The Trump Administration announced this week that you will no longer be able to visit Cuba by cruise ship or in group tours under the “people to people” visa category. This however does not mean that you are no longer able visit the island of Cuba as an American Citizen.

I just returned from a trip to Cuba two weeks ago traveling under the visa status “Support for the Cuban People”. This category of travel allows you to visit independently (which is always my preference) but more importantly it enables you to have a more local experience while directly supporting independent business owners rather than supporting government run hotels, restaurants, and tours. In this post you will find all of the details around how to plan a trip to Cuba under the “Support for the Cuban People” visa. I’ve included everything from how to acquire the visa, what to include on your itinerary, and where to book your accommodations and experiences.

How To Travel To Cuba Under Support for the Cuban People

Book Your Flight and Purchase Your Visa

The first thing you are going to do when planning your trip to Cuba under the “Support for the Cuban People” category is book your flight to Cuba. After booking your flight you will want to visit this site to purchase your Visa or Tourist Card. As you do your research you will see these visa and tourist card are used interchangeably. The one visa in the link above is all you need! When going through the prompts when purchasing online you will select the proper category (Support for the Cuban People) and your visa will be mailed to you after purchasing. When you go through the check in process at the airport you will be asked again what category you are traveling under and you will have to let them know once more verbally. This was a lot simpler then I had imagined based on everything I had read online. I expected the process to be very complicated but it was pretty casual.

Book Your Casa Particular

What is a Casa Particular you ask? A casa particular is basically a private home stay in Cuba. You can either stay in a guest bedroom or book a private casa if you prefer. Not only is this a really economic option compared to booking a hotel, but you are also directly helping a Cuban financially by reserving their room or apartment. Finding a Casa Particular is super easy thanks to Airbnb. They are listed under their own filter option when you search for Airbnbs in Cuba! Here is a link to the casa I stayed in. The host was lovely, great area, and there was air conditioning! I would recommend this Casa to anyone.

Create Your Support for the Cuban People Itinerary

When traveling under the the visa Support for the Cuban People your trip needs to be at least four days long (travel days can count). As part of your requirement you will have to have a printed itinerary to bring with you highlighting a full time schedule (6 hours) of activities that are all directly giving business to the locals. Six hours may sound like a lot but it was fairly easy to fill my days with activities that I was excited about! Below are a few options to consider including in your itinerary.

• Chat with a local about life in Cuba (Could be your casa particular host)
• Take a Salsa class taught by a local
• Take a mixology or cooking class taught by a local
• Go for a city tour in an old American car (pick one up is in front of the capital building)
• Tour a cigar factory
• Eat at a Parladar (See my post on best parladares in Havana)
• Visit a local church or after school center – (Go above and beyond for the people and bring donations/gifts)

I would highly recommend using Airbnb Experiences to find activities that are taught by locals. I personally signed up for this mixology class and it was such a great experience! Not only did I learn about making Cuban rum based cocktails but it was a great chance to talk about the realities of life in Cuba with a local.

Things To Keep In Mind When Traveling Under Support for the Cuban People

A few important things to keep in mind when you are visiting Cuba under the visa Support of the Cuban People

• You are not allowed to do business with GAESA-owned, or military-owned, organizations. This can actually be pretty difficult to accomplish if you are not doing proper research before leaving and planning out what Parladares you want to try.
• You must keep record of your itinerary and all of your receipts for up to 5 years after your trip

Currency

This last bit doesn’t solely apply to those visiting under the Support for the Cuban People visa but since you are here and likely planning a trip, I think it’s worth noting. You are going to want to exchange your USD to either Euro or CAN prior to leaving the US. Once arriving to Cuba you can change your EURO or CAN to the Cuban Convertible Peso (also known as CUC). The reason you are going to want to do this is because at the airport you will be charged an additional 10% to convert from USD. Additionally, bring extra cash since it is close to impossible to use your debit or credit card in Cuba. Do yourself a favor and come prepared with more than you plan to spend because once you run out, you’re out!

 

I hope you found this guide helpful! If you have any questions please leave a comment and I’ll be sure to get back to you!