Import Regulations

Cuba restricts total incoming luggage weight to 25 kilograms (55 pounds). If you bring more you could be subject to a 10.00 USD (1,200 CUP- Cuban Pesos) surcharge per extra kilo (2.2 pounds) up to a maximum of 5 kilograms. An additional allowance of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) is made for medicines and medical items.

PERMITTED ITEMS: You can take photographic and video cameras, personal DVD, PDA, CD and game device, cell phones, including ones that are GPS enabled (all are costly to use), laptops, MP3 players, hair dryers, electric shavers, binoculars, portable radio receivers, musical instruments, and sound recording devices FOR PERSONAL USE. If you take more than one of the above items, Cuban Customs may ask if you intend to leave them on the island. If you do, tariffs may apply. If you take more than the equivalent of $5,000 USD in cash, you'll need to declare it. Prescription medicines should remain in their original containers with labels intact.

Passengers of 18 years of age or over are allowed:

• 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500 grams of tobacco;
• 3 bottles of alcoholic beverages;
• up to 10 kg of medicines (incl. narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances for personal use) accompanied by medical prescription.
• personal effects
• goods up to a value of Cuban Peso-CUP 1,000- subject to customs duty payment every time arriving to the country.
• up to the equivalent of USD 5,000.- in freely convertible currencies. Checks, bills of exchange, promissory notes or other payment instrument or titles of credit used in international banking practice are accepted.

Exempt of import duty payments:

• personal items, considering those articles what a passenger may need for personal use during his/her trip;
• medicines, prosthesis and wheelchairs for the use of ill and disable persons;
• books and articles for teaching purposes.
• Passengers may carry, exempt of payment of Import Duty, up to 25kg of miscellaneous articles considered as personal belongings despite of the fact that they may use them or not.

Prohibited:

• all kinds of seeds, fresh animal or vegetable products unless prior approval has been obtained from Ministry of Agriculture;
• narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances except those for personal use and provided holding medical prescription;
• all kinds of hemoderivatives;
• explosives, firearms and ammunition unless prior authorization has been obtained from the Ministry of Interior;
• obscene and pornographic materials; printed matter directed against the public order and the morality of Cuba and its revolution;
• household appliances (freezers with a capacity exceeding seven cubic feet, air conditioners, any type or model of electric accumulators and heating/cooking plates, electric and microwave ovens, any type or size of electric frying pans, electric water heaters and showers, electric irons and toasters).
• Passengers importing to Cuba other articles in addition to their personal items must fill out a Customs Declaration providing all the information required in this document.

Additional information on Regulations:

Passengers who temporarily import articles with a value over USD 5,000 in articles or cash must obtain a customs value declaration upon arrival in order to re-export such items or cash when departing.

Cats and dogs: must be accompanied by an official veterinary certificate, which must include the owner's details; animal details (species, age, name, race and color); details of rabies vaccination, specifying type of vaccine, batch number and date of immunization; details of any other vaccinations and/or treatment for internal parasites. They must also be clinically inspected prior to shipment proving that the animal is disease free and has no external parasites or wounds. No prior authorization is required.

Although we make every effort to keep the information on our websites up to date, Cuba travel regulations can change pretty fast so we always recommend checking the International Air Transport Association website for any updates before departure.

Export Regulations

Free export by tourists only:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 loose or unwrapped cigars without having to produce official purchase receipts;
• 2 bottles of alcoholic beverages (for persons of 18 years or over. Receipts must be shown at customs);
• goods and souvenirs obtained in official stores up to the equivalent of USD 1,000.
• Foreign currencies: up to the equivalent of USD 5,000.- in freely convertible currencies in cash, checks, bills of exchange, promissory notes or other payment instruments or titles of credit used in international banking practice can be freely exported. Excess amounts must be declared and accompanied by a permit that grants the legal export of the amount referred to.

Authorized US travelers may purchase alcohol and tobacco products while in Cuba for personal consumption in Cuba. Please note that effective June 9, 2022, authorized travelers may no longer return to the United States with alcohol and/or tobacco products acquired in Cuba as accompanied baggage for personal use. American travelers may stay up to date on imports from Cuba to the USA by visiting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website before tour departure. Here's the latest CBP Public Notice on Process for Imports from Cuba.

Prohibited (unless holding required authorization):

• Philatelic and numismatic collections, objects of precious metals and stonnes, works of art and all articles of artistic, historical or cultural value, books printed before 1940, medicines, firearms and ammunition.
• Passengers can export more than 50 cigars; purchase receipt is required issued by an authorized store and with non-commercial value.
• Any article or derivative from endangered species requires a permit from CITES.

Crew members customs Regulations:

Same regulations as for passengers apply.

Pets

Cats and dogs: must be accompanied by an official veterinary certificate, which must include the owner's details; animal details (species, age, name, race and color); details of rabies vaccination, specifying type of vaccine, batch number and date of immunization; details of any other vaccinations and/or treatment for internal parasites. They must also be clinically inspected prior to shipment proving that the animal is disease free and has no external parasites or wounds. No prior authorization is required.

Baggage Clearance Regulations

Baggage is cleared at the airport of the final destination within Cuba.

Exempt: baggage of transit passengers with a destination outside of Cuba.

D'VIAJEROS: Advance Travel Information Form

As of January 2023, a new pre-arrival form known as D’VIAJEROS must be completed online within 48 hours of tour departure. This is the Cuban version of the Canadian eTA scheme or the Australian Electronic Travel Authority scheme. This form is mandatory for each traveler and free of charge. It is intended to expedite procedures at Cuba’s points of entry.

D’VIAJEROS is an electronic travel authorization form that replaces and collects similar information to the Sanitary Statement for Travelers (Declaración de Sanidad del Viajero) paper form and the Customs Declaration for Passengers paper form that travelers used to fill onboard or at arrival before 2023.

Travelers are required to enter personal information (passport number, nationality, address, etc.), arrival information (flight information, arrival date, address in Cuba, etc.), COVID-19 related- information (symptoms and countries visited in the last 15 days, etc.) and customs declaration (currency imports, anything to declare, etc.).

Once completed, the form can be submitted, and travelers will receive an email with a unique QR code. You can bring an electronic or printed version of this QR code with you (we recommend to print the email with all the information if possible) to show to the Cuban border workers upon arrival. If you can't fill out the form online for any reason, the paper form will be available upon arrival in Cuba for you to complete.

Currency Rules

Currency Import Regulations:

Foreign currencies: up to the equivalent of USD 5,000.- in freely convertible currencies. Checks, bills of exchange, promissory notes or other payment instrument or titles of credit used in international banking practice are accepted. Credit cards and travelers checks issued by US banks are not accepted.

Passengers who temporarily import over USD 5,000 in cash must obtain a customs value declaration upon arrival in order to re-export such cash when departing.

Currency export Regulations:

Foreign currencies: up to the equivalent of USD 5,000.- in freely convertible currencies in cash, checks, bills of exchange, promissory notes or other payment instruments or titles of credit used in international banking practice can be freely exported.

Foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared upon arrival.

The Cuban Peso (CUP) is the official currency in the island. All goods and services are priced and paid for in the CUP. The CUP floats in value against world currencies. Exchange rates vary daily. Today's rates are based on 1.00 USD equals 120.00 CUP.

Participants should carefully evaluate daily spending needs prior to departure. A minimum of $50 USD (CASH) per day is recommended. It is better to plan to take more money than to get caught short of funds.

Most private business such as casas particulares (guest houses/ bed & breakfasts), private bars and restaurants prefer cash payments in US DOLLARS or EUROS but Cuban pesos will be accepted too.

Change your money into CUP at a bank, your hotel, or at a CADECA (Casas de Cambio SA – exchange bureau). Never exchange your money on the street or through an individual Cuban.

Credit cards and travelers checks issued by Canadian and European banks are accepted (AMEX is never accepted).

But please confirm with your bank before you depart as regulations change constantly. Canadian travelers If you have a MasterCard issued by a credit union or caisse populaire it won't work in Cuba. Contact your branch for more information.

Credit cards and travelers checks issued by US banks are not accepted. Debit cards do not work in Cuba.

A photocopy of your passport is sufficient identification. However, your actual passport is necessary when conducting banking transactions in Cuba.

The Cuban Peso (CUP) can only be purchased in Cuba. Spend it or exchange it on the island before you return home.

You are advised to spend your CUP or exchange your CUP to a foreign currency in a CADECA or Bank in the city before reaching the airport on departure, as this service may not be provided at the CADECA money exchange counter there. Foreign currency in Euros, US or Canadian dollars can be used for cash payments in duty free shops or cafes in the departure area after passing immigration.

There is another currency in circulation in the island: the Moneda Libremente Convertible (MLC) or Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) is a digital currency (as no physical MLC bills or coins exist) used by Cuban residents at the so called “MLC stores” (tiendas MLC).

Foreign visitors can purchase prepaid MLC cards at a CADECA (Casas de Cambio SA – exchange bureau) using any foreign currency accepted in Cuba such as Canadian dollars, Euros, British pounds, Japanese yens and Mexican pesos. USD dollars are now accepted too. Keep in mind that 1 MLC equals 1 USD.

However, the use of the MLC card is pretty much limited to hotels, rental car companies, some restaurants and the MLC stores. Most government-run and private businesses and tourist attractions will accept payments in cash in CUP.