The Trading with the Enemy Act bans all U.S. citizens from spending money in Cuba. It is illegal for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba from either America, or another country and spend money. By disallowing money to be spent, the law effectively makes it impossible for Americans to visit the island nation. This regulation is a U.S. federal law, and not a Cuban law. Cuba will allow Americans onto the island, regardless of U.S. law.
The cost of a tourist card is $25. It is issued by travel agents, cruise ships and airlines. The Cuban government also requires a return home or "journey on" ticket to another country before allowing entry onto the island. Proof of money to cover the traveler's visit in Cuba is also typically required.
Americans wishing to visit Cuba can do so legally only by going through an extensive approval process. The trip must be a part of a journalistic, educational, humanitarian, religious, international business or an athletic event.
While United States citizens can be punished by fine and jail time for traveling to Cuba from another country, some traveler's do make the trip via transportation from another country. A valid passport is required for a U.S. citizen to visit Canada, a Caribbean Island, or Mexico, and illegally fly to Cuba from any airport offering flights. The airline must be a non-U.S. company offering flights to Cuba.
According to statistics available from Cuban tourist websites, over 60,000 United States citizens visited the country in 1995 alone. Some of these visitors did so legally, by receiving permits to enter the island for a specific purpose. If a Cuban stamp appears on a U.S. passport, the citizen will be fined and possibly jailed, regardless of the country the traveler left from in order to enter Cuba. Stamping of U.S. passports when entering Cuba isn't always completed, leaving American tourists with a chance of going undetected by U.S. officials, and not being fined for unauthorized Cuban travel.
