Travel to Cuba

U.S. laws and regulations prohibit U.S. citizens and residents from traveling to or engaging in any financial transactions in Cuba except in connection with certain enumerated activities.

Examples of potentially permissible activities that can be conducted by Yale students, faculty, and staff are listed below. In all cases, students, faculty or staff interested in travel to or transactions in Cuba must first contact the Office of General Counsel at 203-432-4949 to discuss the proposed activity or transaction and receive approval and an authorizing letter to carry in connection with travel.

• Participation in a structured educational program in Cuba as part of a course offered for credit by Yale or another U.S. institution;
• Noncommercial academic research in Cuba specifically related to Cuba and for the purpose of obtaining a graduate degree from Yale;
• Participation in a formal course of study at a Cuban academic institution, provided Yale will accept the formal course of study for credit toward the student’s graduate or undergraduate degree;
• Teaching at a Cuban academic institution by an individual regularly employed in a teaching capacity at Yale provided the teaching activities are related to an academic program at the Cuban institution and provided the duration of the teaching will be no shorter than 10 weeks;
• Sponsorship, including the payment of a stipend or salary, of a Cuban scholar to teach or engage in other scholarly activity at Yale;
• The organization of, and preparation for, activities described above by Yale faculty or staff; or
• Full-time Yale faculty or staff conducting research or attending conferences in Cuba.