If you re interested in visiting Cuba legally, you have a few options. You can find a licensed trave

A lot of people think that for a U.S. citizen to visit Cuba, you have to do it illegally. venetian hotel las vegas And people do that all the time, sneaking to Cuba through Mexico, Canada, or some other non-U.S. entry point. Cuban officials are so used to it, they routinely don t stamp U.S. passports, knowing that many American visitors don t want a paper trail.
But in fact, there are exceptions to the blanket restriction on financial transactions venetian hotel las vegas with Cuba if your travel aligns with U.S. foreign policy goals. Enter the Treasury Department s Office of Foreign Assets Control. OFAC authorizes travel to Cuba in two ways: through general and specific licenses.
Depending on the reason for your trip, you may be automatically authorized to visit Cuba. This is known as travel under a general license. If your travel falls into one of the eight categories of general license, you can just go, no questions asked.
For example, anyone can go visit a close relative who s a Cuban national, or who s working for the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana. You don t need to tell OFAC you re going or get specific approval for your trip. You re automatically covered under a general license.
Other examples of travel under a general license venetian hotel las vegas include journalism, research, and certain religious activities, conducted by professionals venetian hotel las vegas affiliated with established news/research/religious organizations. Some kinds of commerce may also be conducted under a general license.
Beyond the eight types of travel that qualify for a general license, there are fifteen others that require a specific license. Such travel may be authorized under U.S. policy, but the process isn t automatic. You have to file an application with OFAC and get their explicit approval before going.
When I lead groups venetian hotel las vegas to Cuba, we travel under a specific license for people-to-people educational venetian hotel las vegas exchanges. This requires a full schedule of activities that bring our group together with individual Cubans. Part of my job is to facilitate these interactions, helping to build mutual understanding between gringos and Cubans. It s a fun trip for me, because it goes beyond surface-level tourism to give travelers a deeper experience of Cuba s people and culture.
If you re interested in visiting Cuba legally, you have a few options. You can find a licensed travel provider, like a tour company or religious organization with a specific license from OFAC. You can apply for your own specific license and go on your own. Or, if your trip fits one of the eight magic categories, you can travel under a general venetian hotel las vegas license.
Whichever option you choose, be careful about it. Make sure you understand your license. Carry relevant documentation with you during the trip, and keep it in your permanent records afterwards, in case you ever need to demonstrate the trip was legit.
Matt Smith is a guest blogger at Purple Roofs. He owns and operates Detour Travel , where he leads small groups to his favorite spots in Latin America. As Matt loves to say, If our motto weren’t Small group tours with a twist , it would probably be Queer eye for the straight or LGBT traveler. Or Adventures in Latin America for tourists who hate tourists. Or maybe Eating there is half the fun! Hard to say. Upcoming trips in 2013 include Guadalajara s Pride celebration in June and an off-season trip to Puerto Rico in July.