Cuba time zone

Standard Time:        UTC/GMT -5 hours
Daylight Saving Time:         +1 hour
Standard Time Zone Compensation:     UTC/GMT -4 hours

Daylight saving time started on the official time on Monday, March 9, 2015, at 00:00 hours and will finish on Sunday, November 1, 2015 at 01:00 hours.

Currency

. There are two currencies in Cuba: the Cuban peso (CUP) and the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC), both split in 100 cents.
. 1 CUC = 24 CUP
. Importation and exportation of Cuban currency is regulated.
. Both the Cuban Peso and the Cuban Convertible Peso can only be obtained and used in the Cuban national territory. You can get CUC when arriving in Cuba, by changing your local currency into them. Currency exchange service is available at airports, hotels, banks and currency exchange outlets (CADECA), scattered all across the island. The exchange rate for those foreign currencies is calculated in relation to CUC, based on the international exchange, with different rates for both the purchase and sale of CUC.
. In the case of the US dollar, a 10 percent surcharge is applied in order to protect the country’s economic interests.

Sanitary  regulations

. Sanitary regulations only apply to travelers hailing from countries where yellow fever and cholera are endemic diseases, or places the World Health Organization has declared as infected areas. If that were the case, travelers must produce the International Vaccination Certificate.
. The importation of animal or vegetal products is restricted. The importation of pets requires special customs procedures. Pets can be imported as long as they are vaccinated and their owners can produce the corresponding documentation.

Customs regulations

The General Customs of the Republic of Cuba establishes an economic value for noncommercial imports made by individuals, as labeled in 17 groups of products. The value of the products refers to countable units, weight, sizes and volumes.
1. Edibles, drinks, cigars and cigarettes
2. Cosmetics, perfumes and cleaning products
3. Photographic and cinematographic products
4. Paints, varnishes and hardware items
5. Clothing
6. Footwear and leather items
7. Baby’s items and clothes
8. Lingerie
9. Household products
10. Home appliances, IT products and communication equipment
11. Jewelry
12. Musical instruments
13. Furniture
14. Car spare parts and accessories
15. Toys, sports items and recreational articles
16. Building materials
17. Tools

At the same time, there are limits in force for determining the commercial character of imports made by individuals by any way, in case quantities of one single item, product or article, its nature, function or the number of repeated imports of it, indicate that is being imported for commercial purposes. The Customs Office is entitled to seize quantities of a product or item that exceed the limit established by the law and once a commercial purpose of the importation is determined.

The island nation’s customs regulations ban the importation of:

- Pornography,
- Narcotics,
- Drugs,
- Living Animals
- Firearms (they can be authorized as long as they are used in game hunting as approved by the entity in charge of this travel modality)

. Cuba’s Customs Office allows travelers to bring personal belongings they might need during their stay in the country.

With written consent of the relevant institutions, authorities allow the exportation of:

- Works of art,
- Antiques,
- Cuban flora and wildlife species,
- Legally protected cultural assets

. The maximum value of the abovementioned exported items tops $1,000. Handicrafts do not require exportation documentation. The exportation of cigars (over 50 units) requires the delivery of an invoice issued by Habanos S.A.