Cuba Sanctions Tighten: OFAC Limits Cuba Travel

June 4, 2019

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security each announced changesto the Cuba sanctions rules.

OFAC is amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations to end group educational or cultural visits referred to as “people-to-people” educational travel, one of the major categories permitting non-family travel to Cuba.  People-to-people educational travel that was previously authorized will be allowed where the traveler has already completed at least one travel-related transaction (such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to June 5, 2019.  These amendments follow similar changes to CACR made on November 9, 2017 that removed authorization for individual people-to-people visits to Cuba.  OFAC also released an updated set of frequently asked questions regarding Cuba sanctions.

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