JDiver

I've seen a lot of questions and significant mythology about U S Citizens and legal Residents traveling to Cuba, so I have added this "sticky" thread so U S Citizens and Residents can be fully informed in their decision to travel (or not) to Cuba. (Full disclosure: I am traveling to Cuba Nov 2013, and I have several relatives and friends who have visited Cuba, both legally and illegally.) This thread is intended to document factual information for American Citizens and Residents considering travel to Cuba. It is not a place to debate politics, the merits or flaws of the existing legislation, etc. (OMNI is a better place for that; this is a Destination Forum, not a political debate forum.)

American Citizens and Residents have restrictions on travel to Cuba. (31 C.F.R. Part 515.) OFAC says, in part:

Documentation required: American citizens traveling to Cuba are required to have a passport valid for six months beyond the completion of travel in Cuba. Non-citizen U S residents are required to have a current passport of their citizenship country and a residency or alien (Green") card to prove legal residency on their return to the US.

The Cuban government requires visitors to have a Cuba Visa AKA Cuba Visitor's Visa. Cuban authorities will collect half of this two-part visa document when you arrive; you are required to keep the second half and return it on departure. Additionally, a departure fee of CUC 25 is required; if you are traveling with a group, it may be included with your fees.

You may be asked for your identity papers by uniformed personnel at any time, though it has been reported more frequently among people of color, particularly African-Americans. IMO, leave the passport in the safe deposit box in your hotel, etc. and carry a photocopy of the identification pages.

Cuban-born U S Citizens are required to:
As well as the above, Americans traveling to Cuba must possess a Letter of Authorization issued by OFAC. If you travel with a licensed people to people educational exchange group the tour operator will secure the letter. And of course, a round trip charter airline ticket if you are flying between the US and Cuba.

Getting there: Flights to HAV (and a few to other airports, such as Camagüey) are common, but if you are OFAC-licensed and flying from the US, Cuba Travel Services operates several chartered lights a day to / from José Martí International Airport serving La Habana / Havana using Sun Country (Boeing 737-800, they will request your weight and allow 20 kg / 44 lbs of checked luggage per person) or American Airlines (also Boeing 737-800, up to 23 kg / 50 lb of checked luggage - and they do not care how much you weigh). (No, you can not earn miles on AA US-Cuba.)

Upon arrival airport in Cuba, usually José Martí International / HAV, you will have to fill out and turn in three documents: one a general health information questionnaire (you will be required to have health insurance for Cuba, it's mandatory); two, both sides (left and right) of the Cuban visa document, and three, a Customs declaration (which may not be requested). Your carry-on will be checked prior to baggage recovery and Customs (they are looking for illegal items: pornography, satellite communications gear (e.g. satphones), arms and ammunition, products of animal or vegetal origin, other comm gear including CB radios or walkie-talkies.

Health and Health Insurance: Any U S health insurance coverage you have even if it covers international travel, will be of no use in Cuba, as the company reimbursing you would be guilty of OFAC violation (same occurs with trip cancellation and interruption insurance from a U S provider).

You are required to have Travel Medical Insurance to enter Cuba as a visitor as of May 2010; this will be checked upon arrival to Cuba. If you do not have insurance, you will have to buy travel insurance from Asistur, S.A., which maintains an office in the immigration area of the airport. This means you will pay nothing if you see a doctor, visit a clinic or hospital (but you will have to purchase any indicated medicines). Your passport details will be required and you will be asked if you purchased medical insurance.

Cuba has fairly decent healthcare systems available to foreigners (and a universal and free tiered healthcare system beginning with the neighborhood doctor, followed by the polyclinic and then hospitals and specialist clinics, for all Cubans - it can be tedious and there may be insufficiencies of medicine and equipment), from local doctors (who use more traditional diagnostic procedures and have few high tech devices available at the doctor's office level), to specialized clinics and hospitals for the usual specialties. Foreigners may wish to proceed to the Cira Garcia clinic and hospital specializing in foreigners (and large, 24/7 international pharmacy nearby; some hotels have doctors on duty.

Clínica Cira García
Calle 20 No. 4101 esq. Ave 41 Playa, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Tel: (537) 204 2811/ fax: (537) 204 2640
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.cirag.cu/ingles/index.htm

All being said, it I had to get treatment for something acute but tolerant of a delay, I'd probably concentrate my efforts on getting stabilized and transported to the US. In a true emergency, you will have no choice, of course.

Do not expect to find your prescribed medications easily available - even some international pharmacies (pay in CUCs) may experience shortages. Bring your own prescribed medicines, with their prescriptions or copies, and keep them in your carryon when flying to / from Cuba.

"Medical tourism" is offered through Servimed - everything from breast implants to eye surgery, physical and drugs rehab, etc. is offered (even two spas), presumably at prices up to 80% lower than in many countries. Spending money for healthcare other than urgently necessary medical care is illegal for Americans, and an OFAC violation.

Americans interested in visiting Cuba for leisure must travel to Cuba with a license issued by OFAC - the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U. S. Department of the Treasury. Currently - these are issued primarily to those traveling with "people to people educational exchange" programs, which in fact are offered by a number of agencies. Link to the OFAC page on Cuba travel page, with PDFs etc. The license and Cuba Visa are usually secured by the tour company if you are on a licensed tour for people-to-people educational exchange.

Basically, it is illegal for Americans to spend U S Dollars in Cuba or related to travel to Cuba. Paying a foreign tour company, e.g. Mexican, Costa Rican or Canadian, is still a violation of OFAC regulations. The US considers a stay longer than one day prima facie evidence an American has spent money in Cuba, so even an exchange of labor for a stay, etc. are not considered "OFAC-free" events.

The full list of possibilities and US - Cuba related travel issues include:

Guidelines by Category of Travel Activity
Traveling to Cuba as a licensee does not mean you are traveling as a tourist (you are a leisure traveler, however, not business) and requires you keep all records regarding your travel in Cuba for a period of five years (see quote above).

Cuba operates on a two-currency system.

U S Dollars can not be spent in Cuba (as of 2004) and can not legally be used for purchases in Cuba; U S Credit and ATM Cards and Travelers Cheques are not accepted in Cuba. Those with U S Dollars must exchange them for Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUCs), a service for which a 13% tax is imposed, at the airport, CADECA exchange houses (casas de cambio) or banks, and some hotels. Your US passport or other documentation you use for admittance to Cuba is required for exchanges. (Note that though at one time it was illegal for Cubans to possess CUCs it is now legal for them to do so.)

CUCs (Convertible Cuban Pesos) are currently tied to the U S Dollar (so you get 87 CUCs for every $100 USD you exchange). U S Dollar bills should be untorn, unmarked and new or they may be turned down for exchange. CUCs can not be exchanged to Cuban Pesos (CUPs). CUCs are not accepted in the U S for exchange back into U S Dollars other than at a booth in the airport (which can have lengthy queues), though you are allowed to take up to CUC 200 with you on departure from Cuba. (N.B. President Raul Castro announced Cuba will move to a single currency in 2014, so this is possibly going to change.)

(Euros, Canadian Dollars, etc. are not subject to this exchange fee / tax.)@:-) (Yes, I took Euros - the commercial exchange rate was $1.35 and the hotel offered $1.2955.) (N.B. Avoid street exchanges from jineteros offering to change - they can slip in Cuban Pesos (non-CUC) or shortchange you.)

Money transfers wired to Cuba - it's possible using Western Union and in Cuba Fincimex. However the process is cumbersome and Americans are allowwed to send up to $300 US to Cuba every three months, provided the money is not intended for governmental entities or officials.

Bringing back items from Cuba: Certain kinds of artwork, informational material (CDs, books, etc.) are allowed. Anything manufactured in Cuba - cigars, alcohol, clothing such as guayaberas, souvenirs, etc. - is prohibited from entry into the USA, other than "art", books, CDs and the like. Though you are allowed to leave Cuba with up to 200 CUC, it would be less than wise to enter the U S with these due to the lack of convertability (particularly if you are traveling "though the back door"). The risk is not high, but it's there, like the sword of Damocles, so make an informed decision.

The "back door": Some Americans travel from Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Costa Rica, etc. to / from Cuba. I know people who have done so "successfully", and I personally know people who have been fined significant amounts of money, and there are documented instances such as Mr. Zachary Sanders, who was fined $6,500 14 years after his trip from Mexico. (Those caught could also be shorn of Global Entry, etc.)

You could get caught with a departure and entry stamp in addition to your admission and departure stamps for your initial trip to / from Mexico, Costa Rica, etc. You might get caught if you have Cuban stamps or documentation in your possession that point to your being in Cuba (note my post 17 Nov 2013 indicating particularly exit stamps may indeed be placed in your US passport). It is also true some countries have provided lists of Americans traveling to Cuba through the back door to the US Central Intelligence Agency. And departure stamps (two!) were entered into my passport without my requesting them or my being asked if I wanted them.

Choosing to not fill in your required U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form 6059B question 8 - "Print the name of the country(ies) that you visited on your trip prior to arriving to the United States" - when you enter the U S fully, including omitting to mention a country you have visited, when you return to the USA is considered "making a false statement" or "concealing information"- this is covered by 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which has successfully been used against Rod Blagojevich, Bernard Madoff, Martha Stewart, etc. for making false statements to agents / departments of the U S Government.

(See post #39 by dhuey for another perspective and what the current US administration seems to be doing currently - not putting effort into ordinary tourist OFAC offenses.)

Freedom to move about and speak in Cuba: Normally, your travel on the ground is not restricted; you are not required to have a minder or be with your tour group at all times. Air travel will require identification, etc. There are generally no restrictions on interacting with Cubans, but be aware they may choose not to enter free discussion about Cuban politics - many Cuban people are believers in their system, and those who are not may feel inhibited due to the "Committees for the Defense of the Revolution" (CDR*, pronounced "seh deh ERR-eh" kind of or Comités de Defensa de la Revolución,) organized by blocks and keeping records on peoples' interactions and political speech - among many other functions, ranging from street cleanliness to literacy promotion, as well as agents from the MININT (Ministro del Interior) or SDE (Seguridad del Estado) - genuine dissidence can get one arrested (or a foreigner detained and / or deported summarily). (As an article on Wikipedia states, the organizations, described as the "eyes and ears of the Revolution," exist to promote social welfare and report on "counter-revolutionary" activity.)

Cubans complain about bureaucracy, shortages, etc. quite readily (not so much about the revolution, its leaders or direction Cuba is headed), and are quite vocal and willing to engage in discussion. Many Cubans are for the most part believers (the revolution has been all many of them have known), and certainly not easily convinced they are wrong if they are. OTOH, Cubans are voluble, knowledgeable and often willing to discuss many issues among equals (they do not enjoy being patronized or put down any more than anyone else).

If you are discussing issues like this with a Cuban and they indicate their opposite shoulder with two fingers, that gesture is basically the local version of "cheese it, the cops" - a potentially dangerous listener is in the vicinity, and the topic should be changed to a harmless one. Cubans have strong senses of humor and irony, and read between the lines when reading official organs or create cartoons, etc.

*Fidel Castro stated these were to be "a collective system of revolutionary vigilance," established "so that everybody knows who lives on every block, what they do on every block, what relations they have had with the tyranny, in what activities are they involved, and with whom they meet," in a speech establishing the CR 28 Sep 1960.

Freedom of information: There is basically one publisher of news, Granma, the official organ of the Communist party, and two other newspapers (one from the workers' branch) that pretty much toe the line (and are published at the same address, I believe the Ministry of Communications on Revolution Square). Internet service is not widely available, is restricted in some ways and s-l-o-w. Even in top notch hotels with WiFi, it's likely to be slow and patchy. (The Cuban constitution says that free speech is allowed "in keeping with the objectives of socialist society" and that artistic creation is allowed "as long as its content is not contrary to the Revolution".)

Alan Phillip Gross, working as a subcontractor for USAID in 2009, was installing Internet connections for the small Jewish community center and in possession of a satellite phone without the required Cuban authorization - after spending two years in jail, he was sentenced in 2011 for "Acts against the Independence and Territorial Integrity of the State" ("Actos Contra la Independencia o la Integridad Territorial del Estado") to 15 years in prison.

Help from the U. S. Government in emergencies: As to diplomatic representation and assistance, be aware the US does not have Ambassadorial or Consular representation in Cuba other than a United States Interests Section in La Habana, and of course U S rights or law do not apply to American visitors in Cuba. You can see lengthy queues most mornings seeking visitor visas and immigration spots. (Interestingly, many who immigrate are back soon and may keep one foot in each country.)

http://havana.usint.gov

However, they are limited by current Cuban law from traveling outside of La Habana area without permission.

Photography: You may bring one camera and video recorder into Cuba; these will be subject to x-rays at HAV on arrival. "Professional" video or photo gear requires a license issued by the Cuban authorities. Photography is fine - but avoid attempting to photograph at airports, strategic (police, military) facilities including bridges, industrial complexes, shipping facilities, secure government facilities, uniformed personnel of any kind, etc. as in many other countries, and you are prohibited from photographing school children, at least in theory - but I've not seen anyone hassled for doing so, and on many occasions have been invited to photograph people of all ages. (Cubans in costume, such as "guajiras" with stogies in their mouths, may demand a CUC to be photographed - this is their way of earning money.

You certainly may photograph most anything else (you may be asked to pay for a permit at some museums), including the Cuban people - but be sure to ask first and not be rude; if someone declines, do not proceed to take photographs. And though crime is not high in Cuba, secure your gear - it could be stolen or snatched on the street, as it could in most any other country.

You should take your charger and at least one backup battery - and lots of memory, as these are often not likely to be found easily (or cheaply) in Cuba. Fotovideo and Photo Service may sell small digital "point and shoots" and preloaded one-time use film snapshot cameras, but don't expect accessories, memory chips and the like to be easy to find.

Power: 110 Volts Alternating Current at 60 Hz is common, but newer hotels will offer 220 VAC and may offer a 110 VAC outlet in the bathroom for shavers (or may not). Plugs may be "Type A" North American "NEMA 1-15" unpolarized plugs (no third grounded pin, no grounded oversize pin), or "Type C" European two pin plug "CEE 7/16". See Kropla.com. Blackouts and power surges may occur at times. A torch / flashlight is a very useful thing to have - even in the best of places you will probably experience power interruptions.

Internet: Wi-Fi may be slow and unreliable where it exists, and some websites and functions may be blocked - as shown by popups.

Restrooms: Public restrooms are not as common, and not as up to date, as one might find in fully developed countries; attendants expect a small tip (25 cents) and may hand you a few squares of toilet paper; toilets in most public places do not have seats, and an open (or a few places closed) container is where you deposit used toilet paper - even in some of the best hotels and restaurants. Toilet paper may not be available, so it might be wise to take some roll ends and remove the core (allowing them to be flat) and take one in your purse, backpack, etc. when you are "on the town" or "on the road".

Smoking: Smoking is common in Cuba and not much restricted, including in hotels and restaurants (some very few restaurants or paladares - private restaurants - may restrict smoking to specific areas). Hotels may say your room is not smoking, but that's probably only while you are there. If you have allergies, be aware of this - possibly bring a spray bottle of Febreeze or the like.


Annoyances and dangers: Jineteros (grifters, shills and pimps) and jineteras (often prostitutes) are not uncommon - and often denser around popular hotels and tourist sites. The least harmful are shills for various shops, restaurants, hotels and the like, and others are petty criminals on the prowl for those wanting to exchange money unofficially, pick pockets, purse snatchers and slashers, and pimps; I've been solicited by a pimp when accompanied by my wife at the entrance to a popular restaurant. Prostitutes may be soliciting for sex, but have also been implicated in sedating clients with drugs, stealing wallets, etc. and it is not unknown for them to lead a client to a trap where theft or even muggings await. That being said - the risk of being assaulted in Cuba is quote low, HIV/AIDS is more contained than US and certainly Haiti, and Cuba is relatively safe to travel in.

Mosquitos can be common (and in some populous areas occasionally transmit dengue), and one can find dawn and dusk "jejenes" (no see ums) as well as sand flies near beaches.

Is it worth the hassle? De gustibus non est disputandum, but in my opinion, yes it is. Cuba is a nation in transition - a Marxist socialist country to be sure, with many restrictions - but with a vibrant culture, high literacy and dedication to and involvement in the arts, a capital city that is under reconstruction - a lot to see and do.