Flights
There are flights to Cuba from the Caribbean, Latin America, Canada, and Europe. Canada has the cheap charters, although almost always to isolated beach resorts. The packages can be so inexpensive that you can use them for the flight alone and blow-off the resort hotel and its bad food. Usually the cheapest flights are on Cuban Airlines, the state-run carrier that occasionally still flies ancient and scary Soviet-era planes.
For a comprehensive listing of departure cities, a useful resource is Nash Travel In Cancun, contact Viajes Divermex, +52 (998)884-5005, 87-5489 y 87-5487.
Visas / Tourist Cards / 30-Day Limit
A valid passport is required for entry to Cuba. Visas are not necessary. Instead travelers need only a tourist cards (“tarjeta de turista”) issued by travel agents and airlines for $25 to $100. Cuban immigration stamps the tourist card rather than the passport.
The tourist card says that it is good for 30 days. Also that it will be collected and must be presented when exiting; correct, if don’t have, could be charged again. Tourist cards can be renewed for additional 30-day increments in Cuba. Extensions, called a “prórroga”, involve buying $25 worth of stamps from a post office or bank, accident insurance (of dubious help to visitor for a myriad reasons) and then going to an immigration office for the prórroga. Immigration offices do not like to give extensions until the visa is about to expire. In late 2022, Cuban immigration stopped issuing prórrogas and appears to allow stays of up to 90 days with only the 30-day tourist card. Stay tuned to see if this is permanent.
Currency
The money-currency system is difficult to wrap your mind around and comprehend, either despite or because of decades of indecisive, conflicting actions of the Cuban government.
You’ll hear prices in Cuban pesos, euros, and U.S. dollars (even by the government, although the USD is outlawed). Which currency do I bring?
To know what you’re being charged and spending, you must contend with the official, legal exchange rate between USD-euro and the peso, and a black market or street rate of exchange that’s about 50% higher than the official rate. And everyone, us included, will instantly add don’t even think about trying the black market. How then do I get the most for my money?
For tourists, there are no stores that sell food, snacks, and bottled water that will accept Cubans peso, nor USD or euro. Almost everything tourists and Cubans need can only be bought with a pre-purchased Cuban debit card, and only with euros but not with pesos, even by Cubans, or U.S. dollars. So, pesos and official or black market rate don’t seem to matter. Just bring and use euros, right?
There is a life-saving bottomline: If you’re traveling by using casa particulars, paladares, and private taxis, relax, it’s will not be a big deal. Bring USD, both $100 bills and small denominations. The private marketers of Cuba are flexible and will accept whatever you’ve got. They will adapt prices to your currency. The Cubans on the other side of your transactions will contend with these conflicting and paradoxical requirements and markets in her or his head (sans benefit of smart phone’s calculator). These are entrepreneurs, not bureaucrats. They will not turn you away because you have the “wrong” money.
If want to know more, here’s the nitty-gritty.
There is an official rate of exchange, increased 500% by the government in August 2021. It’s 120 pesos to $1 USD. But you can’t buy a dollar, or a euro or other foreign currency with 120 pesos. The government only sells and never buys pesos; it only accepts hard currencies but never sells them.
All previous “dollar” stores have been converted to MLC stores. MLC is “Moneda Libremente Convertible,” or Freely Convertible Money, That means means foreign currency. MLC stores are the only place to buy groceries, bottled water, rum, and beer, if any in stock.
For most basics, Cuban previously relied upon neighborhood “bodegas” where they received food and other items from “libreta” or ration book. Today the subsistence ration is a limited to small amount of rice, sugar, lard, and cigarettes a month. Even the daily ration of milk for every child that Fidel proudly boasted of is but a memory.
Cubans and tourists alike must buy most groceries at the MLC. Purchases in MLC stores are only with MLC debit cards. Tourists can buy debit cards at a Cadeca (money exchange store), but everyone must pay for the MLC card with euros or other hard foreigner currencies, such as Canadian dollars, Mexican Pesos, etc. (here called “euros+”) but not U.S. dollars (outlawed). Prices in MLC stores, however, are in dollars, another, of many, Cuba’s paradoxes.
Cubans are paid wages only in pesos, but to get food and most essentials, they need euros for their MLC debit cards. Cubans are forced to pay pesos on black market for euros to pay for basics at the MLC stores. Inflation and the demand for hard currencies by Cubans for MLC cards have resulted in a much higher street or black market rate for dollars and euros+.
At start of 2023, the black market rate was 170 pesos to $1 USD vs official rate of 120 pesos to $1 USD. Tourists can get pesos at Cadecas at official rate or get up to 50% more pesos for their money in black market. Exchanging currencies is illegal, however.
That’s the situation. Here’s a summary of our advice of what you do when you come to Cuba.
1. Bring the gold standard of currencies. U.S. $100 dollar bills. Include about $300 to $500 in small denominations for small transactions. As explained below, this is contrary to conventional recommendation to bring only euros.
2. When arrive, exchange a few hundred dollars for same amount in euros and use euros to buy an MLC debit card at a Cadeca (money exchange store).
3. Also after arrive, exchange a chunk of your dollars for Cuban pesos. Do not exchange dollars or euros+ at airport or a Cadeca, if you can avoid it. If you can buy the pesos at close to the black market rate, you will come out ahead paying in pesos for private accommodations, eateries, and transportation. You get about same amount of pesos for 2 dollars or euro+ on black market, as for 3 at a cadeca.
El Toque, a private website in Cuba publishes the daily black market rate. Calls it the “informal foreign exchange rate.” There you will see why bringing dollars, even from Europe buys more. On black market, USD and euro buy about the same pesos and so are worth the same MLC credit.
The black market, however, is exceptionally risky. Cuba’s security services have infiltrated almost everything, illegal or legal, from drugs to currency and even anti-governments insurgencies. The saying in Cuba is, Don’t trust anybody – even me. The black market is advisable only if you have a trusted source, and most foreigner visitors don’t. Perhaps a casa where staying will exchange money. Start with request to exchange US dollars for euros. Then ask if will exchange some of your currency for pesos.
In the private market most prices are in pesos. Sometimes even pesos and dollars/euros+. Very commonly the rate will be the official rate, such as a bill for 1,200 pesos or $10 dollars/euros+. 1,200 pesos at official rate 120:1. But if you have black market pesos to pay the bill, then your 1,200 pesos cost you about $7.
When paying for meals, accommodations, and taxis, you can try a couple of strategies. First, if you managed to buy pesos at the close to the street rate, pay in pesos. It’s easier and you’re unlikely to be charged a price set at a rate of exchange lower than you paid for the pesos.
Even if someone says, I take only dollars or euros, hang tough. Sorry, I only have pesos. The private marketers of casa particulares, paladares, and taxis are flexible and will accept whatever you’ve got.
If you haven’t been able to get cheap pesos, or are risk-averse, or just want to keep using the currency you brought, then switch to paying in dollars or euros. But always ask first, what’s price in pesos, “Cuanto es en pesos?” Don’t start by asking how much in dollars or euros. First find out price in pesos. Then offer to pay in dollars, but at about, or a bit below, the total at the black market rate. Do that every time, and you’ll be paying in dollars/euro+ as if you had pesos bought on the black market. For this strategy, you need lots of bills in small denominations.
A example. If a paladar has a printed menu with prices in pesos, then your bill will be in pesos. Say, it’s 1,700 pesos. At official rate of 120:1, the bill is $14.17. At street rate at start of 2023 of 170:1, the bill would be $10. Then offer to pay $10 or $11 in dollars or euros. That cheapest rate that you could have bought 1,700 pesos on the black market. Many times it will be accepted, or there will be a counter-offer.
The counter-offer may be to ask for dollars-euros at official rate, 120:1. Negotiate. It is the least favorable for you, but you aren’t getting cheated (it is the official rate) and probably still cheap.
Although this second strategy may seem to involve lots of haggling, it will much less than you think and not unpleasant. In the private market, such as paladares, casa particulares, taxis, every currency works. The private businesses will adapt price to your currency.
At government hotel, or tourism venue, prices charged in pesos will commonly be at official rate. Little bargaining. MCL debit cards and some high end hotels may take only euros.
If going in the best style of travel in Cuba, that is using casas and paladares, you’ll usually be charged in pesos. If you have cheap pesos, good deal, pay that in pesos. If can’t buy cheap on black market, you can get much the same result offering dollars or euros and a little bargaining..
The customary advice is bring euros to Cuba because the government only accepts euros or other hard currency but not US dollars for its MLC debit card. But other than dealing with government, the dollar and euro trade at about same value in Cuba. It’s easy to swap a $100 USD bill for a 100 euro note (and unlike exchanging pesos, it may not be illegal) and then buy an MLC debit card at a Cadeca. You only need euros instead of dollars when dealing with the government and MLC.
If you exchange dollars for euros before you come to Cuba, you pay roughly $1.20 for every euro. You’re starting out with 20% less than if had brought dollars and swapped for euros at 1 to 1. Even if coming from Europe, you gain 20% if you exchange euros for dollars to bring to Cuba. One euro in Europe equal $1.20 USD. That then In Cuba, buys 20% more pesos.
Links with more info (although don’t endorse all the recommendations)
Money and Currency in Cuba, November 22, 2022
Understanding Cuban Money, August 4, 2022
ATMs and Credit Cards
Automatic teller machines are common and reliable in Havana and most tourist areas (except when power is off). Credit cards and travelers checks are useful in Cuba, but expect additional, hefty commissions. Perhaps useful for emergencies.
However, U.S. credit cards/travelers checks are not accepted in Cuba. This is because U.S. banks will not pay for charges in Cuba, even for legitimate charges and even if traveling to Cuba legally. Travelers checks on U.S. banks, including American Express, will not be exchanged. Americans have no choice but to carry only cash.
You can prepay some travel expenses so that you don’t need to carry as much cash. More and more casas are available on AirBnB and can be paid with U.S. credit card. Víazul bus tickets can also be done online. In fact you can reserve both AirBnB and Víazul once in Cuba, if you have a VPN connection and set it’s IP address outside of Cuba.
Security
Property crime, stealing packs, cameras, purses, is common. Outside of Havana and Santiago de Cuba, it is remarkable how often the cops know who robbed something. A Cuban can not come home with a new car or television without detection. They may steal the tires and mirrors off any unguarded rental car, but not the car! Nor can they negotiate or sell foreign credit cards and passports. If stolen, your travel documents will probably just be trashed.
As a general rule, your documents are safe if left in your room. Cash may not be, and it can be problematic. However, try to carry only the cash you need for the day and never walk around with your passport.
Regrettably violent crimes are no longer rare. As far as physical risks, Cuba is slowly moving toward the rest of the world. You must be careful where you walk late at night, or go with all your luggage or take out all your money. The government’s policy of seizing the properties of Cubans who’ve escaped, then cramming in dozens of families (socialism has never produced sufficient housing or food), means that few neighborhoods are monolithic. A block with a luxury hotel or exceptional casas particular can include buildings appearing from war zones. No gangs, Mafia, or organized crime, and very few hand guns at all.
