Updated on June 18, 2017
CUBA HERE WE COME!
After more than 50 years of travel restrictions to Cuba, there has been a lot of news that the US will allow travel. But who can go and when? That's what I wanted to know.
WHICH AIRLINES WILL FLY TO CUBA?
JetBlue, Delta, and United are looking to open routes to Cuba per CNN.
United will fly to Cuba from Newark and Houston, according to NBC New York.
Since United announced that they will fly from Newark and Houston, I called them to find out more. There was no information or flights available on www.united.com. After waiting and waiting, I spoke with a rep who sounded like she was hearing about the Cuba route for the first time. She asked me where I heard about it (the link above). After checking with her supervisor, she came back with no information. We will have to wait to find out more.
WHO CAN GO?
UPDATE 6/17/17: There are some changes to the rules which you can read about on my other article “Cuba: How To Get a Cuban Tourist Visa, Entry Requirements, Medical Insurance”
Travelers who fit into the following 12 categories are eligible to apply for a general license to travel to Cuba. as per Whitehouse.gov
- Family visits
- Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations
- Journalistic activity
- Professional research and professional meetings
- Educational activities
- Religious activities
- Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions
- Support for the Cuban people
- Humanitarian projects
- Activities of private foundations, research, or educational institutions
- Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials
- Certain export transactions that may be considered for authorization under existing regulations and guidelines
Looking to buy some Cuban cigars? Travelers will be able to bring back $400 worth of goods – max of $100 tobacco and alcohol.
Authorize American citizens to import additional goods from Cuba
Licensed U.S. travelers to Cuba will be authorized to import $400 worth of goods from Cuba, of which no more than $100 can consist of tobacco products and alcohol combined.
More to come… I've added my trip report index at the top. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
- Cuba Official Tourism Website
- BBC: New US-Cuba travel and trade rules come into effect
- Reuters/Yahoo: Obama measures on Cuba trade, travel poke new holes in embargo
- US News: Moving swiftly, US eases Cuba travel and trade rules _ punching hole in 5-decade-old embargo