American travelers are best off arriving with plenty of cash in a non-US currency – the euro is the most favored foreign currency and is accepted by most private businesses, from casa particulares to restaurants and taxi drivers, meaning you won’t have to buy many Cuban pesos (which are worthless outside Cuba).īeware: The Cuban economy is in a state of extreme flux. While beach vacations are not on the list of approved reasons for travel to Cuba, it's still possible to spend time on the beach © AleksandarGeorgiev / Getty Images Money tips for Cuba in 2022Ĭredit cards linked to US banks don’t work in Cuba and the US dollar was taken out of circulation in June 2021. Health officials make spot checks at the airport. You’re also required to take out medical insurance that includes cover for COVID-19 this may be included in the cost of your air ticket from the US. Tests can be procured at Havana’s José Martí International Airport before departure.Īll arriving travelers must fill out an online D’Viajeros form containing information relating to public health and immigration. Departing US passengers will need a negative rapid-antigen test to re-enter the US. Random COVID-19 tests may still be administered at the airport but there’s no mandatory quarantine unless you test positive. Pre-travel COVID-19 tests and vaccination certificates are no longer required to enter Cuba from the US. Costs range from US$50 to US$85, including processing fees. Alternatively, you can purchase one through a Cuban travel agency. These are usually available through your airline (ask when booking). To enter Cuba, all visitors need to present a completed Tourist Card - which serves a similar function to a tourist visa. Additionally, on your return, you’ll be required to keep all your travel receipts for five years. However, bear in mind that before you travel, you’ll need to draw up a detailed itinerary of your plans. Independent travelers with no affiliations can qualify under the conveniently vague ‘support for the Cuban people’ category, which is the easiest option for people looking to explore the island. The vast majority of current visitors are Cuban Americans entering under the ‘family travel’ category. More details are available online from the US Treasury. US law states that US citizens can only travel to Cuba on a ‘general license’ based on one of 12 different approved categories, which include family visits, educational and religious activities, public performances and exhibitions, and the vague sounding 'support for the Cuban people.' Licenses are self-qualifying (there’s no long-winded paperwork), but you’ll be asked to state your category of choice in a signed travel affidavit when booking travel to Cuba. The 12 categories of travel licenses for US citizens Ready to start planning? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get 20% off your next guidebook. More Cuban airports will likely open up to US flights in the coming months. Operating airlines include American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue. As of May 2022, there are approximately a dozen flights a day between the US and Havana departing from the Florida cities of Miami, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. Getting to Cuba from the USįlying to Havana is one of the easier parts of the Cuba conundrum. The directives have also lifted limits on family remittances (previously capped at $1,000 a quarter) to provide help in facilitating family reunions and supporting independent Cuban entrepreneurs. Nor have any Cuban state entities been removed from the US’s restricted list, meaning it’s still difficult for Americans to legally stay in Cuban hotels. Both measures will be good news to US travel agencies who have battled with increased red tape since 2017.Īs yet, there is no word that the US will reinstate individual people-to-people travel, the category that led to a huge influx of US visitors to Cuba between 20. This includes opening up flights to airports beyond Havana (which were closed to US aircraft during the Trump era) and reinstating group people-to-people travel and other categories of group educational travel. Of direct interest to US travelers is the Biden Administration’s promise to expand authorized travel in support of the Cuban people. While the measures don’t fully restore the openings of the Obama era, they mark an encouraging start for struggling Cubans and aspiring US travelers. The Biden Administration took several steps toward thawing US-Cuba relations on May 16, 2022, after five years of tightened restrictions.
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