As was announced by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla late last October, starting January 1 Cuban citizens resident abroad will be authorized to enter and leave Cuba on recreational vessels.
They would initially use the Hemingway and Gaviota-Varadero International Tourist Marinas, although the official promised that the availability of these installations would be gradually expanded to other marinas.
To initiate this process, the General Customs of the Republic of Cuba has published an update of the regulation related to the clearance of the foreign recreational vessels in the marinas.
According to Resolution 336-2017 of the Head of the General Customs of the Republic the aim of these changes is “to facilitate and speed up the customs clearance of these vessels and yachtsmen arriving on board them.”
These modifications are valid for all yachtsmen arriving in Cuba, not just those of Cuban origin.
The Resolution warns that commercial activities will not be able to be carried out during these trips.
“The foreign recreation vessels arriving to the Republic of Cuba can only be used for tourism-related operations. The yachtsmen on board them will abstain from carrying out any other commercial activity not authorized by the competent Cuban authorities, during their stay in national territory or during the validity of the special sailing permit.”
Another novelty is the authorization of the temporary import of automotive vehicles arriving on board the recreational vessels, only for foreign yachtsmen.
Other changes
In addition to that referring to the possibility of non-resident Cubans using recreational vessels to enter and leave Cuba, the Cuban government decided to:
— eliminate the “authorization” of the passport for trips to Cuba by Cuban émigrés.
— allow the entry to Cuba of Cuban citizens who illegally left the country, except for those who did so through the U.S. Naval Base in Guantánamo.
— eliminate the requisite of domiciliation so that the children of Cubans resident abroad who were born out of the country can get their Cuban citizenship and their identity document.
