Government of Canada
Level 3Avoid non-essential travel
Updated: Sep 28, 2026 Source
Last successfully checked: Oct 1, 2026
Last update: October 15, 2026
Score recalculated dailyIs It Safe to Travel to Cuba Right Now?
Exercise caution
66.2 out of 10
Safety Score
Last updated: October 15, 202690% data coverage
Cuba has a safety score of 6.2/10 as of October 15, 2026, rated as moderate risk and ranking 143rd of the 192 countries with an official score. The main concern is poor public safety: the Global Peace Index rates safety and security at 2.64 on a scale from 1 (safest) to 5 (GPI 2026). Its best-rated area is health (7.5/10). Of the 19 governments that publish a travel advisory for Cuba, 2 advise normal precautions, 2 advise increased caution, 13 advise reconsidering travel and 2 advise against all travel. It combines 19 government travel advisories and 7 other public datasets and is recalculated daily.
What are the safety risk areas?
Governance 3.2/10
Crime 5.4/10
Natural hazards 5.8/10
Conflict 6.6/10
Health 7.5/10
Indicator-level detail
Governance 3.2/10 · High · Coverage: 100%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of law (V-Dem) | 0.12 scale 0–1, higher is better | V-Dem v16 | 2025 |
| Impartial public administration (V-Dem) | −1.76 scale about −4 to +4, higher is better | V-Dem v16 | 2025 |
| Political corruption (V-Dem) | 0.64 scale 0–1, lower is better | V-Dem v16 | 2025 |
| Governance (INFORM) | 5.8 / 10 INFORM risk, higher is worse | INFORM Risk 2026 | 2026 |
Crime 5.4/10 · Moderate · Coverage: 50%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Peace Index, safety and security | 2.64 GPI scale 1–5, lower is better | GPI 2026 | 2026 |
Natural hazards 5.8/10 · Moderate · Coverage: 100%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural hazard exposure (INFORM) | 4.8 / 10 INFORM risk, higher is worse | INFORM Risk 2026 | 2026 |
| Ongoing disasters (ReliefWeb) | 2 ongoing disasters | ReliefWeb | 2026 |
| Orange and red disaster alerts (GDACS) | 1 orange or red alert | GDACS | 2026 |
Conflict 6.6/10 · Moderate · Coverage: 100%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Peace Index, overall score | 2.14 GPI scale 1–5, lower is better | GPI 2026 | 2026 |
| Global Peace Index, militarisation | 1.55 GPI scale 1–5, lower is better | GPI 2026 | 2026 |
| Conflict deaths (UCDP) | 0 conflict deaths | UCDP | 2025 |
Health 7.5/10 · Low · Coverage: 100%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to health care (INFORM) | 0.5 / 10 INFORM risk, higher is worse | INFORM Risk 2026 | 2026 |
| Epidemic risk (INFORM) | 4.6 / 10 INFORM risk, higher is worse | INFORM Risk 2026 | 2026 |
Score recalculated daily; government advisories and disaster alerts change daily, international indices once or twice a year.
See how these scores are calculated on the Methodology page.
Community Sentiment
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What do governments say?
Sources (19)
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Level 3Alleen noodzakelijke reizen
Updated: Oct 6, 2026 Source
Czech Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Level 4Nedoporučujeme cestovat
Updated: Jun 16, 2026 Source
Switzerland Federal Department (EDA)
Level 3Von nicht dringenden Reisen abgeraten
Updated: Feb 17, 2026 Source
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to travel to Cuba in 2026?
Yes, with some caution — Cuba is reasonably safe for most travelers: as of October 2026 it scores 6.2/10 on our safety index, classified as Moderate risk. Stay alert to the specific risks below.
The score is an uncertainty-weighted (Bayesian shrinkage) geometric mean of five pillars: conflict (30%), crime (25%), health (20%), governance (15%) and natural hazards (10%). A weak pillar drags the overall score down more than a strong one lifts it, and the mix also folds in a calibrated consensus of government travel advisories.
Thin or stale data pulls a country's score toward a cautious regional baseline instead of guessing — see our methodology page for the full statistical detail. health (7.5/10) is Cuba's strongest pillar, while the score is pulled down by crime (5.4/10) and above all by governance (3.2/10).
This pillar gauges the rule of law and the reliability of institutions — a low score means police and courts may offer limited help if something goes wrong. It combines 19 government travel advisories and 7 other public datasets and is recalculated daily.
What is the biggest risk when traveling to Cuba?
No single factor stands out as critical for Cuba: the area that needs the most attention is crime, at 5.4/10. This pillar reflects violent crime, theft and organized criminal activity — a low score calls for extra street awareness, especially outside the main tourist areas.
The main signal behind this is societal safety and security (Global Peace Index). Its strongest pillar is health at 7.5/10.
What do government travel advisories say about Cuba?
As of October 2026, Cuba has 19 government travel advisories on record. The prevailing guidance is to reconsider travel to Cuba: the most severe warnings — do not travel — have been issued by Poland and Czechia.
How does Cuba compare to its neighbouring countries?
| Country | Score | Conflict | Crime | Health | Governance | Natural hazards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 7.5 | 7.4 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 5.4 |
| Jamaica | 6.8 | 7.8 | 5.0 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 6.5 |
| Cuba | 6.2 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 7.5 | 3.2 | 5.8 |
| Mexico | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 6.6 | 4.3 | 4.8 |
Related Countries
Countries with a similar risk profile
How has the safety score changed over time?
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The dashed line marks October 15, 2026, when the score moved to formula v10; earlier points were computed with the previous formula.
Where does the data come from?
- advisoriesFresh
Travel advisories from 19 governments: US State Department, UK FCDO, Government of Canada, Australian Government, German Federal Foreign Office, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovakia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, New Zealand SafeTravel, Ireland Department of Foreign Affairs, Austrian Federal Ministry (BMEIA), Belgium Federal Public Service, Italy Viaggiare Sicuri, Taiwan Bureau of Consular Affairs, Switzerland Federal Department (EDA), Poland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Hungary Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Checked: Oct 15, 2026
- gdacsFresh
Global Disaster Alerting Coordination System -- natural disaster alerts
Data vintage: 2026Checked: Oct 15, 2026
- gpiFresh
Global Peace Index (IEP) -- overall score, militarisation and safety & security domains
Data vintage: 2026Checked: Oct 15, 2026
- informFresh
INFORM Risk Index (European Commission JRC) -- natural hazards, epidemic risk, access to health care and governance
Data vintage: 2026Checked: Oct 15, 2026
- reliefwebFresh
ReliefWeb -- humanitarian situation reports and disaster alerts
Data vintage: 2026Checked: Oct 15, 2026
- ucdpFresh
UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset (Uppsala Conflict Data Program) -- state-based and one-sided conflict deaths, via the Our World in Data mirror (CC-BY)
Data vintage: 2025Checked: Oct 15, 2026
- vdemFresh
V-Dem Institute Country-Year Dataset v16 (CC-BY-SA 4.0) -- Rule of Law, Political Corruption, and Public Administration indices (Coppedge et al., DOI 10.23696/vdemds26)
Data vintage: 2025Checked: Oct 15, 2026
- worldbankFresh
World Bank Development Indicators -- intentional homicide rate (with population)
Checked: Oct 15, 2026