CubaKeys.com – Information for Travelers

For more information, visit www.aduana.co.cu

• All visitors entering Cuba must show a valid passport issued in his/her name or a visa or tourist card, with the exception of travelers whose country has subscribed a visa exemption agreement with Cuba.
• The Red Lane /Green Lane system is in place in all of the 10 international airports in the country for Customs control.
• Personal effects can be entered in the country tax free.
• All travelers can definitively import new or used articles that are not considered personal effects up to a maximum value of 250.00 CUC.
• Travelers can import an unlimited amount of freely convertible currency in cash, checks, bank transfers or other forms of payment
• Travelers carrying more than $5 000.00 US dollars, or the equivalence in other currencies, in cash must fill-in a Customs Form.
• The import, export and consumption of drugs and narcotics; explosives; pornographic objects, photos, literature and other pornographic materials; animals and plants considered protected or endangered species is prohibited. Offenders of these regulations shall be criminally processed
• The import and export of fire arms without prior written authorization by the Public Security Division of the Ministry of the Interior is prohibited. Licenses shall be obtained before arrival to the country.

Forms of Payment

• Consult here for detailed information about the different forms of payment when in Cuba.
• The Cuban Peso (CUP) is the official currency; however tourists shall pay for all goods and services preferably in Convertible Pesos (CUC). The use and circulation of euros is authorized in tourist facilities located in Varadero, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa María , Cayo Largo del Sur, Santa Lucía (Camaguey), Playa Covarrubias (Las Tunas) and in resorts located along the northern coast of Holguín province.
• The following credit cards are accepted: VISA INTERNATIONAL, MASTERCARD, ACCESS, BANCOMER INTERNATIONAL, BANAMEX, DINNERS CLUB INTERNATIONAL, JCB and CARNET, including credit cards issued in the country (BFI and RED). Credit cards issued by banks of the United States of America or by their subsidiaries are not accepted.

Medical Services

• Travelers coming from countries where yellow fever and cholera are endemic or from areas declared infected zones by World Health Organization are required to present a vaccination certificate issued at least 10 days before, but not more than years before, the date of entry in Cuba.
• Medical services are available in all of the hotels and there are international clinics in each of the leading tourist resorts in the country.

About exporting goods

• Upon leaving the country, travelers are required to orally inform the Customs Officer the number of hand-rolled cigars they are carrying or in their luggage. Visitors can export up to 50 units without the need to present a document. Larger amounts can be exported provided they are packed in their original container, closed and stamped with the official hologram seal and that the traveler presents the relevant invoice or documents accrediting that the cigars were legally purchased in a store duly authorized to sell these goods. Travelers leaving Cuba with more than 50 cigars must declare them and present the relevant documentation or invoice. Travelers who do not comply with these regulations shall have their cigars confiscated by Customs.
• The export of art works that are not part of the national patrimony only requires written authorization by the National Register of Cultural Works.
• Books and other materials published more than 50 years ago, for example Ediciones R, or those stamped by libraries or other state entities cannot be exported.

More about Cuba

• Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic.
• Due to the characteristics of the climate, the use of light clothing, preferably cotton, is advised. Be sure to pack your bathing suit and sun blocker lotion. A sweater or light jacket may come in handy when traveling through the mountain areas or in winter.
• Appliances in the country run on 110 volts, 60 cycles however many hotels have 220v electric current and take flat-pronged plugs.
• Cuba is on the 5th Meridian from Greenwich (Eastern Standard Time in the United States and Canada). Daylight saving applies from April through October (clocks are advanced an hour) to maximize the use of sunlight.