Being able to send money to Cuba in a straightforward, cost-effective and secure way is important for many people living in the U.S. who have relatives living in Cuba. Cross-border transactions have been more difficult and expensive during the past couple of years due to restrictions put in place in late 2020. Some of those restrictions have now been lifted, so sending a payment via Western Union means you can support your family much more easily again. You’ll just need to know the rules that are still in place.
Sending money to Cuba
While Western Union has reinstated its money transfer service from U.S. to Cuba, there are still restrictions around how much money you can send, the mechanics of how to send money to Cuba and who you can send money to. According to the rules for sending money to Cuba, currently money transfers can only be sent to a “close relative” of the sender.
Who constitutes a “close relative” for money transfers to Cuba?
The U.S. Federal Register on Cuban Assets Control Regulations states that money transfers can only be sent to a “close relative” and this person cannot be a member of the Cuba Communist Party.
For the purposes of this legislation, a “close relative” is defined as follows:
The individual receiving the money must be related to the sender by blood, marriage or adoption and must be no more than three generations removed from the sender or a common ancestor of the sender.
Close relatives include children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, siblings, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, stepchildren, and half-siblings, whether within your family or your partner’s family through marriage or adoption.
This means you could send a transfer to your husband’s great nephew because you are related by marriage, but you would not be able to send money to your son’s mother-in-law because you have no common ancestor.
How to send money to Cuba
There are currently three options for sending USD to Cuban family members through Western Union:
- Online money transfer service
- Money transfer app
- In-person transfers using Agent locations
Our online and money transfer app services are available for anyone living in the U.S. who wants to send money to Cuba. All you need to set up an account is your Government-issued Identity documents and your payment card information.
You might find that the mobile app is a more convenient way to make your payment because it has a few features to help make the process easier, such as the ability to scan in your payment card details, avoiding keying errors, and one-touch fingerprint login.
You can also send money from over 4400 Agent locations across all 50 States and from Puerto Rico, making it easier for anyone, irrespective of where they live in the U.S., to send money to Cuba.
Other restrictions
At present, it is only possible to send:
- Up to $2,000 USD per day – no other currency can be sent.
- To a close relative over the age of 18.
- To receivers with bank and debit card accounts at the following banks in Cuba: Banco Popular de Ahorro, Banco Metropolitano S.A. and Banco de Credito y Comercio (Bandec).
- To Cuban nationals who are not a prohibited official of the government of Cuba or a prohibited member of the Cuban Communist Party.
Making Money Transfers to Cuba from the U.S.
Enabling money transfers from the U.S. to Cuba again means Cuban nationals can receive a much-needed boost to their personal finances and the economy as a whole. With Cuba struggling to recover from trading sanctions, the COVID pandemic and a faltering tourist industry, the reinstatement of money transfer services from the U.S. could help make life more bearable for millions of Cubans again.
If you need support setting up your money transfer account, visit the Help Center on our website to check out frequently asked questions.
