515.560—Travel-related transactions to, from, and within Cuba by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

(a) The travel-related transactions listed in paragraph (c) of this section may be authorized either by a general license or on a case-by-case basis by a specific license for travel related to the following activities (see the referenced sections for the applicable general and specific licensing criteria):

(1) Family visits (general and specific licenses) (see § 515.561 );

(2) Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations (general license) (see § 515.562 );

(3) Journalistic activity (general and specific licenses) (see § 515.563 );

(4) Professional research and professional meetings (general and specific licenses) (see § 515.564 );

(5) Educational activities (general and specific licenses) (see § 515.565 );

(6) Religious activities (general and specific licenses) (see § 515.566 );

(7) Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions (specific licenses) (see § 515.567 );

(8) Support for the Cuban people (specific licenses) (see § 515.574 );

(9) Humanitarian projects (specific licenses) (see § 515.575 );

(10) Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes (specific licenses) (see § 515.576 );

(11) Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials (specific licenses) (see § 515.545 ); and

(12) Certain export transactions that may be considered for authorization under existing Department of Commerce regulations and guidelines with respect to Cuba or engaged in by U.S.-owned or -controlled foreign firms (general and specific licenses) (see §§ 515.533 and 515.559 ).

(b) Effective October 28, 2000, no specific licenses will be issued authorizing the travel-related transactions in paragraph (c) of this section in connection with activities other than those referenced in paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) Persons generally or specifically licensed under this part to engage in transactions in connection with travel to, from, and within Cuba may engage in the following transactions:

(1) Transportation to and from Cuba. All transportation-related transactions ordinarily incident to travel to and from (not within) Cuba are authorized.

(2) Living expenses in Cuba. All transactions ordinarily incident to travel anywhere within Cuba, including payment of living expenses and the acquisition in Cuba of goods for personal consumption there, are authorized, provided that, unless otherwise authorized, the total for such expenses does not exceed the “maximum per diem rate” for Havana, Cuba, in effect during the period that the travel takes place. The maximum per diem rate is published in the Department of State's “Maximum Travel per Diem Allowances for Foreign Areas,” a supplement to section 925, Department of State Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas), which is available from the Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371945, Pittsburgh, PA 1520-7954, and on the Department of State's Office of Allowances Web site (http://aoprals.state.gov ).

(3) Importation of Cuban merchandise prohibited. Nothing in this section authorizes the importation into the United States of any merchandise purchased or otherwise acquired in Cuba, including but not limited to any importation of such merchandise as accompanied baggage. The importation of Cuban-origin information and informational materials is exempt from the prohibitions of this part, as described in § 515.206.

(4) Carrying remittances to Cuba. The carrying to Cuba of any remittances that the licensed traveler is authorized to remit pursuant to § 515.570 is authorized, provided that:

(i) The total of all remittances authorized by § 515.570(a) through (d) does not exceed $3,000; and

(ii) No emigration remittances authorized by § 515.570(e) are carried to Cuba unless a U.S. immigration visa has been issued for each payee and the licensed traveler can produce the visa recipients' full names, dates of birth, visa numbers, and visa dates of issuance.

Code of Federal Regulations

Note to paragraph (c)(4): This paragraph does not authorize a traveler to carry remittances on behalf of other remitters.

(5) Processing certain financial instruments. All transactions incident to the processing and payment of checks, drafts, travelers' checks, and similar instruments negotiated in Cuba by any person authorized pursuant to this part to engage in financial transactions in Cuba. For purposes of this section, the authorized transactions may be conducted using currency, which is defined as money, cash, drafts, notes, travelers' checks, negotiable instruments, or scrip having a specified or readily determinable face value or worth, but which does not include gold or other precious metals in any form.

(d) A blocked Cuban national permanently resident outside the United States who is departing the United States may carry currency, as that term is defined in paragraph (c)(5) of this section, as follows:

(1) The amount of any currency brought into the United States by the Cuban national and registered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon entry;

(2) Up to $3,000 in funds received as remittances by the Cuban national during his or her stay in the United States; and

(3) Compensation earned by a Cuban national from a U.S. academic institution up to any amount that can be substantiated through payment receipts from such institution as authorized pursuant to § 515.565(a)(5).

(e) The following transactions by persons generally or specifically licensed to engage in travel-related transactions to, from, and within Cuba are prohibited by § 515.201 unless specifically authorized:

(1) All transactions by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction related to the utilization of charge cards, including but not limited to debit or credit cards, for expenditures in Cuba.

(2) All transactions related to the processing and payment by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction, such as charge card issuers or intermediary banks, of charge card instruments (e.g., vouchers, drafts, or sales receipts) for expenditures in Cuba. The issuer of a charge card, or a foreign charge card firm owned or controlled by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction, is not authorized to deal with a Cuban enterprise, a Cuban national, or a third-country person, such as a franchisee, in connection with the extension of charge card services to any person in Cuba.

(f) Nothing in this section authorizes transactions in connection with tourist travel to Cuba.

Code of Federal Regulations

[64 FR 25814, May 13, 1999, as amended at 66 FR 36688, July 12, 2001; 68 FR 14146, Mar. 24, 2003; 69 FR 33771 and 33773, June 16, 2004; 74 FR 46006, Sept. 8, 2009; 76 FR 5074, Jan. 28, 2011]

CFR

515.560—Travel-related transactions to, from, and within Cuba by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

Code of Federal Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations