I just checked (I haven't been interested enough to dig into the details) there is the peculiar restriction that "Americans are still not authorized to travel to Cuba as tourists and must instead visit for one of 12 specific purposes like visiting a close relative or participating in an academic program."

Hi
as i understand its an honour system when the form is filled out
cheers
jerry

Started planning a trip to Cuba, now thinking maybe not a good idea. 2 of my children and husband are still living here in the USA at Permanent Residents with green cards and I am about to apply for their citizenship. I have both USA an UK passports. Planned to enter Cuba via Mexico as actually a cheaper route for us, but now worried it could jeopardise their application for citizenship, any ways around this? Reality of getting one of the legal licences to travel? WE planned to travel independently both to educate ourselves and the kids but to relax too.
Thanks

I believe the relationship between the US and Cuba has significantly softened hasn't it?

Plenty of US citizens fly to Cayman and then up to Cuba and return on our local airline. The Cuban authorities don't stamp their US passports (or indeed any passports), so there's no record of the visits: only the visits to Cayman. I imagine it's the same if one flies via Mexico.

Some shots I took of Cuba, seeing as someone here was asking me what it was like

Havana

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Havana









Vinales



Trinidad

Amazing. Did you meet Fidel ?

No, he was out at the time .... they asked me to call back later

Thank you for the photos. We had to postpone our visit last year and went to Tenerife instead..slightly different!! but we plan to go this year and those photos are wonderful.

Brilliant pics, Mitzy, thanks!

Those photos are wonderful.

I think I would like to visit the place.

Yes, thanks for the wonderful photos, Mitzi. We spent a weekend in Havana three or four years ago (there's a direct flight from Cayman, most days), and loved it. Only the centre of "Old Havana" was tarted up with new paint-jobs; paint seemed to be rationed elsewhere. We stayed at a casa particular (=bed-and-breakfast) just outside, in a very run-down apartment building. The view from our window was of rooftop slums in terrible condition.

Everybody was amazingly friendly and cheerful; the general atmosphere was mixed Latino-Caribbean. I strongly recommend a visit, before it opens up and becomes overrun with gringos!

It is, but you do need to show an itinerary. Also it was never technically illegal to there, even though flights were restricted from the U.S., it is only illegal to engage in any financial transaction, like your hotel bill, airport tax, restaurants etc. Believe it or not, even though between 60 and 100 thousand Americans go there every year for vacation...no one has ever been prosecuted under that law.


This is a good site with great recommendations on travel to Cuba and gereag legal advice. US Traveler info

In 1963, the US attempted to ban travel to Cuba, but that was found to violate the U.S. Constitution. So there is no law against travel to Cuba. However, in 1982, the Reagan / Bush Administration, introduced regulations that prohibit the spending of money in Cuba. The Supreme Court upheld those regulations in a 5-4 vote, saying that Cuba might use the American tourists' money for subversive activities.

This next part I did not know. Very interesting.

(5) Be sure to take some humanitarian foods or medicines and give them to the Cuban people you meet or to the Cuban Red Cross representative (usually the nurse at the hotel where you stay). Cubans always need over the counter medicines such as: Aspirin, vitamins, cold medicines, asthma medicines, antibiotics, medicines for lice, bandages, soap, shampoo, toilet tissue, pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, tooth brushes and tooth paste, condoms, birth control medicines, etc. The US law (Helms Burton Act) says in Section 1705 (b) and (c) that if you donate humanitarian food or medicines that there are "no restrictions" on travel. Document the giving of those gifts with a photograph if possible. Save your receipts!

For many years, US citizens have been sneaking in to Cuba via Cayman. Cayman Airways has flights at convenient times, and the Cuban authorities don't stamp foreign passports if you ask them not to. We didn't want our UK passports stamped in case the US Immigration people took offence. I hope we'll never have to prove we were ever in Cuba!