Travel can u.s. citizens travel to cuba?

canada's

canada's

Member
Oct 1, 2006
3,335
3
#1
my BF's parents visit cuba twice a year, and want to take us sometime this year. i'm a u.s. citizen (they're all canadian), so am i allowed to go to cuba?

everything i find online says i'm allowed to go, just not able to spend US dollars there.

does anyone have experience in this?
 
#2
I always thought no, but I know there's American's that visit. I have a friend that works for a government contractor at Guantanimo Bay and they're not allowed to leave the base AT ALL! But I don't know about regular US citizens...I know journalists and some diplomats go, sorry I can't help more than that. I would love to go to Havana.
 
#3
As far as I understand, it's not a flat out 'no you cannot'. You'll need a license to visit (legally). You can't spend money there (if you're a US citizen) because tourism isn't permitted so you'd have to be fully hosted (or something like that). It's probably easiest to call an embassy and get the full run down.

My only experience is via my mom who is Cuban and as such it's a slightly easier for family circumstances. And even then there are restrictions.
 
#5
I think it's no problem to get in....but the problem is coming back into the US. I've heard people island hop and come back in through the Bahamas or Mexico and you can apparently bribe an official in those countries to not enter that you were in Cuba. Again, this is all hearsay. According to the website posted above the US Government is now monitoring those types of transactions in other countries.

I'm Canadian and would love to go....but DH is American.

Maybe you can pick another island?
 
#7
You can, but you can't fly in from the US and get your passport stamped. You need to be brought in through a "tour operator" in another country. All the neighboring islands do it-- Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Bahamas, etc. As far as I know, they bring people in as a group and hold the passports for you. I think you're granted some sort of temporary tourism visa but it's between the travel company and the Cuban gov't. As far as the Cubans know, it's a group of Cayman Islanders or Jamaicans. It's a don't ask, don't tell thing. Kwim?
 
#8
A years ago, you could fly from the US as long as you are with a tour operator. This may have changed but you are allowed to go to Cuba as US citizen. May not easy but it is possible. I believe you fly through Canada.
 
#10
thanks guys.

i guess no cuba for me!

i did read that following this law, implemented by the kennedy administration, the supreme court ruled in unconstitutional, and that it's only an embargo law, not a travel law, a u.s. citizen would break. my BF/his parents would pay for everything, and i could also take CND money, but it seems like it may not be worth the hassle.

i could probably quality for a freelance journalist pass, but i would have to go through the process of getting a visa. not sure how much that would cost, or if it would be worth it.
 
#11
I know several Americans who go to Cuba every year via Canada and not with tour operators. The Cubans know Americans go there all the time as well, which is why they don't stamp your passport unless you ask them to.
 
#12
i know cuba doesn't stamp u.s. passports. i think they've made it illegal to, actually.

that said, i think canada WOULD stamp my passport when i went back, which would obviously be seen by customs when i entered the u.s. again. i cannot see bribing canadian immigration, they are the WORST in my experience!
 
#13
^^^canada's, when the Canadian immigration authorities stamp your US passport, they are only stamping that you went in and out of Canada, and there is no indication of the other country you may have visited. US immigration authorities would not have any problems with a Canadian immigration stamp in your passport.
 
#14
redney said:
^^^canada's, when the Canadian immigration authorities stamp your US passport, they are only stamping that you went in and out of Canada, and there is no indication of the other country you may have visited. US immigration authorities would not have any problems with a Canadian immigration stamp in your passport.
Click to expand...

Yep, what she said. :yes:

The Cubans weren't even going to stamp my passport but I asked them to and they seemed surprised I wanted a stamp.
 
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