Cuba operates seven international airports, but 85 percent of arriving visitors land at José Martí International Airport in Havana or Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport serving Varadero. José Martí sits 15 kilometers southwest of central Havana and processes approximately three million international passengers annually across its three terminals. Terminal 3 handles nearly all scheduled international flights from the Americas and Europe. Terminal 2 serves domestic routes and some charter flights from the United States. Terminal 1 processes private aircraft. Charter flights from Canada during winter months account for the largest single traffic segment, followed by scheduled service from Spain, Mexico, and Panama. Direct flights from the United States resumed in 2016 after a 55-year suspension, but service contracted sharply after 2019 when the U.S. government prohibited commercial flights to all Cuban airports except Havana. American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest currently operate limited schedules from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa to Havana only. European carriers including Air France, Iberoworld, and Condor maintain year-round service, with frequency peaking between November and April when seat availability from major European hubs increases by approximately 40 percent compared to summer months.
Every foreign national entering Cuba must present a tourist card before boarding, regardless of passport nationality. Airlines selling tickets to Cuba typically include the tourist card in the ticket price for travelers originating in Europe or Canada, but passengers departing U.S. airports must purchase the card separately at the airline counter before check-in. The card costs 50 to 100 U.S. dollars depending on the airline and serves as the primary entry document for tourism visits up to 30 days. U.S. citizens face additional requirements under American law, not Cuban law. The U.S. government requires American passport holders to qualify under one of 12 authorized travel categories, most commonly Support for the Cuban People, which necessitates maintaining a full-time schedule of activities that involve meaningful interaction with Cuban individuals. The Cuban government itself does not restrict American visitors differently from other nationalities, but American travelers must retain receipts and documentation to satisfy potential U.S. Treasury Department audits for up to five years after return. This administrative burden exists entirely on the U.S. side.
For visa requirements and processes, consult the official Cuban government portal at https://www.minrex.gob.cu.
Cuban immigration officers at José Martí process arriving passengers at 24 booths in Terminal 3. Lines during morning arrival banks between 9 AM and noon regularly exceed 45 minutes. Officers stamp passports without inserting entry information directly into the passport itself—instead, they retain half of the tourist card and return the second half, which travelers must present at departure. Loss of this card stub results in fines between 25 and 50 convertible pesos and delays of one to three hours while airport staff generate replacement documentation. Immigration officers rarely ask questions beyond trip duration and purpose, but they may request proof of accommodation for the first night and proof of return travel. Accommodation proof means either a hotel reservation confirmation or the name and address of a registered casa particular written on the arrival form. Officers can deny entry to travelers unable to provide either, though such denials occur infrequently—fewer than one percent of arriving passengers based on airport authority data from 2022.
Baggage claim at Terminal 3 occupies a single hall with six carousels. Bags typically appear 20 to 40 minutes after passengers clear immigration. Theft from checked luggage occurs at rates comparable to other Caribbean airports, with missing items reported in approximately two percent of arrivals according to insurance claim data aggregated by regional carriers. Travelers should place valuables, medications, and electronics in carry-on bags. The customs declaration form distributed on inbound flights requires disclosure of amounts exceeding 5,000 U.S. dollars in cash, all professional camera equipment, drones, satellite phones, and GPS devices beyond basic smartphone functionality. Cuba prohibits importation of drones entirely—authorities confiscate them regardless of intended use. Walkie-talkies, two-way radios, and ham radio equipment also face confiscation. Travelers may bring two bottles of liquor, one carton of cigarettes, and up to 10 kilograms of medicine for personal use without additional duties. Customs officers direct approximately 15 percent of passengers to secondary inspection, selecting bags via random electronic assignment rather than profiling. Officers open and manually inspect these bags in a separate area, a process adding 10 to 30 minutes.
Airport currency exchange operates in Terminal 3 arrivals immediately after customs exit, with posted hours from 6 AM to 10 PM daily. Cuba uses two currencies: the Cuban peso (CUP) used by residents for domestic transactions and increasingly the only currency accepted at state stores, and until recently the convertible peso (CUC), which the government officially eliminated in January 2021 during monetary unification. That unification proved chaotic. Many hotels and tourist-oriented businesses continue referencing CUC-era prices or quoting in dollars, then converting at unpredictable rates to CUP. The official exchange rate set by the government stands at 24 CUP per U.S. dollar as of early 2024, but informal exchange markets operate at 120 to 200 CUP per dollar depending on location and month. Airport exchange booths apply the official rate exclusively. Exchanging 100 U.S. dollars yields 2,400 CUP at the airport booth, while the same 100 dollars on Havana streets obtains 15,000 to 18,000 CUP—a difference of 525 to 650 percent. This discrepancy creates immediate decision pressure for arriving travelers who require local currency for taxi fare.
U.S. debit and credit cards do not function anywhere in Cuba due to the ongoing embargo, regardless of card network. Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards issued by U.S. banks are blocked from Cuban payment systems. Some travelers report success using cards issued by non-U.S. banks, particularly Canadian and European institutions, but acceptance remains inconsistent. Cards issued by Stonex Financial, a non-U.S. entity, worked sporadically at some Havana hotels in 2023. Travelers should assume zero electronic payment capability and bring sufficient cash for the entire trip. Euros and Canadian dollars exchange at rates similar to U.S. dollars, but the U.S. dollar remains most widely recognized. Cuba imposed a 10 percent penalty surcharge on U.S. dollar exchanges from 2004 to 2022, but eliminated that surcharge in August 2022. Bringing cash in worn or damaged bills creates problems—Cuban exchange counters reject bills with tears, excessive wear, markings, or pre-2006 series U.S. notes.
Transportation from José Martí to central Havana presents three options: official airport taxis, pre-arranged private transfers, and the rare public bus. Official yellow taxis operated by the state company Cubataxi park directly outside Terminal 3 arrivals. Drivers quote flat rates to Havana destinations: 25 to 30 convertible pesos to Habana Vieja, 20 to 25 convertible pesos to Vedado, and 30 to 35 convertible pesos to Miramar. These rates applied during the CUC era and persist in 2024, though drivers now demand payment in U.S. dollars or euros at equivalent values, effectively creating a separate dollar-based pricing system. A taxi to Habana Vieja costs 25 dollars cash. Drivers refuse CUP entirely for airport routes. The journey takes 25 minutes in light traffic and up to 60 minutes during weekday morning rush hours between 7 AM and 9 AM. Most airport taxis are aging Ladas, Hyundais, and Chinese Geely models from the early 2010s. Seat belts often do not function. Air conditioning works intermittently.
Private transfers arranged through hotels or casa particulars before arrival typically cost 20 to 30 dollars and include the advantage of confirmed pricing and the driver holding a name sign in arrivals. Hotels with primarily international clientele such as Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Iberostar Parque Central, and Saratoga organize transfers for arriving guests who email reservation details 48 hours ahead. Casa particular hosts coordinate pickups through family members or trusted drivers, communicating via WhatsApp or email before the guest's departure from origin. This arrangement eliminates the risk of fare disputes and provides immediate local contact from arrival. The driver's phone number becomes the traveler's first Cuban emergency contact.