# How can I travel to Cuba? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144 "2009-04-06T17:21:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pababer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@pababer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pababer)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/1 "2009-04-06T17:21:17Z")
Can I, a US citizen of no importance, legally travel to Cuba? If I went to Canada or Mexico and tried to buy a ticket, are those countries obligated to honor the American embargo? P ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/2 "2009-04-06T18:00:30Z")
Restrictions on US citizens travelling to Cuba apply irrespective of the country of departure. > [@](#): > > **ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS /TRAVEL TRANSACTION LIMITATIONS:** > > The Cuban Assets Control Regulations are enforced by the U.S. Treasury Department and affect all U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are located, all people and organizations physically located in the United States, and all branches and subsidiaries of U.S. organizations throughout the world. The regulations require that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction be licensed in order to engage in any travel-related transactions pursuant to travel to, from, and within Cuba. Transactions related to tourist travel are not licensable. **This restriction includes tourist travel to Cuba from or through a third country such as Mexico or Canada.** U.S. law enforcement authorities have increased enforcement of these regulations at U.S. airports and pre-clearance facilities in third countries. Travelers who fail to comply with Department of Treasury regulations could face civil penalties and criminal prosecution upon return to the United States. You can certainly buy a ticket at a Canadian airport but US customs officials based there may well note your departure to, and indeed your return from, Cuba. There is a Pre-Clearance Treaty dating from 1974 which permits U.S. customs officials to enforce American rules for entry into the United States. [Link](http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html). ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/3 "2009-04-06T18:03:38Z")
My understanding is that unless you fit into specific categories (professionals, researcher, journalists, etc) there is no way for an American to travel to Cuba _legally._ From [404 - Page Not Found](http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html), > [@](#): > > Unless otherwise exempted or authorized, any person subject to U.S. jurisdiction who engages in any travel-related transaction in Cuba violates the regulations. Failure to comply with Department of Treasury regulations may result in civil penalties and criminal prosecution upon return to the United States. That being said, many Americans do travel to Cuba from Canada and Mexico and while I’m sure some people may have been stopped, I think Canada, at least, is not obligated to honour the American embargo (why should they?) and does not actively prevent Americans from traveling to Cuba from Canada. You’d have to pay for your trip using non-US currency, since none of your credit cards/bank accounts would be available to you in Cuba. I have no idea at what rate people are punished/prosecuted or even discovered for going there via Canada. [This](http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=343739)is an interesting set of figures, though. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/4 "2009-04-06T18:43:25Z")
It may be easier than you think to find a way to go as part of one of those specially licensed trips. As noted in the document cited by mnemosyne, some licenses are granted for trips related to serving “humanitarian” needs. I knew of a group of cyclists a few years ago who organized in such a way that they were able to get permission to go to Cuba as a humanitarian group. (This was before 9/11, though.) As far as I remember, their real purpose was to ride their bikes around Cuba. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/5 "2009-04-06T19:00:43Z")
The US soccer team played there in the last 6 months or so and ESPN showed the game. I guess they got special permission to go. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/6 "2009-04-06T20:15:26Z")
Isn’t this question asking how to violate the law, which is prohibited on the SD? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/7 "2009-04-06T20:54:07Z")
The OP is asking whether it would be legal for a US citizen to travel to Cuba from a third country. I don’t read that as asking for advice on how to break the law, but whether it would in fact be illegal to travel to Cuba in that way - in other words, what is the legal extent of the embargo? **Chez Guevera** in turn has answered the OP by advising that no, it would not be legal. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/8 "2009-04-06T21:31:15Z")
All I can say is that Cuban beaches are choc full of Americans. They travel mostly from Mexico and also from Canada. Cuban Authorities will not stamp their passports and American authorities would have no way of knowing unless they posted spies abroad. And I think they have better things to do. Quite a few of my American friends have been to Cuba. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/9 "2009-04-06T22:19:03Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > The OP is asking whether it would be legal for a US citizen to travel to Cuba from a third country. Precisely. [QUOTE=The OP] Can I, a US citizen of no importance, legally travel to Cuba? [/QUOTE] He’s not asking for a way to get away with violating U.S. law–he’s asking what the law is. Fair question. Play on. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/10 "2009-04-06T22:33:09Z")
Even if the Cuban doesn’t stamp the American passport, the Mexican/Canadian immigration authority does, right? If our hypothetical American is going to Cuba for a holiday through Canada, this means he/she will be entering Canada twice: once on the way out from the States, and then again from Cuba on the way back. Will having 2 Canadian stamps within a short period of time, without any other stamps from the US or other countries in between, cause any suspicion? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/11 "2009-04-06T22:34:25Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > The US soccer team played there in the last 6 months or so and ESPN showed the game. I guess they got special permission to go. And some American fans went to the game. They had one of the guys who went on World Soccer Daily. He went to one of the Central American countries and from there to Cuba. He said if you tell the Cuban customs guys what you are up to they won’t even stamp your passport or anything. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/12 "2009-04-06T22:37:49Z")
> [@Waffle\_Decider](#): > > Even if the Cuban doesn’t stamp the American passport, the Mexican/Canadian immigration authority does, right? If our hypothetical American is going to Cuba for a holiday through Canada, this means he/she will be entering Canada twice: once on the way out from the States, and then again from Cuba on the way back. Will having 2 Canadian stamps within a short period of time, without any other stamps from the US or other countries in between, cause any suspicion? Judging by my passport, the guys just pick a random page and stamp it. Somebody would have to be scrutinizing the thing pretty closely to figure out what you’d done. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/13 "2009-04-06T22:38:57Z")
> [@Waffle\_Decider](#): > > Even if the Cuban doesn’t stamp the American passport, the Mexican/Canadian immigration authority does, right? Americans don’t need passports to come to Canada, only satisfactory proof of American citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/14 "2009-04-06T22:42:15Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Americans don’t need passports to come to Canada, only satisfactory proof of American citizenship. This no longer true. [Cite](http://www.consular.canada.usembassy.gov/passport_requirement.asp). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/15 "2009-04-06T22:49:55Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > Judging by my passport, the guys just pick a random page and stamp it. Concur. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/16 "2009-04-06T23:14:59Z")
Come June, if an American enters Canada without a passport, can we keep her? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/17 "2009-04-06T23:17:03Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > This no longer true. [Cite](http://www.consular.canada.usembassy.gov/passport_requirement.asp). Wrong. As Northern Piper correctly set out, Americans do not and will not need passports to enter Canada. What you have, QED, refers to entry into the USA, not Canada. In other words, Americans can and will be able to get into Canada without a passport, but will not be able to return to the USA wihtout a passport. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/18 "2009-04-06T23:23:28Z")
That amounts to the same thing, you know. Most of us who travel want to come home again. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/19 "2009-04-06T23:30:59Z")
FWIW, I am a Canadian and have traveled to Cuba from Canada, as have pretty much everyone I know, and _no one_ has a Cuban stamp on their passport. They stamp your entry/exit visa document (do. not. lose. it.) but not your passport, because, according to the very cute and friendly custom’s officer in Holquin, some Canadians in the past had been harassed by American customs on later trips to the US for having Cuban stamps on their passports. I have no idea if that’s true, but it’s the reason he gave us! ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144/20 "2009-04-07T00:08:29Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > Most of us who travel want to come home again. True. But since your passport wasn’t required by Canada, it won’t be stamped by Canada, and so will contain no Canada-generated evidence of any trips you took beyond Canada. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-travel-to-cuba/492144.md?page=2)