Decision tool · 12 OFAC categories · CACR §515.560–.578

Can I Legally Travel to Cuba?

Three quick questions to find out whether your trip is authorised, which OFAC category covers it, and what records you need to keep.

Step 3 of 3 · Passport: Foreign national resident in the U.S. · Purpose: Pure tourism (beach, leisure, no other category fits)

No — pure tourism to Cuba is NOT authorised for U.S. persons.

Authorising regulation: 31 CFR §515.560 — General travel framework

Tourism per se is explicitly excluded from the OFAC general-license framework. U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and U.S.-resident persons may not travel to Cuba for pure leisure / beach / resort purposes. Engaging in tourist transactions in Cuba violates the CACR and exposes the traveller to civil and criminal penalties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading With the Enemy Act.

Compliance checklist for this trip

  1. If the trip can be honestly restructured around a qualifying category — most commonly support for the Cuban people (§515.574) — re-take this wizard with that purpose.
  2. If no qualifying category truly fits the trip, do not travel; or apply to OFAC for a specific license under §515.801.
  3. Travelling to Cuba via a third country (e.g. Mexico, Bahamas, Cancun) does NOT cure the violation. The CACR follows the U.S. person, not the routing.
  4. Working with U.S. sanctions counsel before any high-stakes trip is strongly recommended.

Cuban-side entry requirements (every traveller, every passport)

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Important: Educational decision aid, not legal advice. CACR (31 CFR Part 515) and the State Department’s Cuba Restricted & Prohibited Accommodations Lists change periodically — verify before booking, and keep full-time-schedule + transaction records for five years per §515.601.
When to retain counselHide
For any high-stakes trip — particularly journalism (§515.561), business travel, group people-to-people travel (§515.565), or anything involving transactions with Cuban government counterparties — retain qualified U.S. sanctions counsel before booking. The CRL changes intra-administration, the CPAL between our refreshes, and OFAC enforcement priorities can shift without notice.

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