Cuba information

Cuba Information

Capital:  Ciudad de La Habana

Language:  Spanish

Opening hours for Commercial activities:  From 8:00 or 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 13:30 pm to 17:30 pm.

President:  Raúl Castro

Cuba Tips and Information

- Currency
- Migratory Regulations
- Official Commemorations
- Payment Forms
- Sanitary Regulations

Currency

Cuba has two different currencies: The Cuban Convertible Peso or CUC The CUC is the “official” Cuban Money. The CUC can be exchanged for a number of foreign currencies like the EURO, US Dollar, Swiss Frank and English Pound (visa versa) which exchange rates varies with the money markets. Most items relevant to tourism like hotels, car rentals, most decent restaurant, luxury goods, Heineken beer and Nestle ice cream etc. are being paid in CUC. There are banknotes of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos. The coins come in 5, 10,25 and 50 Cents and 1 peso. The Cuban Peso or Moneda Nacional (Nacional Money). The Cuban Peso is used mainly by the Cubans to buy fruits in the markets, pizza on the street, city bus fare, to pay the residential gas, telephone and electricity bill. Most salaries are being paid in Cuban Peso’s There are banknotes of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos. The coins come in 1 centavo, 2 centavos, 5 centavos, 20 centavos, 1 peso and 3 pesos. The coins valued 5 and 20 centavos are handy for the telephone. The 1 peso coin is often used for the city bus (fare = 40 centavos). 1 Convertible Peso = 24 Cuban pesos You can acquire 'Pesos Convertibles' at the airport, banks and at the Money Exchange Offices, called "CADECA" (you can find these offices everywhere in the country). You can also get Cuban Pesos in the CADECA or at any local bank. There are places that accept only Pesos Convertibles and others that only accept Cuban pesos. All Cuban money is only valid inside Cuba. In tourist facilities and other service units, prices are set in Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). In Varadero, Cayo Largo del Sur, Jardines del Rey (Coco and Guillermo Keys), Santa Lucía and Covarrubias Beaches as well as in the province Holguín (tourist resorts on northern coastline), you can also pay in Euros. Most likely you will find yourself in a situation where you are asked to pay in CUC for products priced in Moneda Nacional.Common sense will help a great deal!

Migratory Regulations

Visitors should possess an effective passport or a trip document stating their name and the corresponding visa or Tourist Card, excepting those countries that Cuba maintains Free Visa agreements with. Tourist Cards can be requested at the Cuban consular representations. Also, in travel agencies and airlines. They are of two types: for individual tourists or tourists that travel in groups. The businessmen, journalists at work and natural of Cuba, non-residents or with another nationality, should get a visa.

Official Commemorations

Although they are not holidays, they are also considered important dates: January 28: Anniversary of the birth of José Martí, Cuba's National Hero, in 1853. February 24: Anniversary of the beginning of the War of Independence, in 1895. March 8: International Woman's Day. March 13: Anniversary of the attack to the Presidential Palace of Havana, by a group of revolutionary youths that sought to execute the tyrant Fulgencio Batista, in 1957. April 19: Anniversary of the defeat of the mercenary attack at the Bay of Pigs, in 1961. July 30: Day of the Martyrs of the Revolution. October 8: Anniversary of the death of Major Ernesto Ché Guevara, in 1967. October 28: Anniversary of Major Camilo Cienfuegos’ death, in 1959. November 27: Commemoration of the execution of eight students of Medicine, by the Spanish colonial government, in 1871. December 7: Anniversary of Antonio Maceo's death in combat in 1896, an outstanding figure in Cuba’s War of Independence against the Spanish colonial rule.

Official Commemorations in January:  January 1st - Revolution Triumph January 28th - Jose Marti's Birthday

July Official Commemorations:  26 - Asalto a los cuarteles Moncada y Carlos M. de Cespedes

October Official Commemorations:  October 10

Payment Forms

In tourist facilities and other service units, prices are set in Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). In Varadero, Cayo Largo del Sur, Jardines del Rey (Coco and Guillermo Keys), Santa Lucía and Covarrubias Beaches, and Holguín province (tourist resorts on northern coastline), you can also pay in euros. Credit cards – except those issued by US banks or their branches in other countries – are accepted. Among those accepted are MasterCard, Visa International and CABAL. Cuban convertible pesos and coins equivalent to 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents have unlimited legal course in the national territory. Cuban convertible pesos can be changed upon departure at bank offices at international airports and ports in Cuba. Traveler's checks, including those issued by US banks, are accepted.

Sanitary Regulations

There are only restrictive sanitary regulations for visitors coming from countries where yellow fever and endemic cholera exist or have been declared infection areas by the World Health Organization. In such cases, an International Vaccination Certificate is demanded. Products of animal and vegetable origin have entry restrictions. Animals may be imported, previous presentation of the corresponding certificate.