D'Viajeros for all of Cuba

D'Viajeros is Cuba's Advance Passenger Information: a digital form, mandatory and free, that gathers your personal, immigration, health and customs details into a single document. It does not matter where you enter: the process is identical in Varadero, in Holguin or in Havana, and everywhere it generates the same QR code.

It is run by the Ministry of Transport (MITRANS) together with Customs, Immigration and Public Health. We are not going to repeat how to fill it in here — that is a general topic — but to focus on what genuinely sets each airport apart: its code, its zone and its main use.

In short: the form is the same at every airport; what changes is the flight and arrival point you declare.

Declare the right airport and flight

Even though D'Viajeros is a single form, it asks for your flight number and arrival date, and from that it works out which airport you enter through. Getting that detail right avoids mismatches at Immigration, especially with charters, which change numbering and timing more often than scheduled flights.

Before completing it, have on hand:

• The exact flight number shown on your ticket or boarding pass.
• The arrival date in Cuban local time.
• The real airport of entry, which on package tours is not always obvious.
• The accommodation address: hotel, resort or casa particular.

If your flight number changes after you fill in the form, correct it. Editing D'Viajeros is a topic of its own, but bear in mind that an out-of-date flight detail can cause you trouble at the control.

Worth knowing: charter flights get rescheduled and renumbered easily. Check your ticket the day before you travel and adjust your D'Viajeros if the flight number has changed.

In short: the form is single, but the flight and airport you declare must match your real ticket.

Varadero (VRA): the gateway to the resorts

Juan Gualberto Gomez airport, code VRA, is Cuba's second for international traffic and the great gateway for sun-and-beach tourism. It sits by the Hicacos peninsula, the strip of Varadero hotels, and takes many flights from Canada and Europe, much of it on package and charter services.

For the resort traveler, landing at VRA has a clear upside: the transfer to the hotel is short and usually included in the package. The arrival route — Immigration with the QR, baggage, health check and Customs — is the same as at any Cuban airport, though the volume is lower than Havana and the queues, generally, more manageable.

Even so, do not get complacent:

• In high season several charters can land together and fill the control for a while.
• The terminal's services are more limited than at Jose Marti.
• Money exchange may keep tight hours depending on the flight.

None of this changes the process: with D'Viajeros done and the QR handy, the pass is quick.

In short: Varadero is Cuba's second gateway and the main one for beach-resort travelers.

Holguin (HOG), the door to the east

Frank Pais airport, code HOG, serves eastern Cuba and is the natural gateway to Guardalavaca and the northern Holguin beaches, as well as a base for visiting Santiago de Cuba and the Banes and Gibara area. It mostly takes tourist flights, many of them seasonal.

If your destination is a northeastern resort, you will probably land here and the transfer — sometimes a fair drive — will take you straight to the hotel. As everywhere, your D'Viajeros with its QR is your arrival document.

In short: Holguin is the gateway to the east and the Guardalavaca beaches; the arrival process does not change.

Santa Clara (SNU) and the center of the island

Abel Santamaria airport, code SNU, serves the central region. It is a convenient entry for Cayo Santa Maria and the cays off northern Villa Clara, and for visiting Remedios, Trinidad and the island's colonial heart. It mixes some scheduled flights with tourist charters.

Travelers seeking the calm of the north-central cays often value SNU for its relative closeness to that resort zone, reached by the causeway across the bay.

In short: Santa Clara connects with the north-central cays and with Cuba's colonial heartland.

Cayo Coco (CCC) and Camaguey (CMW)

Two more gateways complete the tourist map:

• Cayo Coco — Jardines del Rey (CCC): an airport built for the cay resorts of northern Ciego de Avila (Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo). You land practically in the hotel zone, with very short transfers.
• Camaguey — Ignacio Agramonte (CMW): serves the city of Camaguey and Santa Lucia, a beach in the east-center. It mixes some scheduled traffic with seasonal flights.

At both, D'Viajeros and the pass through Immigration, baggage and Customs work just as elsewhere. The difference is scale: these are smaller airports, with fewer simultaneous flights and, generally, brisk formalities.

In short: Cayo Coco drops you at the cays and Camaguey opens up Santa Lucia; both are small, easygoing airports.

Charter and beach-tourism airports

Aside from Jose Marti and, in part, Varadero, much of these gateways live on sun-and-beach tourism and charter flights. That brings a few quirks worth keeping in mind:

1. Seasonality: some routes only operate in high season and vanish outside it.
2. Flight numbering changes more than on scheduled services; check it before locking in your D'Viajeros.
3. Transfers are usually included in the package, with a representative waiting in arrivals.
4. Airport services (money exchange, cafes, wi-fi) are more limited than in Havana.

So even though the immigration process is identical, arriving with the QR printed and some cash already changed is even more advisable at these smaller airports, where connectivity and ATMs are scarce.

In short: at charter airports expect seasonal schedules, limited services and included transfers; carry the printed QR and some cash.

Choosing your airport of entry wisely

When a trip allows several options, the airport of entry shapes everything else. Before you book, it is worth thinking about geography:

• If your base is Havana or the west, Jose Marti (HAV) is the logical choice.
• For a classic beach resort, Varadero (VRA) leaves the hotel close by.
• For the north-central cays, look at Santa Clara (SNU).
• For the Ciego de Avila cays, Cayo Coco (CCC) is unbeatable for closeness.
• For the east and Guardalavaca, aim for Holguin (HOG).

Landing at the airport nearest your destination saves hours of road and an exhausting transfer after a long flight. If instead you plan to tour the island, entering through one and leaving through another may suit you. In every case, D'Viajeros is declared by the airport of entry, so decide it before filling in the form.

In short: pick the airport closest to your real destination; the one you declare in D'Viajeros must be your point of entry.

Entering through one airport and leaving through another

This is very common on tours: you land at one airport and fly home from another. For example, you enter through Havana and leave from Varadero, or you arrive at Holguin and fly back from Santa Clara.

With D'Viajeros this is no problem: the form is arrival only, so you declare the airport and flight you enter by. Departure needs no new D'Viajeros. Even so, keep in mind:

• Confirm the departure terminal and airport on your return ticket; they need not match your arrival ones.
• Allow properly for internal transfer times if you change region between entry and exit.
• Keep your entry documents in case they are checked at some point during the trip.

Worth knowing: D'Viajeros is completed once, for arrival. If you enter through one airport and leave through another, you only declare the entry one; there is no need to repeat the process to fly home.

In short: enter and leave through different airports without worry; D'Viajeros covers only arrival and is declared by the entry point.

Transfers to the cays and resorts

The big difference between these airports and Havana is the destination: almost all of them feed resorts and cays. The typical transfers:

• Package transfer, with a representative waiting in the arrivals hall.
• Coach or minibus run by the tour operator toward the hotel zone.
• Agreed taxi, if you travel independently; settle the fare before getting in.

Bear in mind that reaching a cay may mean crossing a causeway — the road over the sea that links the coast to the cay — with its own checkpoints and timing. And that your resort address, the same one you declared in D'Viajeros, is the detail you will be asked for when arranging the transfer.

In short: most of these airports feed resorts and cays; the transfer is usually included and sometimes crosses a causeway.

Reaching your resort rested

Sun-and-beach airports tend to take long, sometimes overnight, flights. To keep the final transfer from wearing you out:

1. Have the QR printed and passport handy before you land; at small airports the line moves fast if you are ready.
2. Carry some cash changed in advance: a working CADECA is not always open at those hours.
3. Confirm with your tour operator where the transfer representative meets you.
4. Keep water and a snack: the run to the resort or cay can be long.
5. Note the exact hotel address, the same one you declared in D'Viajeros.

With those five points sorted, the jump from plane to sun lounger is far smoother. The immigration part, remember, is identical to any Cuban airport: D'Viajeros and its QR rule.

Worth knowing: in high season several charters can land at a small airport together and clog the control for a while. Arriving with everything ready is the difference between a ten-minute wait and a much longer one.

In short: get QR, cash and address ready before landing; that way the transfer to the resort or cay is comfortable even if you arrive at night.

Airport, code and zone at a glance

This table sums up Cuba's entry points:

Beyond these, there are cruise arrivals, which also require D'Viajeros and have their own guide.

In short: each airport has its code and zone, but the D'Viajeros you declare is always the same.

Key points

• D'Viajeros is the same form at every Cuban airport, with the same QR.
• Always declare the correct flight and airport, especially on charters, which renumber often.
• Varadero (VRA) is the country's second gateway and the main one for beach resorts.
• Holguin, Santa Clara, Cayo Coco and Camaguey serve sun-and-beach tourism and the cays.
• You can enter through one airport and leave through another: D'Viajeros covers only arrival.
• At smaller airports, carry the QR printed and some cash: services are limited.

FAQ about D'Viajeros at other airports

Is D'Viajeros different depending on the airport?

No. It is the same form at every Cuban airport and generates the same QR code. The only thing that changes is the flight and arrival airport you declare.

Do I need D'Viajeros to land in Varadero?

Yes. D'Viajeros is mandatory for everyone entering Cuba, Varadero (VRA) included. Complete it up to 48 hours before and keep the QR handy.

Which international airports does Cuba have?

The main ones are Havana (HAV), Varadero (VRA), Holguin (HOG), Santa Clara (SNU), Cayo Coco (CCC) and Camaguey (CMW), plus others with seasonal traffic.

Can I enter through one airport and leave through another?

Yes, very common on tours. D'Viajeros is arrival only, so you declare the entry airport. For the return flight there is no need to repeat the process.

What do I put if my charter flight changes number?

Adjust your D'Viajeros with the correct number shown on your final ticket. An out-of-date flight detail can cause you trouble at Immigration.

Which airport serves Cayo Coco?

Jardines del Rey (CCC), right by the resorts of Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo. Transfers to the hotel are usually very short.

And for Cayo Santa Maria?

The usual entry is Santa Clara (SNU), linked to the cays off northern Villa Clara by the causeway across the bay.

Do the smaller airports have money exchange?

Services are more limited than in Havana. It is wise to carry some cash already changed and not depend on finding a CADECA or a working ATM.

Is the transfer to the resort included?

On package tours it is usually included, with a representative waiting in arrivals. If you travel independently, agree the taxi fare before getting in.

Does D'Viajeros cost money at these airports?

No. D'Viajeros is free on the official portal, whichever airport you use. What you pay separately is the tourist card, the eVisa and medical insurance.

Last updated: July 2026. Entry rules change; always confirm the current requirements on the official D'Viajeros (MITRANS) portal and with your airline before traveling.

To round out your planning, you may want to read about D'Viajeros on arrival at Havana airport, D'Viajeros for cruise arrivals, how to edit or correct your D'Viajeros if you got the flight wrong, or the passport to travel to Cuba.