Many US citizens visit Cuba illegally due to the trade embargo, but some can visit legally with a special license from the US Treasury Department. Illegal visitors must make arrangements with airlines in other countries and pay in cash, while lawful visitors may be accountable for their spending. Passports are stamped when leaving Cuba, even for illegal visitors.
Many tourists visit Cuba, but many of them, especially if they are US citizens, do so illegally. Due to the long-standing trade embargo with Cuba, regular visits to the island by the average citizen are not permitted under US law. Indeed, travel agents within the United States cannot legally make travel plans that include flights to Cuba.
When people travel to Cuba, they make arrangements with an airline in another country, usually the Bahamas or Mexico. Some people even fly to Canada and then to Cuba. While it is against the law in most cases for a US citizen to travel to the country, the law is rarely enforced. If it were enforced, the approximately 15,000 or more illegal trips each year would earn a lot of revenue for the government. In theory, you could be charged $250,000 US dollars (USD) for violating the trade embargo and spend up to 10 years in prison.
Some US citizens can travel to Cuba legally, although in most cases they still have to fly from another country. US citizens who have family members in Cuba can travel to the island. Professional journalists can also visit as part of a professional trip. US diplomats or US citizens working for humanitarian organizations also get special permission to visit.
To visit Cuba legally, you must apply for a special license from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The Cuban government recognizes this license, but you still need to bring your passport. The license can be extended for multiple trips, or it can only be valid for one trip. This means that every time a person visits the island, he may have to re-apply for a licence. Lawful visitors may also be accountable for money spent on their travel, and there may be limits to the amount that can be spent per day.
Illegal visitors do not need to trade money as US dollars are in high demand. However, most purchases must be made with cash. Cuban businesses do not accept credit cards issued by banks located in the United States. Additionally, air flights to Cuba from another country must be paid for in cash, and people hoping to visit must apply for a special license from the Cuban government.
It is a common belief that Americans who visit Cuba do not have their passports stamped. This is not the case. Passports are stamped when leaving the country and can therefore identify a person who has traveled there illegally.
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