What are the travel restrictions for US citizens going to Cuba?

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Rockin' Mel S

Only the US government restricts her citizens travel to Cuba, Cuba welcome Americans (though they limit the travel their own citizens abroad).

As for why they are in place, the Embargo was initially enacted over property disputes between, US companies/citizens/Cuban exiles and the Cuban government. These disputes erupted when Castro and his revolutionary government started seizing the property of these foreign companies, individuals and Cubans who opposed the revolution without compensation and without legal process.

Through 1959 and 1960, various law were enacted that resulted in the new government expropriating pretty much everything that was foreign owned or owned by those judged to be guilty of counterrevolutionary acts. The US embargo was in protest to these property seizures an attempt force Cuba to compensate the former owners of these properties.

The reasons behind the embargo remain the same - it has little/nothing to do with human rights, not supporting a totalitarian regime, fighting communism or anything else.

Many Americans have called for the end of the embargo, most notably, former President Jimmy Carter.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1988192.stm

tonalc1

The U.S. has a partial embargo of trade with Cuba. The embargo is enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as part of their work as a lead agency against terrorism (1/6th of their anti-terrorism work is focused at going after Americans who visit Cuba.)

It is legal for Americans to go to Cuba.
It is illegal for American to have transactions (spend money or receive gifts) in Cuba under most circumstances.
It is legal for American to have transactions (spend money or receive gifts) in Cuba if they have a "license", but the government is arbitrary about how it interprets its rule and who it issues licenses to.

More info:

formersalt

As I understand it, you can travel to Cuba by going through another country, like Mexico. The only restriction that our State Department puts on you is that you are not allowed to spend any money there, which makes visiting rather tough. On the flip side, how would the State Department know what you do there?

yankee_sailor

the embargo againts Castro's government has been in place since 1962.....and no matter how different Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Bush or who ever is in the White House are, they all have agreed that trade with Cuba supports a dictatorship that represses its citizens and tries to export revolution throughout the Western Hemisphere..........

remember, Cuba is the place that thousands of it's citizens have decided to take a near suicide trip across the Florida Straits to reach America rather than live on their island.......that the Cuban government has a special" tourist peso" that visitors have to convert their money into and can only spend in tourist areas...which, by the way, the average Cuban citizen is not allowed into....

and, yes, Americans can travel to Cuba.........you can get permission for a few limited humanitarian reasons from the State Department, or fly from a third country..and when you get caught, you loose your passport, get fined and maybe do jail time

Carlos G

Americans can't travel to cuba, so they don't promote communism and nuclear weapons (missile crisis) by spending dollars there.

If cubans stamp your passport you'll be charged with felony and fined.

To travel there you have to first register your trip in the US, showing invitation letters that include airline tickets and hotel bills.

John K

wow are u smart -- yah dummie there has been an embargo for many years -- best way to get to Cuba is via Mexico..
don't have them (Cuban Customs) stamp ur passport

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