How long is the food and medicine exemption valid?

Resolution 9 of 2026 has no end date: it applies while the conditions that prompted it persist. If it is ended, the new resolution will have at least 30 days before entering into force.

Is there a weight limit for food in my suitcase?

In accompanied baggage there is no value limit for food, toiletries and medicine, as long as they travel in separate packages and are non-commercial. Quantities of a single product remain subject to the commercial-nature rules of Resolution 340 of 2026.

What if I send the food through an agency?

A parcel containing only food, toiletries and medicine is exempt up to 200 USD or 20 kg. If it mixes in other goods, the general parcel rules apply: a 500 USD limit, 30 USD exempt and 30% on the excess.

How much medicine can I bring?

In accompanied baggage, medicines in their original packaging have no value limit, and the 10 kg limit of Ministry of Public Health Resolution 131 of 1992 is suspended while Resolution 4 of 2026 is in force.

Food, medicine and toiletries to Cuba duty-free: what the current exemption says

The exemption that began in 2021 no longer has an end date. How much you can bring in luggage and parcels, what conditions apply and which medical supplies it covers.

By CubanPortal editorial team Published on October 30, 20263 min read

Since 2021, Cuba has allowed food, toiletries and medicine to be imported in luggage with no duty and no value limit. For years the measure was extended with expiry dates; the last dated extension, Resolution 286 of 2025 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices, ran until 31 January 2026.

The rule in force is Resolution 9 of 2026 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices, published in Official Gazette No. 7 (Extraordinary) of 17 January 2026 and in force since 1 February 2026. It no longer sets an end date: it applies "while the conditions that led to its approval persist", and ending it would require a resolution with at least 30 days before entry into force.

How much you can bring

The same resolution raises the value limit for parcels in general from 200 to 500 USD, with the first 30 USD (3 kg) exempt and 30% on the excess.

Route	Benefit (Resolution 9 of 2026)
Accompanied baggage	No value limit and exempt from customs duty
Unaccompanied baggage	Exempt up to 500 USD or 50 kg
Air, sea and postal parcels containing only these products	Exempt up to 200 USD or 20 kg

The conditions

In luggage, food, toiletries and medicine are presented to customs in packages separate from the other goods (fifth resolution).
In parcels, the benefit only applies if the parcel contains only those items (sixth resolution).
The import must be non-commercial.

Medicine and medical supplies

Resolution 4 of 2026 of the Ministry of Public Health, published in the same Gazette and also in force since 1 February 2026, exempts medicines in their original packaging and the medical supplies in its annex; in accompanied baggage there is no value limit. While it is in force, it suspends the 10 kg limit on medicines in the same ministry’s Resolution 131 of 1992.

The annex includes, among others, nappies, glucose meters and strips, blood pressure monitors, oximeters, syringes, wheelchairs, CPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, nebulisers, prescription glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, sunscreen, toothbrushes and sanitary pads.

How they are valued in parcels

Resolution 34 of 2026 of the General Customs of the Republic suspends, for parcels of food, toiletries and medicine sent by individuals, the table of Resolution 176 of 2022 and applies an equivalence of 1 kg = 10 USD, with the first 30 USD (3 kg) exempt. It stays in place until the Ministry of Finance and Prices decides otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the food and medicine exemption valid?: Resolution 9 of 2026 has no end date: it applies while the conditions that prompted it persist. If it is ended, the new resolution will have at least 30 days before entering into force.
Is there a weight limit for food in my suitcase?: In accompanied baggage there is no value limit for food, toiletries and medicine, as long as they travel in separate packages and are non-commercial. Quantities of a single product remain subject to the commercial-nature rules of Resolution 340 of 2026.
What if I send the food through an agency?: A parcel containing only food, toiletries and medicine is exempt up to 200 USD or 20 kg. If it mixes in other goods, the general parcel rules apply: a 500 USD limit, 30 USD exempt and 30% on the excess.
How much medicine can I bring?: In accompanied baggage, medicines in their original packaging have no value limit, and the 10 kg limit of Ministry of Public Health Resolution 131 of 1992 is suspended while Resolution 4 of 2026 is in force.

Sources

Resolution No. 9 of 2026 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices (Official Gazette No. 7 Extraordinary of 17 January 2026), in force since 1 February 2026.
Resolution No. 4 of 2026 of the Ministry of Public Health and Resolution No. 34 of 2026 of the General Customs of the Republic (Official Gazette No. 7 Extraordinary of 17 January 2026).
Resolution No. 286 of 2025 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices (Official Gazette No. 59 Extraordinary of 2025) — previous extension, until 31 January 2026.

Keep reading

What you can take to Cuba in your luggage: limits, quantities and duties

The 1,000 USD limit, how customs values your goods, what you pay, how many units of each item are allowed and the new option, since October 2026, of paying for the excess in dollars.

Read guide arrow_forward

Sending parcels and combos to Cuba: limits, duties and what changed in 2026

The 500 USD limit per parcel, the first 30 USD exempt, the food and medicine exemption up to 200 USD, paying for the excess in dollars and the rules for combos bought online.

Read guide arrow_forward