Travel Q & A: Visiting Cuba
Posted on February 24th, 2009 – 12:40 PMBy Elizabeth Larsen
A reader emailed to ask about the logistics of traveling to Cuba. Despite some strong words of warning from the U.S. Department of State, traveling to Cuba is not illegal. There are, however, many restrictions that could make planning a trip there difficult. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control can issue special licenses to people who are traveling in either professional or educational roles, many requiring a full schedule of religious and humanitarian activities. While many Americans have dodged these restrictions by flying to Cuba from other countries, including Mexico and Canada, that approach can lead to some white knuckles at U.S. Customs since the fine for traveling to Cuba without a license can be as high as $7,500.
3 Responses to "Travel Q & A: Visiting Cuba"
You may be technically correct, but you are totally wrong when you state traveling to Cuba is not illegal.
The United States has an economic embargo against Cuba. What this means is that you may technically be legal to travel there, your presence in the country makes it illegal because you have spent money there. Claims of being a guest and not spending money does not fly. And yes the fine can be as high as $7,500.00.
Even a local college had to negotiate a fine for their travel to Cuba.
You can legally travel only with a license issued by the Dept. of Treasury, which is very difficult to obtain. In additon there are restrictions which accompany this license.
I have traveled to Cuba several times, under humanitarian licenses issued by the Dept of Treasury.
In these new days of stricter Homeland Security rules it is not as easy to ‘fly’ under the radar.
For clarification purposes it is illegal to travel to Cuba unless you hold a license issued by the Dept. of Treasury.
What a comment on America, the land of the free, to tell people where and where they cannot travel.
Thanks so much for the clarification, Pat. Yes, you are correct that it is not legal to travel to Cuba unless you have gone through the process of obtaining a humanitarian license issued by the U.S. Dept. of Treasury. I’d love to hear more about your trips to Cuba and the work you were doing while you were there. Would you recommend a humanitarian trip to Cuba to others?
How would a family of four find a humanitarian trip to connect with? We have two college-age boys and we would like to go to Cuba. We have been to several countries as a family and my husband and I had been Peace Corps Volunteers in the Central Pacific.
Thanks,
Cindy
Kerri Westenberg has globe-trotted for National Geographic and other magazines. Now she zips around the region, on the lookout for travel news you can use.
Elizabeth Larsen lived in Salzburg, Austria, and has traveled throughout Europe and the Americas. She can say "diaper," "bottle" and "crib" in four languages.
Troy Melhus has heli-skied on glaciers, dived alongside Monk seals and raced for 24 hours on a mountain bike. All this, and he rarely spends more than $500 on a trip.
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