Travel

U.S. Relations With Cuba

More information about Cuba is available on the Cuba Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.

U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS

At the height of the Cold War, and following the Cuban government s expropriation of U.S. properties and its move toward adoption of a one-party system of government, the United States imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1960 and broke diplomatic relations in 1961. On December 17, 2014, President Obama announced the beginning of a normalization process between the United States and Cuba, starting a new chapter in U.S.-Cuba relations. A major step in this process was reached on July 1, 2015, when President Obama announced the decision to re-establish diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, effective July 20 with the re-opening of embassies in both countries. Absent a democratically-elected or transition government in Cuba, legislative action will be required to lift the embargo and rules for travel to Cuba by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction remain in effect.

U.S. policy toward Cuba is focused on supporting our values, such as freedom of speech and assembly and the ability to access information, through engagement. The U.S. government is reaching out to the Cuban people by fostering increased travel access and people-to-people exchanges, encouraging the development of telecommunications and the internet, and creating opportunities for U.S. businesses to support the growth of Cuba s nascent private sector. Through the opening of embassies, the United States is now able to engage more broadly across all sectors of Cuban society, including the government, civil society, and the general public. The United States is committed to supporting safe, orderly, and legal migration from Cuba through the effective implementation of the 1994-95 U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords. The Administration has no plans to alter current migration policy regarding Cuba.

U.S. Assistance to Cuba

U.S. programs in Cuba include humanitarian support to political prisoners and their families, human rights and democracy promotion, and facilitating the free flow of information to, from and within the island.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Remittances play an important role in Cuba s state-controlled economy, with a significant portion (an estimated $2 billion annually) coming primarily from family members in the United States. In January 2015, the United States announced regulatory changes that, among other things, increase purposeful travel to Cuba; raise remittance levels from $500 to $2000 per quarter for general donative remittances to Cuban nationals; allow donative remittances without a specific license for humanitarian projects and support for the Cuban people and development of private business in Cuba; authorize expanded commercial sales and exports from the United States of certain goods and services, including items for the establishment and update of communications-related systems; authorize American citizens to import $400 worth of goods from Cuba, of which no more than $100 can consist of tobacco products and alcohol combined; permit U.S. institutions to open correspondent accounts at Cuban financial institutions; permit the use of U.S. credit and debit cards by travelers to Cuba. Although economic sanctions remain in place, the United States was Cuba s primary supplier of food and agricultural products, and humanitarian goods, a significant supplier of medicines and medical products, and Cuba s seventh overall largest trading partner in goods, as of 2012.

U.S. federal regulations restrict travel to Cuba to licensed travelers engaged in certain specified activities. In January 2015, the Department of the Treasury s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued general licenses in the 12 categories of travel authorized by law, meaning that those travelers who qualify under these licenses do not need to wait for U.S. government approval in order to travel. If one s travel does not qualify for a general license, individuals would need to apply for a specific license. Further information on the licensing process can be obtained OFAC or at its website . Those contemplating travel to Cuba should consult the consular information page about the country. Following the resumption of the U.S. Cuba Migration Talks to discuss implementation of the 1994-95 Migration Accords, in July 2013 the State Department announced the extension of the duration of certain non-immigrant visas for qualified Cuban travelers from six months (single entry) to five years (multiple entry).

Other transactions by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Cuba or a Cuban national has an interest are also prohibited unless licensed by OFAC. For more information on transactions, please consult OFAC s website .

All exports to Cuba must be authorized by the Commerce Department s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Further information on exports to Cuba can be found at the BIS website . Imports from Cuba and other Cuban-origin goods (e.g. merchandise purchased or otherwise acquired in Cuba or of Cuban origin acquired in a third country) are prohibited, although importation of Cuban-origin information and informational materials (for example, publications, films, posters, photographs, tapes, compact discs, and certain artwork) are exempt from the prohibition. Moreover, certain goods and services produced by independent Cuban entrepreneurs are eligible for importation into the United States for more information, see the State Department s Section 515.582 List. Further information on imports to Cuba can be found at the OFAC website .

Cuba s Membership in International Organizations

Cuba has an activist foreign policy and aims to find new sources of trade, aid, foreign investment, and political support. Cuba and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Cuba was excluded from participation in the Organization of American States in 1962. That exclusion was lifted in 2009, with its future participation to be determined through a dialogue initiated by Cuba and in accordance with the practices, purposes, and principles of the OAS. In April of 2015, Cuba attended the Summit of the Americas for the first time, where President Raul Castro met with President Obama in the first face-to-face meeting between leaders of the United States and Cuba in more than 50 years.

Bilateral Representation

The Charge d Affaires ad interim of the new U.S. Embassy in Cuba, and the senior-most official, is Jeffrey DeLaurentis; other principal officials are listed in the Department s Key Officers List.

Cuba is represented in the United States by the new Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C.

More information about Cuba is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:

Department of State Cuba Country Page

Department of State Key Officers List

CIA World Factbook Cuba Page

USAID Cuba Page

History of U.S. Relations With Cuba

Human Rights Reports