Citizens of Ireland require a valid passport tourist card to enter Cuba. All tour operators and most major airlines will provide you with a tourist card when you book a complete package holiday or round-trip flight. Otherwise, apply for the tourist card through the Cuban consulate in Dublin. If applying yourself, show a return or onward ticket from Cuba and hotel reservations. Tourist cards are valid for 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days once in Cuba.
There are several tour operators that provide complete tour packages to Cuba from Ireland, including Twohigs, Escape2, Destinations--Worldwide Holidays and The Travel Department. If you book a tour, the tour operator should make arrangements for your tourist card for entry into Cuba. There is usually an extra charge of approximately 25-30 euros for the tourist card.
If you prefer independent travel, arrange your own trip to Cuba. There are no direct flights from Ireland to Cuba. The easiest way to get there from Ireland is via London. Virgin Atlantic and Cubana Airlines offer direct flights to Havana from London. Flights are also available from Amsterdam, Paris, and Madrid. Check with the airline to see whether they provide you with a tourist card or whether you must apply for one in advance through the Cuban consulate.
