Since Monday, Cuba has required passengers to complete a pre-arrival form known as D'VIAJEROS. The form must be completed and shown to airline workers before travel to the island nation and requires passengers to input data such as their passport information, travel plans, and customs declarations.
As the world of travel becomes increasingly digitized, so too are the requirements of the passenger. More and more countries are requiring certain passengers to complete some form of electronic travel authorization before departure.
D'VIAJEROS is live
The new Cuba advance passenger information form, known as D'VIAJEROS, has been live since Monday, January 23rd. Unlike the US ESTA (which is only for those eligible for visa-free travel), the Cuban form is mandatory for each passenger and is intended to speed up procedures at points of entry. The form is free of charge to complete. Border workers will already have all the information that they need when they arrive in Cuba, saving a lot of questions. The online form replaces the previously required paper form.
There are five steps to completing the form online,
- Personal data
- Arrival information
- COVID-19 information
- Customs Information
- Declaration/Captcha
Once the form has been submitted, passengers will be presented with a QR code that will allow their form to be easily located upon arrival. Cuba has produced a Spanish-language video explaining the form,
Millions could use the system each year
The system is set to be used by millions of passengers each year. According to data from Cirium, according to the latest 2023 schedules (which could still change for later months), almost 4.5 million seats are on offer on flights to Cuba this year. Looking more specifically at February, 37 airlines have almost 385,000 seats on sale to the island nation.
Sunwing Airlines has the most seats on offer, with some 74,000 across 392 flights, with American Airlines sitting just behind, offering 388 flights. TAAG Angola has the smallest Cuba schedule, with just two rotations planned for February. However, as it operates the Boeing 777 on the route, it offers 65% more seats than Intercaribbean Airways, which has seven ERJ 145 flights scheduled to the island.
Not a new idea
The idea of having passengers pre-submit data before travel is not new. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the United Kingdom required all passengers to fill out a similar form detailing their travel history and COVID status, though this form has since been abolished.
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Some other countries require such forms for immigration purposes and may make passengers pay. For example, the EU is currently developing a system called ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System). Visa-exempt travelers will need to pay a fee of €7 and provide information that the EU can use to decide if the traveler is a risk.
This is similar to the US ESTA scheme, the Canadian eTA scheme, and the Australian Electronic Travel Authority scheme. A history of travel to Cuba will make one ineligible to use the US ESTA system, as the country is considered a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the US.
What do you make of the new form required before traveling to Cuba? Let us know what you think and why in the comments below.
Sources: D'VIAJEROS, Cirium