All foreign visitor should carry an up-dated passport or a travel document extended in him or her name and a Visa sent abroad by an embassy or Cuban consulate or a Tourist's Card. The tourist's card can be obtained in Cuban consular offices or in credited travel agencies, airlines or at Havana International Airport. There are two kinds of tourist card: one for individual tourist and another for tourists that travel in groups.

Businessmen, newsmenon assignments, and Cuban natives who are residents abroad or have another nacionality, must carry a visa obtained at Cuban consulate.

If the arrival is by sea the ship crew should communicate with the port authorities before entering in jurisdictional waters (12 nautical miles starting from the insular platform). The communications with the port authorities can settle down by the channel HF (SSB) 2760 of the National Coastal Network and 2790 of the Tourist Network, or by VHF by the Channel 68 for the National Coastal Network or Channel 16 for the Tourist Network.

Tourists may introduce in Cuba two bottles of liqueur, one carton of cigarettes and personal belongings such as their own jewelry, video and photographic cameras, portable radios, laptop, typewriters, sports implements, fishing gears, etcetera. They are all tax-exempted. The introduction of firearms is not allowed, except hunting weapons duly authorized by Cuban authorities dealing with this touristic modality. The introduction of narcotics or pornographic materials is forbidden by law.

The entrance of money cash is limitless but it is recommended to declare amounts above the 5 000 American Dollars (or equivalent) because export an amount equally or superior to that quantity is demanded to present the declaration of corresponding customs.

When leaving the country it is allowed the free export of up to 23 tobaccos cigars (according to the Resolution Not. 41-2003 effective from October 8 2003), if the purchase is between 23 and 2 000 cigars you should present an shop invoice to Custom official. An export bigger than 2 000 cigars should be carried out in the establishments designated to those effects by the company Habanos S.A.

The exportation of arts or antiques should be authorized by a permission of the National Registration of Cultural Goods, of the Direction of Patrimony of the Ministry of Culture.

The exit tax in the Cubans international airports is 25.00 CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos).

For further information visit the website of the Custom of the Republic of Cuba in http://www.aduana.islagrande.cu/

Sanitary restrictions only exist for travelers coming from countries where the yellow fever and the cholera are endemic or infection areas have been declared by the World Organization of the Health, in which case it is demanded to present the International Certificate of Vaccination.

The entrance of products of animal origin or vegetable is restricted, as well as the entrance of mascots requires of special permission.

If you are American citizen to enter to the country should keep in mind that:

• as any other visitor you need to have a valid passport at least for 6 months starting from the entrance date to Cuba
• the laws of your country (USA) prohibit you to travel to Cuba unless you have a permission of the Department of the Treasure, reason why, if you decides travel to Cuba without that permission (as other thousands of American citizens do every year), you should travel by a third country. The third country will be usually Canada, Mexico or Bahamas.
• you don't need visa, but needs a paper called tourist card (tarjeta de turista) that can obtain in the Cuban Embassy in any country or with a travel agency if you enter through Canada, Mexico or Bahamas, or even in the airport if travels through Cancun.
• your passport won't be stamped by the customs authorities of Cuba, they will be stamped a document separated that you will conserve until you exit off the country.