Some regulations for rent activity in Cuba

The renting of private housing to foreign tourists in Cuba is heavily regulated. The law that allow this business is, undoubtedly, pretty restrictive. We consider is important for you to know the main difficulties and lawful impediments which the lessors has to deal to survive in the business. These are only a few samples of the aforementioned regulations: 

Taxes are very high. Most of lessors have to pay, at least, CUC 350.00 (USD 382.00) monthly to rent a room and certain areas of the house as a terrace or the parking garage. Lessors have to pay this amount regardless the influx of tourists received; in other words, if a lessor don't receive any tourist in a month he or she will have to pay the tax anyway. For example, a lessor that charges a price of CUC 35.00 per night (which is a standard price for a room with suitable comfort in the best areas of Havana) will need to rent 12 days only to pay taxes and one or two days more to recoup the expenses. Only a few lucky have an occupation of 66% or 70% specially in the low seasons.

The Office of the Tax system don't make a coherent differentiation of the conditions of each lessor. This mean that the owner of a luxurious house of Miramar, Vedado or Nuevo Vedado will pay the same tax for a room than a modest room of an old apartment in Old Havana. 

A lessor can only rent legally two rooms. Nevertheless, most of lessors only declare one room and actually rent two and sometimes three or four rooms in order to be able to cover the excessive tax and get some profit. The figure mentioned above as an example is only for a room and some areas of the house or apartment (if the lessor declares two rooms will have to pay around CUC 700.00 a month).

Is not allowed to rent a whole house or apartment as it was some years ago. This does not mean necessarily that you wont have privacy in your room since, in many cases, the lessor have find the way to give total privacy to the room(s) he or she rents.

Our aim with this explanation is to assure your commitment with us once you decide to book one of the accommodations offered in this site. Remember that we don't charge you nothing in advance and once you have made your reservation we will automatically arrange with the owner of the selected lodge and he or she will reserve the place for you. If you don't arrive in the booked date they will lose money. Of course you are free to change your mind, in such a case we only request you to email us canceling your reservation with enough time. This way the lessor might rent to another tourist and avoid the losing.

Migratory's regulations

All visitor should possess an effective passport to him/her name and a Visa sent abroad by an embassy or Cuban consulate or Tourist's Card, with the exception of the countries that have signed free Visa agreements with Cuba,

If the arrival is by sea the ship crew should communicate with the port authorities before entering in jurisdictional waters (12 nautic miles starting from the insular platform). The communications with the port authorities can settle down by the channel HF (SSB) 2760 of the National Coastal Net and 2790 of the Tourist Net, or by VHF by the Channel 68 for the National Coastal Net or Channel 16 for the Tourist Net

Custom's regulations

The tourists don't have to fill the pattern of customs declaration. It is forbidden the entrance of narcotics, pornography and firearms, except for those of sport hunt properly authorized in Cuba to their arrival.

Están exentos de impuestos objetos de uso personal incluyendo joyas propias, cámaras fotográficas o de video, efectos deportivos y avíos de pesca, dos botellas de licor, un cartón de cigarrillos y hasta 22 libras (10 Kg) de medicamentos. Además pueden importarse artículos por un valor de hasta 250.00 dólares americanos, de los cuales 50.00 dólares están exentos de pago y los restantes 200.00 dólares se gravan con un arancel del 100%

La entrada de dinero en efectivo es ilimitada pero se recomienda declarar cifras por encima de los 5 000 dólares pues para reexportar un monto igual o superior a esa cantidad se exige presentar la declaración de aduana correspondiente.

Al salir del país se permite la libre exportación de hasta 23 tabacos habanos (según la Resolución No. 41-2003 vigente desde el 8 de octubre de 2003) , si la compra es de mas de 23 habanos y hasta 2 000 habanos debe estar amparada por la(s) factura(s) correspondiente(s). Una exportación mayor de 2 000 habanos debe realizarse en los establecimientos designados a esos efectos por la compañía Habanos S.A.

La extracción del país de obras de artes o antiguedades debe estar amparada por un permiso del Registro Nacional de Bienes Culturales, de la Dirección de Patrimonio del Ministerio de Cultura.

El impuesto de salida en los aeropuertos internacionales cubanos es de CUC 25.00

Para mayor información visite el sitio web de la Aduna de la República de Cuba en http://www.aduana.islagrande.cu/

Sanitary's regulations

Sanitary restrictions only exist for travelers coming from countries where the yellow fever and the cholera are endemic or areas of infection declared by the World Organization of the Health, in which case it is demanded to present the International Certificate of Vaccination.

The entrance of products of animal origin or vegetable is restricted, as well as the entrance of mascots which requires some special steps. They can cares domestic animals (mascots) vaccinated, but it is necessary to accompany him with the corresponding documentation.

American citizen (USA)

If you are an American citizen should keep in mind the following information:

As any other visitor you need to have a valid passport at least for 6 months starting from the entrance date to Cuba.

The US laws prohibit you to travel to Cuba unless you have a permission of the Department of the Treasure, for this reason, if you have decided to travel to Cuba, you should do it using a third country. The third country will usually be Canada, Mexico or Bahamas.

Instead a visa, you will need a paper called tourist card (tarjeta de turista) which can be obtained in the Cuban Embassy in any country or with a travel agency if you enter through Canada, Mexico or Bahamas (even in the airport if you travel through Cancun).

Once in Cuba, your passport won't be stamped by the customs authorities, they will provide you another document that you will need to conserve until your exit of the country.