Travel Considerations for Cuba

UPDATED 4/1/21 

Travel to Cuba is... complicated if you are an American citizen. If you are an international traveller, you can skip ahead. For the Americans, please pay special attention to the following:

Can I even Go to Cuba?

As of this writing, the US State Department travel to Cuba is currently prohibited due to COVID-19 concerns. Ordinarily, the United States has limited tourism because of §515.560, the US Federal code section which governs who may enter Cuba from the United States of America. The code section specifies directly that approval is made on a case-by-case basis, but there are some visitation purposes which usually are admissible. I have listed them below for easy access.

- Family visits

- Official US government business


- Educational activities

- Religious activities

- Public performances/ competitions/ workshops/ exhibitions

- Support for the Cuban people

- Humanitarian projects

- Exportation of informational materials

- Certain financial business

- Carrying remittances to family

It can appear confusing to navigate the dense legal framework which dictates travel to Cuba, but the first step is merely to apply for a visa. There are General Licenses and Specific Licenses. Most of the activities listed above will be covered by a General License. Visas are issued by the Office of Foreign Access Control, and their website has a wonderfully informative FAQ about travel to Cuba. 

Before you consider applying for a General or Specific license, you should be aware that an HIV/AIDs test is required before entering Cuba. Additionally, you cannot export any Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) under any circumstances. If you have leftover CUC you should change it back into American dollars or risk having it confiscated at the airport. 

You will have a lot of cash on hand because credit and debit cards to not work in Cuba! 


The US Embassy in Havana has been closed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and staff have been drawn down significantly. This means there may not be an easy way to contact the US government in case of an emergency. 

Why Would I Want to Go to Cuba in the First Place?

Cuba has a rich culture and a staggeringly long history rife with physical sites to visit. The scenery is gorgeous - with white sand beaches, lush tropical jungles, and mountain forests to explore. The Cuban people are friendly and generous. Cuba, as you may remember from the History post a while ago, was a retreat for the wealthy in the early half of the 20th century and a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway. Clearly thisisland has much to offer the traveler with regards to adventure, natural beauty, and warm local people. 


Most people before the 2014 "Cuban Thaw" visited Cuba to see their families left behind, or to bring. money to those same families. Tourism was not much of a thought back then. However, the rise of interest in Cuba following high profile immigrants, media depictions, and  relative isolation of the big island has caught people's imaginations. Maybe soon, COVID-19 restrictions will lift and the US embargo will end and Cuba will become as popular a destination as Cancun, or Port-au-Prince. 

Until then, keep Cuba in your mind. 

I leave you with a final snapshot of Cuba from the perspective of an English traveler with his boots on the ground, away from the carefully cultivated veneer of the tourist-rich Havana. This video chronicles the abject lack of infrastructure, industry, and wealth among standard Cubans. 



Works Cited

US State Department. Cuba Travel Restrictions. 19 01 2021. 1 04 2021. 
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Cuba.html

"US State Dept." 02 04 2021. 02 04 2021.  
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/cuba-sanctions

"e-CFR." 01 04 2021. Electronic Code of Federal Regulation. April 5 2021.

https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/cuba-sanctions






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