How To Travel To Cuba As a U.S. Citizen

So you want to go to Cuba (Travel Guide Based on Feb. 2023)

Cuba has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. If you are anything like me, you don't like letting dreams stay amorphous and take action. It's truly intimidating going somewhere you have never been before, and maybe (like me) don't speak the language (Spanish), so hopefully the information I'm providing can help you get there.

This is just a guide I've put together based on my experience. I have only been the one time, so I am by no means an expert. I took notes though with the intention of sharing with others who are interested in visiting Cuba so that hopefully it's less intimidating to make that step and go. If I had not gone with Film School Road Trip, I would have gone with another tour group because it was the one place I wanted to that I found intimidating to go on my own. The US government makes it seem difficult to go to, when in reality, it's not. As with all international travel, you want to be sure that you have all of the necessary paperwork, and that your passport is up to date and in good condition.

La Plaza de la Revolución

How to go

There are a few things you'll need to do to turn your dream trip into a reality. It helped a lot that for my first time, I went with a workshop group - Film School Road Trip. I can't recommend enough if you wanted to learn more about film, shooting film, to sign up for any of their international classes. Even if you are a digital shooter, it's a great way to learn how to photograph intentionally while traveling. What better way to learn anyway than hands on and with great instruction? (see more here: Film School Road Trip or if you want to sign up for the Feb. 2025 workshop, use this link to get there). 

I do want to add that we did bump into a few others from the USA (New Orleans, to be more specific) and they said they go to Cuba annually with their church. 

So what do you need to get to Cuba? You'll need: 

• Plane ticket - only a few airlines in the USA fly to Cuba, and they mostly go through Ft. Lauderdale or Miami
• Place to stay - In Cuba, the best way to stay is at a Casa/Air BnB. This helps the locals much more than if you stay at a resort. You can also easily bring things to leave with them to share with friends and family. 
• Visa - buy at the airport before your connecting flight to Cuba (the price of the visa varies depending on which airline you fly with)
• D'VIAJEROS Online form - This needs to be filled out online within 72 hours of your travel to Cuba [How to video here]. I would suggest filling it out at home, printing a copy, and bringing it with you somewhere easy to access with your passport. OR, be sure to save a screenshot since there is a QR code that will need to be scanned, and if you only have it on your phone and there is no internet, then you would not be able to get through customs (hence, the screenshot).  Here is what the form looks like online: 

**Please note that if you are born in Taiwan, Cuba doesn't recognize it as a country. You can then basically put down whatever you want and it'll work. No one checks it. That said, this was just my experience, and do not take this as legal advice.

JetBlue, Delta, United, or American? 

All of these airlines can take you there. When purchasing your ticket, there will be a screen that asks if you have a legal reason to visit. For the workshop, most people were able to select 516:567 (workshops) to go. I booked through JetBlue and didn't have that option and selected "Public performance, clinics, workshops, athletic or other competitions and exhibitions" for the film workshop I was attending. According to JetBlue, there are 12 "general license" categories of approved travel. 

Through JetBlue, I got regular update emails reminding me about the forms and paperwork needed to gain entry into Cuba. I can't confirm that the other airlines do as well, but I would assume so, as we all flew on different airlines and all got there ok.

Through JetBlue, my visa was $50. Another attendee who flew American Airlines paid $100. I believe Delta was charging $55. So it's a bit of a crapshoot. But, all of these these airlines will get you there! 

Visa process and Required Documents

Needed for travel to Cuba are: 

• Valid passport - cannot be expired at the time of entry into Cuba and for the duration of the trip
• Two blank pages must be available for all - applies to you, Super Travelers!
• Needs to be in good condition and clean
• They will not stamp your passport by default. You can request that they stamp it, but I was told not to as U.S Customs may hassle you more if they see it in your passport. Get that stamp if it's worth it to you though!
• VISA - this is a pink slip that will be provided at the gate before your final departure into Cuba. If you are traveling for business, journalism, or some other special reason, the Cuban Consulate handles those visas. Because we are traveling for non work related reasons, we can go to the gate and pay the fee and get the pink visa
• When I went to the gate early to obtain my visa, they said you can can get it closer to the flight (I tried a few hours ahead of time because I was worried that I needed it early. It was very relaxed and not stressful at all). I paid the $50 USD with card (needs to be debit or credit card for payment), and they handed me the pink slip. Please note that you'll need to fill the pink slip out yourself before you get to Cuban customs. Also, Customs will take half of the slip. Be sure to hold onto the other half for when you leave Cuba.
• They asked to see my D'Viajeros form but didn't scan it to make sure that it was completed
• Health Insurance - even if you have your own insurance in the States, travelers need to obtain Cuban health insurance in order to travel. JetBlue covers this with a basic 30-day ESICUBA policy with the purchase of the flight. If you are flying on a different airline, read through the emails and fine print to be sure that it's covered.

After the Visa is obtained, they will stamp your boarding pass with "CUBA DOCS Verified - FLL" (this is specifically for Ft. Lauderdale - FLL. I imagine it would just state the airport code of whichever airport you are flying through). They will also hand you a receipt that shows that the tourist visa was paid for. 

Receipt

Boarding pass with the verified stamp

Customs

[Havana or HAV specific] - Once you have deplaned, you'll follow everyone else to customs. I had my "Informacion Adelantada Delivajero" printed out, but digital is ok as well. They just want that QR code, so have it ready. 

At the lab coat tables in my ugly drawing below, you just need to hand them the Viajeros card to scan. They supposedly will randomly check you for a cold. It's very quick and efficient, and from there you head to the lines below to wait for your turn with a customs officer. Have the pink visa slip ready, along with your passport. They take your picture, and then you are onto the next phase of a body scan. Have no fear, it's all really old and from China so it's basically a metal detector from the 70s. You'll also be sending your luggage through an X-Ray, but it's very quick.

Before you leave the airport, be sure to show your passport and visa to the remaining agents or they will pull you aside and ask to see it. 

The airport is very small, and you'll be hit by that humidity in no time!

Bonus tips for those traveling to Cuba - 

• Bring cash if you are from the USA. Debit and credit cards will not work in Cuba (the embargo). There are no ATMs that you can withdraw money with. If you have a Canadian card, it should work, but also ATMs are not always readily available. 
• One of the attendees had their PayPal account frozen because the word "Cuba" was used. American banks including PayPal and Venmo don't play with it comes to the embargo. They will freeze your account!
• You do not need to exchange $CUC - USD is fine. Exchange rates differ from restaurant to restaurant. It's also not worth it to exchange it in the airport as folks say that the fee is 100% of what you are exchanging
• Online sources (Reddit, blog, and vlog posts have stated that CAD is acceptable, but one of the attendees had a few instances where they rejected her CAD. So from our trip, it seems like USD and EUROS are the way to go.
• Don't get your heart too set on anything on the menu - restaurants regularly run out of items (The Embargo)
• Be patient - from what I could tell, things are more relaxed here. Cars break down also since a lot of them are pretty old. Service can be slow as things run out and I think the servers feel bad about having to let the foreigners know that they are out of items (I could be wrong, that's just my guess)
• Do not hand out cash to anyone on the street - if the government finds out, the person could have their power or water shut off (even if you don't see government officials or police, people can still 
• Do bring basic necessities and leave them with the casa or cab drivers. Look up any organizations that might also help distribute items. Cuba only gets what Russia or China sends. If Russia and China do not send a particular item over, Cubans do not get it. Basic items might also be available, but not very many options or harder to get for everyone. Basic items such as: 
• Advil/Tylenol/medicines (cough syrup, etc)
• Bandaids/bandages
• Shoes/shirts/pants/shorts/socks
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Feminine hygiene products (tampons/pads/menstrual panties)
• Shampoo/conditioner/lotion/sunblock/bug spray  
• Toys for kids - dolls, toy cars, etc
• Notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, erasers
• Pretty much anything you don't realize you need/use on a daily basis is good to bring.
• If you are a skater, there is a solid skate community in Havana, so feel free to bring skate shoes, boards (completes or just the deck), tools, bearings, wheels, etc. Check out Amigo Skate Cuba for more information, or look for the documentary "The Cuban Skate Embargo" for a short history of skating in Cuba and to get a better idea about the situation
• Do travel lightly and not bring excess items that you plan on trashing. 
• That said, have tissues or toilet paper on hand as not all restrooms will have any (including established restaurants). Redditors also recommend bringing wet wipes.

Here's an example of what I brought. I'm not sharing because I want people to think I'm a great person - I'm sharing to give an idea of what you can bring also. Don't do it to be some kind of savior either, do it because it's the right thing to do as a guest in Cuba: 

If you have been to Cuba and want to share your experience, please do in the comments below. Or let me know if I've missed anything! It felt like a lot to go through so feel free to share! This was all based on travel to Havana in February of 2023, so it's very possible that some things may have changed!

I'll be updating my blog with my travel experience which of course, includes all of the food. So please stay tuned for more!