My Experience with the Process of Traveling to Cuba as an American
I don’t like getting in trouble. When a dentist gives me a lecture about flossing more, I shrink with guilt and don’t want to go back because I hate that feeling.
So naturally, I was a little nervous about getting in trouble for traveling to Cuba. (More about the US-Cuba travel restrictions here.) But I wasn’t nervous enough not to go. Particularly, after reviewing some personal accounts of Americans that had recently traveled there, and because Cuba has been on “the list” of places I’d like to travel to for a while.
Turns out, as it often does, that my nervousness was baseless. Aside from a little bit of nerves and slightly delayed flights, traveling to Cuba and back into the US was pretty hassle free. This was my experience with the process on my recent trip to Havana with my dad:
Book Flight – Easy. Booked flight as usual through Southwest. We used airline points that my parents had (woohoo!) and then had to pay an additional $70(ish) per person. That fee includes mandatory health insurance, the Cuban departure tax, and some other fees.
These built-in fees were a convenience rather than an unnecessary charge. We didn’t have to buy separate travel insurance, like I had for my Asian travels and we didn’t have to separately pay a $25 CUC fee (USD equivalent $25) at the airport. (Though we didn’t realize the fee was built-in so we had $25 CUC each available.). Travelers who want additional coverage can purchase an add-on policy.
Acquire Travel Documents (aka Visa) – Travelers to Cuba must obtain a Tourist Card. Technically, the Tourist Card is different from a Visa but it’s function is the same and it was constantly referred to as a Visa by travelers and airport and airline staff.
With Southwest, we were able to reserve and pay for ours online for $50 per person and pick it up on the day of our trip. The online and pick-up process were a breeze. We also could have just purchased and paid for the Visa at the airport on the day of but reserving it ahead felt more secure. Other airlines have different processes and fees so check with yours ahead. I read that some only mail your Tourist card to you.
The Tourist Card comes blank with identical sides that you need to fill in with basic information. It is stamped upon entry by the Cuban immigration officials and taken by them when you leave. We were warned to be careful not to make mistakes because you would have to buy a whole new card.
The mistake I am most prone to make on immigration and visa forms when traveling internationally is reversing the day and month of dates. In the US, we are used to writing dates as Month, Day, Year (March 7, 2017) but in many other countries the order is Day, Month, Year (7 March 2017) and that’s how they request it on their forms.
Check-In With Airline – After picking up our Tourist Cards at the Cuba Visa Services stand at the Ft. Lauderdale airport, we headed to the Southwest International ticket counter to check-in.
I handed the agent my passport and tourist card. She asked me my reason for visiting Cuba and slid a laminated list of reasons towards me. It was the moment I’d be nervous about. “Umm…people-to-people,” I stammered. That was it. No additional questions. No hard time. She printed my boarding pass, stamped it with “RFV” to indicate that I had given a “Reason For Visit.”
Board & Take Flight –Boarding the flight was standard. As with all international flights, they checked my passport upon boarding. They also checked to ensure all passengers had their Tourist Card and that their boarding passes were stamped with RTV. One passenger apparently did not have his or her ducks in a row so we were delayed because they had to remove the passenger and their luggage from the flight.
We were provided two Cuban immigration forms to fill out on the flight – the typical customs declaration and a form inquiring into recent illness. We also took that time to fill-out our Tourist Cards. Some people filled them out earlier but I hate paperwork so would rather just bulk it together and knock it out at once.
Enter Cuba – Getting into Cuba was as easy as getting into any other country. You wait in lines, but it’s not difficult. You go through immigration, then grab your bags, then hand the custom form in on your way out. No one ever took my health questionnaire so I’m not sure when they usually do that.
Some people were surprised that this process wasn’t more intense. I think that’s largely due to the misconception that Cuba restricts American citizen’s travel there. It’s actually the opposite. The Cuban government will welcome the income from the taxes on your expenditures in their country. The US government, in contrast, restricts American citizens expenditure of money in Cuba, and by default restricts our travel to Cuba.
Exit Fee – As mentioned above, our exit fee was included in our plane ticket fees. My understanding is this is now the case for flights into Cuba on all carriers, but check with yours just in case.
Return to US – Returning to the US was a breeze. Again, our flight was delayed and we had to wait in lines for immigration and customs. But these are just normal parts of international travel.
I actually got less hassle from immigration and customs than I’ve gotten coming from other countries. Usually the immigration officer asks “Where are you coming from? What were you there for?” and often follow-up with something like “Welcome Home.” (Except at the Tijuana border Crossing – no welcome home there). Coming from Cuba neither the immigration officer nor the customs officer asked me any questions. No complaints from me but it was unexpected.
Under current law, you are also supposed to keep documentation regarding your Cuba itinerary (showing that it meets one of the permissible reasons for travel) for five years.
Of course, experiences vary and I did read about at least one American who got questioned extensively by immigration upon his return and even yelled at by the officer for having an improper reason for traveling to Cuba. However, even in that case, the guy wasn’t fined or charged with a crime; just chastised.
Whether or not to travel to Cuba as an American is a personal decision that involves weighing the risks, your travel style, and determining whether the trip, including the travel process, is right for you. For me…it was. I loved it.
