Planning Your Cuba Trip

Information for ALL Cuba trips

The Center for Constitutional Rights offers a 15 page "Know before you go" to Cuba article.

• What is prohibited
• General Licenses
• Specific Licenses
• Hosted travel to Cuba
• Before and during re-entry into US

Even though is a bit dated from 2009, much of the advice is very relevant to anyone wishing to travel to Cuba.

These guidelines for visiting Cuba from the LA Times is also very useful advice before traveling to Cuba and Marazul offers many Cuba travel tips and a good Cuba trip preparation guide with this information:

• Departing from the United States
• Your luggage and the charter company
• Arriving in Cuba
• Your currency and form of payment
• Cuban customs regulations
• Reconfirming your return flight
• Departing from Cuba
• Passenger Assistance Directory
• Ticket sales and confirmation

General Cuba Travel Advice

Cuba travel guidelines from OFAC published on April 19, 2011.

Good Cuba travel tips from Plaza Cuba.

Wikipedia has a great summary about Cuba travel precautions and advice.

Information for HOSTED Cuba trips

Questions for you Cuba trip host

Ask your Cuba tour host?
What is included in the trip?
What is excluded from the trip?
How long have you been offering hosted Cuba trips?
How many trips to Cuba has your company hosted?
How many times has the tour guide been to Cuba?
Do I qualify to travel to Cuba?
What is the deposit and payment schedule?
Are payments refundable?
What if the Cuba trip is cancelled?
Do I need health insurance?
Will you get a Cuban visa for me?
Do I need travel insurance?

How do you know if a group's Cuba trip is legal?

If you plan to travel to Cuba with a host, you will be traveling under their OFAC license. You should ask for proof that your Cuba tour operator or Cuba trip host has a valid OFAC Cuba travel license.

If they claim to be traveling legally to Cuba under a General license, then you should ask to see their attorney's opinion letter saying that the organization is qualified to travel under the General license restrictions.

So, you would like to go to Cuba with a Host or with an OFAC license?

Information for LICENSED Cuba trips

If you believe you are qualified to travel to Cuba legally under a General Cuba travel license or Specific Cuba travel license you might want to check out the Cuba Sanctions page at OFAC and a summary of OFAC information about Cuba from our sister site, CubaLegalServices.com

Your passport expiration date must be no sooner than six months from the travel date.

You will need a Cuba travel visa. This can be provided by your Cuba service provider.

You will need to prove to your Cuba service provider that you are qualified to travel to Cuba under a General license or under a Specific license.

Questions about your ability to travel to Cuba legally?

Be sure check in with the Cuba culture forum and the Cuba travel forum at the Havana Journal to read about other people's Cuba trips and you can post your own questions and comments.

Seek competent Cuba legal advice, refer to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, Title 31, Part 515 of the US Code of Federal Regulations and/or contact OFAC at:

United States Treasury Department
Office of Foreign Assets Control
Washington, D.C. 20220
202.622.2520