Photos: Fotos Habana
Traveling to Cuba legally as an American is possible, if slightly complicated. Here are some ways you can make it work.
While it’s still challenging to travel legally, President Obama has eased some of the restrictions and opened up some opportunities. Having just returned from the island, I can attest that the process involves months of planning, tons of paperwork, and plenty of waiting around. But it’s a worthy process for those who are concerned about traveling illegally through a third country and facing the possibility of a hefty fine upon return.
The first thing to know about legal travel to Cuba is that there are two licenses: a general license and a specific license. Traveling under general license is the easiest because you don’t have to ask the government for permission, but you can be asked for documented proof from your trip that shows you traveled under that category.
An extensive list of travel categories is available on the Marazul, Global Exchange or the Center For Cuban Studies.
Some of the categories for legal travel to Cuba are:
Family Visits: This falls under general license.
Professional Research or Attendance at a Conference: This is a general license available to full time professionals provided they spend the majority of their time in Cuba conducting research. This can involve site visits, attending lectures, and other academic endeavors.
The majority of group travel opportunities fall under this category. Some examples of current opportunities are “Reality Tours” that explore everything from alternative healing to music offered by Global Exchange, and a teacher’s delegation being put together through the Center for Cuban Studies.
Journalists: Full-time journalists that work for a news gathering organization can travel to Cuba under general license. Freelancers writing articles on Cuba can obtain a specific license provided they have a publication history.
Study Abroad: Specific Licenses are granted for undergraduate and graduate study abroad programs lasting longer than ten weeks. There are a multitude of American universities currently offering programs in Cuba. Presbyterian College’s program is available to students from any university.
Humanitarian Projects: Under a specific license, groups can take donations and engage in humanitarian trips. Most of these trips are carried out by religious groups such as the Cuba-America Jewish Mission, Peachtree Presbyterian Church, and several others. The Cuba AIDS Project also takes small groups interested in HIV/AIDS outreach.
It’s unfortunate that a decades long political battle deters Americans from visiting Cuba, because there is so much to be learned on both sides from an interaction between Americans and Cubans. Jumping the hoops to travel legally might be worth it for interaction with a place most Americans see only through the media.
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18 Comments... join the discussion!
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Thank you so much for this post! I really want to go to Cuba before it is opened commercially to Americans, and I appreciate having the information that will help me do it legally (not that I wouldn’t consider going anyway).
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I second JoAnna – I had no idea there were ways to legally get into Cuba! Thanks!
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TRAVEL TO CUBA!!! It will change your life.
I went legally though…
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Woops, I meant illegally!
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I went to Cuba as a student with the Williams Mystic program in maritime studies. We made a 36 hour port call in Havana while sailing on a tall-ship from Key West. Unfortunately, we drank way too much rum and I don’t believe the Williams-Mystic program will stop in Cuba again. Oops.
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Wepa, Gabi! So glad to see your byline here and stoked, always, to see folks traveling to Cuba, legally… and otherwise.
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President Obama has the power to make it much easier for educational, cultural, religious and humanitarian travel, and there is a suggestion he might finally be moving in that direction:
http://thehavananote.com/2010/02/laying_down_markers_1.html
For conventional tourism, Congress must pass the Freedom to Travel bills so please tell your Representative and Senators how you feel about regaining a fundamental human right.
Conscientious non-cooperation is another option as the Cubans do not stamp US passports and tourist visas are available from inbound airlines. Lawyers say that for at least two years no one has been sanctioned by the US government who traveled through a third country without a license.
John McAuliff
Fund for Reconciliation and Development
Dobbs Ferry, NY
914-231-6270↵ -
Thanks for this information.
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I wish I would have seen this earlier! I…er…a friend is planning to get into cuba through central america in the next few months, but future trips will reference this!
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This is SO much easier to read than all the government websites describing how to do this. Thanks for the write up!
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Yes, it is leal to go to cuba, but man, I just dont want to feel any negative repercussions. Good thing after reading this I can consider Matadorabroad my legal council. Right? RIGHT???
Looks like I’d better learn my Anderson Cooper impersonation…
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Thanks for the info! You would still end up having to fly through another country though, right?
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If you are travelling under the legal provisions, you won’t have to go through a third country. Most flights are out of Miami, New York, and Los Angeles.
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If you go without a general or specific license, you have to travel via Cayman, Mexico, Jamaica, Canada, Panama, Dominican Republic or the Bahamas. Often even for legal travel that is a better less expensive route, especially if you are not originating in Miami.
Global Exchange in San Francisco and the Center for Cuban Studies in New York offer a variety of legal group trips.
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This is wonderful news, thank you!
I’d love to see Cuba & meet the people, see the landscape. Perhaps very soon this will be easy for all of us who dream of visiting there.
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But is it worth it? I find Cuba to be one of the most overhyped destinations on the planet.
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