Traveling to Cuba from the U.S. is possible, though it may come with a headache or two.
First of all, you have to obtain a license from the Department of Treasury and fall under one of the 12 authorized travel categories. Most people choose the Support for the Cuban People category, but in choosing this, you have to do activities that support the Cuban people (hence the name), like eat at local restaurants, volunteer work, etc.
Arriving in Cuba through Havana (now the only legal way Americans can enter the country) doesn’t come without some difficulties. CEO of Elite Travel & Founder of TASK, Tammy Levent said, “I was one of the few that got to visit Cuba this past October, despite the ban on cruising to Cuba. Even though I was invited by the government as a travel agent to bring tourism to Cuba, the line and wait time to get my luggage was over 3 hours, [and] the Customs line was just as long. My driver left because he thought I no-showed.”
One of the other major drawbacks for Levent was the hotel options. “While I was there, there were some amazing hotels being built. I asked if we can stay there since my hotel was roach-infested,” she said. “I was told it was owned by Russians and any hotels owned by Russians or China were off-limits for Americans to stay there.”
What Levent is referring to is the Cuba Restricted List. Trump enacted a policy in 2019, making it illegal for U.S. citizens to stay at certain hotels (which tend to be foreign investor-owned properties) or spend money on Cuban military-owned businesses.
If you’re willing to visit Cuba, just know that you’ll have to be okay with hassle at the airport and following these strict regulations. As for Levent, it’s in her opinion that, “This is not the time for any Americans [to] contemplate visiting Cuba.”
