Traveling to Cuba from the U.S. as a tourist has been prohibited since 1963, but there are ways to go the island which are legal. There are 12 permitted categories of travel including educational, business and for supporting the Cuba people. Let’s explore how you can travel to support the people of Cuba.
Traveling from the U.S. to Cuba
U.S. citizens can travel to Cuba under the “general travel license” so long as your reason for travel falls within one of the twelve permitted reasons. Since general tourism isn’t allowed, most U.S. citizens who want to visit Cuba to experience the culture will travel under the “Support for the Cuban People” category.
You won’t require a physical document since you are traveling under the general travel license issued by the U.S. Government, but you do need a Cuban Tourist Card (also known as a Cuban Tourist Visa) and your passport. For additional requirements and documentation, see our “Logistical Tips for Traveling to Cuba.”
Support for the Cuban People
This travel category is wide ranging and is likely to include many of the tourist activities that you might wish to do on a visit to the island. However, you must be very careful to only spend money with small local businesses such as B&Bs, cafés, restaurants, and bars rather than any government-owned establishments. This is a condition of the travel category so that you are not supporting the Cuban Communist party.
Suggested activities which are allowed
You are required to have a full itinerary of activities that support the Cuban people (full-time meaning at least 6 hours a day), and you should keep all your receipts from expenses incurred while you are in Cuba so you can prove to the U.S. Government where your support was directed. Make sure you don’t accidentally spend money at a restricted establishment. Here are some activities that meet the criteria of the Support of the Cuban People category.
Take a Cuban cooking class
There are several options for a Cuban cooking class, but one which gets great reviews is the class held at Ajiaco Café in Cojimar where you can learn how to make classic dishes such as ropa vieja as well as authentic mojitos. To book, email cafeajiaco@gmail.com.
Find popular classes at the Salsabor a Cuba dance school. Here you can learn the rumba and salsa as well as lesser-known dances such as reggaeton, cha-cha-cha and mambo.
Ride in a classic American car
Havana is synonymous with vintage classic cars, and you can book a tour in advance for your driver to pick you up from your hotel. Spend a couple of hours driving around the city visiting the main sites.
Take an art tour.
Check out the Cuban art scene with a tour to the famous Callejón de Hamel, a community art project by Salvador González Escalona.
Eat in a family-run restaurant
Eating at family-run restaurants are a great way to support the Cuban people. Known as paladares, these restaurants are plentiful and offer some fabulous authentic Cuban cuisine. Check out TripAdvisor or Alamesa for information on the top-recommended eateries.
Other activities
You can also explore Havana and other Cuban towns by bike or join an organized walking tour. Aside from cooking classes, you can also join a food tour sampling a range of Cuban dishes. Finally, why not visit a Cuban bar for some cocktails and music to round off your day.
Taking U.S. dollars into Cuba
You can bring U.S. dollars into Cuba, although if you want to bring more than $5,000 you will need to declare this to the Cuban government. Typically, you can spend USD and Euros at many shops and restaurants in Cuba so if you run out of Cuban pesos you can still make many purchases using these other currencies. You may also find some establishments that are happy to take Canadian dollars or UK pounds [1].
Making Money Transfers to Cuba from the U.S.
If you want to send money to Cuba from the U.S., perhaps to support family members, you can make an international money transfer of up to $2,000 per day to close relatives, either online, using our money transfer app or in person at our agent locations in the U.S. Be aware that there are still some restrictions for sending money from the U.S. to Cuba, the following criteria must be met to enable a transfer to take place:
Customers can send $2,000 USD per transaction (additional limits may apply). The transactions are expected to be delivered the Next Business Day. Same-day delivery might be available if the transaction is submitted before the cutoff time (11:30 am EST) and it is dependent on the bank’s service availability.
- Deposits can only be made to MLC (Moneda Libre Convertible) accounts and MLC debit cards.
- Only non-commercial, family remittances are allowed while send-to-self is not available.
- Customer transactions must be in full compliance with US regulatory requirements and may be subject to additional restrictions based on available remittance types. Available at selected locations.
