Travel to Cuba: What you need to know

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Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Pre-revolutionary Cuban coins and banknotes for sale in the Plaza de Armas, Havana Vieja, Cuba April 24, 2015.

Pre-revolutionary Cuban coins and banknotes for sale in the Plaza de Armas, Havana Vieja, Cuba April 24, 2015.

Traditional vacations to Cuba lazing on the beach all day, for instance, or stocking up on rum and cigars have been forbidden by the U.S. government for more than 50 years, and still are. But since December the Obama administration has been easing some restrictions.

Here's information on the types of trips permitted by U.S. law; the paperwork Americans need to travel to Cuba; recommended health precautions; getting there; currency; and what Americans can bring back:

The kinds of trips permitted by U.S. law: Under revised regulations that took effect Jan. 16, there are a dozen categories of travel that allow Americans to visit Cuba. The categories include family visits, professional research, religious activities, humanitarian efforts, performances, sports and journalism, but by far the most common category is educational or academic programs that include preplanned people-to-people contact. That's the category most tour operators use when arranging trips for groups or individuals without family ties to the island.

For more details from the U.S. Treasury Department: lat.ms/1OJkl8C and lat.ms/1EUwyCX