Cuba: Entry
& Exit Formalities in Cuba
Whether it's your first or
50th time, descending low into José Martí International Airport, over rust-red
tobacco fields, is an exciting and unforgettable experience. Entry procedures
are relatively straightforward, and with approximately three million visitors a
year, immigration officials are used to dealing with foreign arrivals.
Outside Cuba, the capital city
is called Havana, and this is how travel agents, airlines and other
professionals will refer to it. Within Cuba, it's almost always called La
Habana. For the sake of consistency, we use the former spelling.
Visas
Regular tourists who plan to
spend up to two months in Cuba do not need visas. Instead, you get a tarjeta de
turista (tourist card) valid for 30 days, which can be extended once you're in
Cuba (Canadians get 90 days plus the option of a 90-day extension).
Package tourists receive their
card with their other travel documents. Those going 'air only' usually buy the
tourist card from the travel agency or airline office that sells them the plane
ticket, but policies vary (eg Canadian airlines give out tourist cards on their
airplanes), so you'll need to check ahead with the airline office via phone or
email.
In some cases, you may be
required to buy and/or pick up the card at your departure airport, sometimes at
the flight gate itself some minutes before departure. Some independent
travelers have been denied access to Cuba flights because they inadvertently
haven't obtained a tourist card.
Once in Havana, tourist-card
extensions or replacements cost another CUC$25. You cannot leave Cuba without
presenting your tourist card. If you lose it, you can expect to face at least a
day of frustrating Cuba-style bureaucracy to get it replaced.
You are not permitted entry to
Cuba without an onward ticket.
Fill the tourist card out
clearly and carefully, as Cuban customs are particularly fussy about crossings
out and illegibility.
Business travelers and
journalists need visas. Applications should be made through a consulate at
least three weeks in advance (longer if you apply through a consulate in a
country other than your own).
Documents
Required on Entry
Passport
valid for at least one month beyond your departure date
Cuba
'tourist card' filled out correctly
Proof of
travel medical insurance (random checks at airport)
Evidence of
sufficient funds for the duration of your stay
Return air
ticket
Customs
Regulations
Cuban
customs regulations are complicated. For the full up-to-date scoop see
www.aduana.co.cu.
Entering
Cuba
Travelers are allowed to bring
in personal belongings including photography equipment, binoculars, a musical
instrument, radio, personal computer, tent, fishing rod, bicycle, canoe and
other sporting gear, and up to 10kg of medicines. Canned, processed and dried
food are no problem, nor are pets (as long as they have veterinary
certification and proof of rabies vaccination).
Items that do not fit into the
categories mentioned above are subject to a 100% customs duty to a maximum of
CUC$1000.
Items prohibited from entry
into Cuba include narcotics, explosives, pornography, electrical appliances
broadly defined, light motor vehicles, car engines and products of animal
origin.
Leaving Cuba
You are allowed to export 50
boxed cigars duty-free (or 23 singles) and up to US$5000 (or the equivalent) in
cash.
Exporting undocumented art and
items of cultural patrimony is restricted and involves fees. Normally, when you
buy art you will be given an official 'seal' at the point of sale. Check this
before you buy. If you don't get one, you'll need to obtain one from the Registro
Nacional de Bienes Culturales in Havana. Bring the objects here for inspection;
fill in a form; pay a fee of between CUC$10 and CUC$30, which covers from one
to five pieces of artwork; and return 24 hours later to pick up the
certificate.
Travelers should check local
import laws in their home country regarding Cuban cigars. Some countries,
including Australia, charge duty on imported Cuban cigars.
Licenses for US
Visitors
The US government issues two
sorts of licenses for travel to Cuba: ‘specific’ and ‘general.’ Specific
licenses require a lengthy and sometimes complicated application process and
are considered on a case-by-case basis; their application should start at least
45 days before your intended date of departure.
Most visitors will travel
under general licenses. General licenses are self-qualifying. Persons traveling
under a general license do not need to notify OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets
Control) of their travel plans. Travelers sign an affidavit stating the purpose
of travel and purchase a Cuban Visa at check-in when departing the United
States via flights. Visas average $50, purchased through airlines or
established third parties.
You might need supporting documentation
to back up your claim when you book your flight ticket. Check with the US
Department of the Treasury
(www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/cuba.aspx) to see if
you qualify for a license.
Extensions
For most travelers, obtaining
an extension once in Cuba is easy: you just go to the inmigración (immigration
office) and present your documents and CUC$25 in stamps. Obtain these stamps
from a branch of Bandec or Banco Financiero Internacional beforehand. You'll
only receive an additional 30 days after your original 30 days (apart from
Canadians who get an additional 90 days after their original 90), but you can
exit and re-enter the country for 24 hours and start over again (some travel
agencies in Havana have special deals for this type of trip). Attend to
extensions at least a few business days before your visa is due to expire and
never attempt travel around Cuba with an expired visa.
Cuban Immigration
Offices
Nearly all provincial towns
have an immigration office (where you can extend your visa), though the staff
rarely speak English and aren't always overly helpful. Try to avoid Havana's
office if you can, as it gets ridiculously crowded.
Baracoa , Bayamo (In a big complex 200m south of the Hotel Sierra Maestra), Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo
(Directly behind Hotel Guantánamo), Habana,
Holguín, Las Tunas, Sancti Spíritus, Santa Clara (Three blocks east of
Estadio Sandino), Santiago de Cuba
Stamps for visa extensions are sold at the Banco de Crédito y Comercio at Felix
Peña No 614 on Parque Céspedes, Trinidad
(Off Paseo Agramonte) , Varadero.
US Citizens & Cuba
When
President Obama decided to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, decades of
regulations started to shift, though some measures still await change (like
banking). To further complicate matters, it's speculated that the current
agreements would be altered by the Trump administration.
In
conjunction with the US embargo against Cuba, the US government 'travel ban,'
which had prevented US citizens from visiting Cuba, relaxed under the Obama
administration. Technically a treasury law prohibiting Americans from spending
money in Cuba, it squelched leisure travel for more than 45 years. At present,
visitors undertaking non-tourism related activities are allowed to visit the
island provided they meet the requirements of special categories.
A little
history: The 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which was signed into law by President
Clinton on March 12, 1996, imposes without judicial review fines of up to
US$50,000 on US citizens who visit Cuba without US government permission. It
also allows for confiscation of their property. In addition, under the Trading
with the Enemy Act, violators may face up to US$250,000 in fines and up to 10
years in prison.
Under the
Obama administration there was considerable progress in Cuba relations.
Bilateral agreements have eased travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans, direct
commercial flights are operating between the US and Cuba, there's postal
service between the two countries, restrictions on the goods brought from Cuba
has relaxed and there is greater leniency in the granting of legal licenses.
Visit
www.cubacentral.com to inform yourself of the latest legislation on Capitol
Hill.
Do you need a list of names and places to provide to the american authorities? Just write to cubamigos@yahoo.es
