North and Central America and Caribbean

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• Human cases of Swine Flu have been reported in Cuba. The Cuban authorities have introduced medical screening for the Swine Flu virus (H1N1) at some airports for passengers arriving in Cuba on international flights. A period of hospitalisation while blood tests for the H1N1 virus are undertaken may be required for people exhibiting flu-like symptoms either on arrival or at any point during their time in Cuba.  You can check for updates on the number of cases and their location through the World Health Organisation (WHO) website .  The WHO has raised its Pandemic threat alert phase to Level 6.  You should monitor local media reports for any developments and contact your tour operator and/or airline to find out the latest information. There is a dedicated Swine Flu page. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can also be obtained on the UK Department of Health website.  We encourage you to register with our LOCATE service so that we can keep in touch and provide appropriate level of consular assistance in the event of an emergency.
  
  

• Most visits to Cuba are trouble free.  45 British nationals required consular assistance in Cuba in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (11 cases); hospitalisations (24 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (4 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (47 cases).  See the General (Money) section of this advice for more details.
  

• In view of serious accidents that have involved tourists, you should not use mopeds or three-wheel Coco-Taxis when travelling around Cuba.  Also, crime is on the increase, most commonly in the form of opportunist theft (loss of travel bags, handbags, etc containing passports and funds).

• You must pay an airport departure tax of 25 Convertible Pesos (CUCs) per person when leaving Cuba.  This must be paid in local currency.

• Dengue Fever is endemic to Latin America and the Caribbean and can occur throughout the year.  See the Health section of this advice for more details.

• There is a low threat from terrorism.  But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

• We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance  for more details.