FAQ

Visitors are allowed to bring laptops for their own personal use.

As is the case at most airports worldwide, laptops must be removed from luggage and placed in bins when going through security when entering Cuba. Sometimes security personnel will ask for your passport number when you bring in a laptop computer. This is standard procedure and should cause no concern. 

Smart and Mobile Phones
Some U.S. carriers, such as Sprint and Verizon, may offer international roaming services for customers in the United States traveling to Cuba. If your carrier offers a roaming plan and your mobile phone is capable of roaming in Cuba, you should ask your carrier about any additional charges for voice calls, data, roaming, and outgoing text messages that you may incur during your trip. We advise that you contact your current carrier for the most up-to-date information on usage before leaving. 

Yes, we recommend that you bring a multi-adapter for Cuba to plug in your electrical devices, which should cost only $9.99 to $20.00, if you don't already have one. A multi-adapter will allow you to plug in your electrical devices to almost any plug configuration around the world. While the electrical current in Cuba can be both 110v AC (the same as in the U.S.) or 220v AC, most gadgets used today including smart phone chargers, lap tops, hair dryers, and more are dual-voltage, which means you will not need a bulky and expensive 'voltage converter', which is different from your electrical adapter.

If you are bringing an electric device, namely a very old one, and aren't sure if it will accept dual-voltage, you can look for your device online, check on the device itself, and see if it accepts dual-voltage. If it doesn't, many travel and consumer electronic experts recommend replacing the item, and buying a newer one, which will accept dual-voltage. If replacing the item isn't possible and you aren't certain if the device accepts dual-voltage, those same experts recommend leaving the device at home, or bringing a voltage converter.

Yes, most tourist hotels in Havana and other large cities have either a computer or small business center, where you can pay for internet usage by the minute or hour. To access the internet from your hotel, you will have to purchase an internet access ticket. This ticket will have a printed password that will allow you to connect to the internet for a specified period of time.

Please understand that the connection speed in Cuba may be slower than what you're accustomed to in the US and that internet is not widely available when traveling to the outer provinces.

Locations such as Foto Video and Photo Service sell small digital or instant cameras, but professional equipment like SLRs, lenses, filters and flash units can be very difficult to find. It is a good idea to bring spare batteries, tapes and film, which are also not commonly available.

Guests may bring digital cameras, small video cameras, and smart phones into Cuba; however, entering Cuba with professional photography or videography equipment is subject to Cuban governmental regulations and requires special permission from the Cuban government. If you plan to bring camera equipment that exceeds what can reasonably be carried on your person, please call us at 800-450-2822 for more information.

Yes. Before you leave for Cuba, you can rent a compatible mobile phone from companies such as Cellular Abroad (offered by National Geographic), Cello Mobile, or Mobal for use in Cuba.  In addition to daily rental fees, you should expect to pay approximately $3 USD per minute of call time and up to $1.50 USD per outgoing text message. Depending on the type of phone rented, data may also be available at an additional cost. 

WiFi is available by the hour via Internet access cards. They typically costs between $2 per hour. 

Please note that Internet and WiFi access in Cuba is much slower than in the U.S.