TRAVEL TO CUBA

Visas

A visa is required to enter Cuba, as is a valid passport. Visas are not sold at the airport in Havana, and must be obtained prior to departure for Cuba. Participants in the Búsquedas Investigativas trip may purchase visas from Marazul Charters, the agency that is arranging our travel.

Cuban-born participants must obtain an entry permit through Marazul Charters See Cuban Participant Information Sheet

Application for Cuban Visa for Cuban-born Partiipants.

Participants who are not U.S. citizens may wish to check with their embassies or the U.S. State Department with regard to rules governing their travel outside the United States.

Flying to Havana

There are many different routes to travel to Cuba from the US. Direct flights from Miami are available on a daily basis; other easy points of departure include Cancún (Mexico), Toronoto and Montreal (Canada), Kingston (Jamaica), and Nassau (Bahamas). Prices and schedules vary.

Marazul Charters is arranging our flights to Cuba. They can also assist with connecting flights, though participants may also arrange their own connections to the point of departure. For information on flights, see Current Flight Schedule or contact Marazul Charters (contact information below)

Travel Agency

Marazul Charters is an excellent agency for arranging travel. With many years of experience, Marazul can book flights from most of the popular departure cities. Marazul will assist you with instructions, can sell visas, and will provide guidance with regard to Treasury Department requirements.

Mayra Alonso is in charge of Búsquedas Investigativas travel planning. To contact her or for further information, write or call:

Mayra Alonso
4100 Park Avenue
Weehawken, New Jersey 07086
1-800-223-5334 ext. 11
201-840-6711 ext. 11
Fax: 201-840-6719
Marazul Charters (www.marazulcharters.com)

Marazul application form.
Marazul Affadavit form
Marazul Credit Card Authorization form

US Citizens and Residents Spending Money In Cuba

The following explanation of travel-related money transactions is found at the OFAC web site:What You Need to Know About the U.S.Embargo”
(http://www.ustreas.gov/
offices/eotffc/ofac/sanctions/
t11cuba.pdf)

"Persons licensed to engage in travel-related transactions in Cuba may spend up to the State Department Travel Per Diem Allowance for Havana, Cuba for purchases directly related to travel in Cuba, such as hotel accommodations, meals, local transportation, and goods personally used by the traveler in Cuba. Most licensed travelers may also spend additional money for transactions directly related to the activities for which they received their license. For example, journalists traveling in Cuba under the journalism general license may spend money over and above the current per diem for extensive local transportation, the hiring of cable layers, and other costs that are directly related to covering a story in Cuba."

Travelers are not permitted to purchases services unrelated to travel for a licensed activity, such as non-emergency medical services. While in the past, travelers were allowed to bring back a maximum of $100 of Cuban merchandise, since 2004 this is no longer permitted. No rum, coffee, or cigars may be carried back to the U.S. (See - Cigar Update)

CIGAR UPDATE

For information on currency exchange see http://marazulcharters.com/travel
/currency/

Important Note:

Informational materials may be purchased and carried back to the United States. Informational materials are "statutorily exempt from regulation under the embargo" and "may be transported freely." They include books, magazines, other publications, artwork, films, tapes, and CDs.

The State Department’s "Maximum Travel Per Diem Allowances for Foreign Areas" may be accessed at: Per Diem Allowances (http://www.state.gov/m/a/
als/prdm/2005/50389.htm). Maximum permitted daily travel expenditures for Havana, as of August 1, 2005 are: $95.00 for lodging; and $72.00 for food.

US Citizens and Residents Returning to the U.S.

To facilitate the re-entry process, it is advisable to prepare a packet of information that you can present if asked about the purposes of your trip and the authority under which you traveled. While technically, the General License (for travel by full-time professionals) does not have any paper work or forms associated with it, the following should be included in your packet:

• A copy of the affidavit that you will sign for Marazul Charters (indicating the category under which you are traveling);

• A copy of the regulations that explains the the general license category for professionals traveling for research;

• A copy of your curriculum vitae (to show your professional status);

• A copy of your research proposal form (see To Apply);

• A copy of the Búsquedas Investigativas program of activities (printed from the web page and/or received in Havana); and

• Graduate students should prepare the above and a copy of their specific license.

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DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION IS SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

This page constructed with Notepad 7.3! Copyleft Cynthia Anne Simmons -- 2005; last updated 8/16/2005