Marazul Informa
Today we begin a new chapter in the 30-year history of Marazul, which was founded in 1979. We are the professionals for everything related to Cuba travel.
With this new column our goal is to cover topics regularly such as Family Visits, Documentation, Luggage, Services, and exclusive interviews with Customs Officials in Cuba, the Cuba Interests Section in Washington, Marazul executives and last minute items that change or amend regulations on travel to Cuba.
In addition, we hope to bring you topics that our readers may suggest in notes, short and concise, with your questions and comments. We can be reached by emailing us at:
On file and at your disposal we will have a special section so that you, our reader, can review previous articles of interest.
Our hope is that the new Marazul Informa section not only serves as an informative tool and guide for our readers, but that you may also use it for purposes of family reunification, as well as cultural exchanges, scientific, humanitarian and religious missions. That is our primary goal.
Fact Sheet: Treasury Amends Cuban Assets Control Regulations
To Implement the President’s Initiative on
Family Visits, Remittances, and Telecommunications
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued on September 3, 2009 a final rule amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations related to family travel and remittances, in order to implement the President’s initiative of April 13, 2009, to promote greater contact between separated family members in the United States and Cuba, and increase the flow of remittances and information to the Cuban people.
Family visits: As part of a general license, OFAC has eased restrictions on travel-related transactions to visit “close relatives” who are citizens of Cuba, (including, for example, aunts, uncles, cousins and second cousins) citizens of Cuba.
- No limit on the frequency of visits to these “close relatives”.
- No limit on the duration of a visit to these “close relatives”.
- No limit to the frequency of visits to these “close relatives”.
- Authorized expenditure limits for travel within Cuba have been increased to match the expenditures allowed for all other authorized categories of travel to Cuba — specifically, the current State Department “per diem rate” for Havana (for use anywhere in Cuba) plus amounts for additional transactions directly incident to visiting close relatives in Cuba. The current “maximum per diem rate” is $179. In other words, that is the maximum amount you can spend on your daily expenditures while in Cuba. For future updates to this rate, travelers may check the Department of State’s Office of Allowances web site (http://aoprals.state.gov).
- Travelers may be accompanied by persons who share a common dwelling as a family with them.
Remittances: OFAC has also eased restrictions on remittances (including from inherited blocked accounts) to “close relatives” who are nationals of Cuba by issuing a general license.
- Persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States may send remittances to “close relatives” (including, as noted above, aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins) who are nationals of Cuba. These amendments do not affect the prohibition on remittances to a “prohibited official of the Government of Cuba” or a “prohibited member of the Cuban Communist Party,” as defined in the CACR.
- There is no limit on the amount of such a remittance.
- There is no limit on the frequency with which persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States may send such remittances.
- Authorized family travelers may carry up to $3,000 of such remittances to Cuba.
- Remittances for emigration-related purposes continue to be subject to separate restrictions.
- Remittances may be made from depository institutions. To facilitate this, depository institutions are permitted to set up testing arrangements and exchange authenticator keys with Cuban financial institutions
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