Souvenirs 

On September 23, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that U.S. travelers will no longer be allowed to take home “Cuban-origin alcohol and tobacco products”. American travelers can import other souvenirs with no limits to the value of these goods for personal use. However, standard duties and exemptions on higher-value imports still apply.

What are the duty-free limits and tax rates? 

The U.S. allows $800 total in goods to be brought back to the U.S. from Cuba duty-free. There is a 4% flat rate plus any applicable IRS taxes on goods that exceed these exemption limits. For goods over $1,800 in value, the duty rates may vary. Contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection or visit the CBP website to confirm duty rates.

*Note: For additional information on restrictions of imported goods from Cuba to the U.S., please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website.

Gifting Guidelines

Donations have always been much appreciated in Cuba, however, the Cuban Government has begun to strictly enforce a no-donation policy for items brought in by tourists. Anything that you bring for the Cuban people should be called “gifts” instead of donations. As a result, we recommend not bringing large amounts of the same item - this is considered a donation and will raise red flags with Cuban officials and could result in confiscation. 

Main items that can be donated in Cuba to help with both the recent shortages as well as the hurricane that has affected the Eastern portion of the island:

Medicine:

• Pain relievers (Advil, Tylenol)

• Band aids

• Multi-vitamins, Vitamin C

• Common cold medications

• Antibiotics (ie - triple antibiotic)

Other products:

• Rechargeable flashlights

• Rechargeable fans

• Candles

• Toiletries

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• Monetary donations 

• Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, face wash etc. 

• Over-the-counter medicines such as Aspirin, Advil, Tylenol, Vitamins, Pepto Bismol, cold medicine etc. 

• Medical gloves, masks, medical thermometers etc. 

• Feminine Hygiene products

• Condoms, sanitary napkins, tampons, adult diapers, baby diapers etc. 

• Hand Sanitizer (guides use it often)

• Band-aids

• Sunblock

• Shoes, flip-flops, crocs etc. 

• Clothes - t-shirts, caps with neat logos (of any size - for hot weather)

• Jewelry, Sunglasses etc. 

• Food items not easily found in Cuba - peanut butter, hazelnut spread, chocolate, coffee, spices, powdered milk.

• Deflated soccer balls / baseballs etc. 

• Baseball bats, balls and gloves, footballs, sport helmets and padding

• School & art supplies - pack of crayons, colored pencils or markers, notebooks, paint brushes & paints. 

• Small children’s backpack.

• Powder washing detergent

• Toys for children (any age)

• Musical instruments, guitar strings, reeds for wind instruments.

• Metronomes, pitch pipes, tuning forks, sheet music. 

• Sheets & towels.

• Kitchen gloves, sponges, aprons etc. 

• Cooking utensils, table cloths, kitchen gloves, aprons.

• Spanish/English dictionaries and phrase books

• New USB memory sticks - a favorite of many. 

• A and AA batteries - boring but they are scarce, costly and appreciated. 

For the Building Bridges itinerary, you can also consider child-friendly arts and crafts materials:

• Acrylic painting

• Brushes 

• Pencils

• Watercolors

• Crayons

• Glue

• Scissors (plastics)

• Carvers (different shapes)

• Musical instruments, guitar strings, reeds for wind instruments

• Gardening tools

*Note: Even the items you leave behind will be considered gifts and are greatly appreciated. Also consult your guide once you are in Cuba as to the best time to give away the gifts and to who - they are your expert resource on the ground and are also happy to distribute fairly on your behalf. Also the maximum value of these items can only be 250 pesos without being taxed at customs. Therefore, we strongly advise not to bring anything over this value.