How to send money to Cuba: what Cuban and US rules say
Transfers to foreign-currency accounts, remittances converted into pesos, the Segment III rate and the US rules on family and donative remittances.
Money reaching Cuba from abroad goes through two legal frameworks: the Cuban one, which decides which account and currency it arrives in, and that of the country it is sent from. This guide sums up the Cuban rules published by the Central Bank of Cuba in the Official Gazette, and the US rules in title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations, because they are the most restrictive.
To a foreign-currency account
Under Resolution 102 of 2026 of the Central Bank of Cuba, in force since September 2026, individuals’ foreign-currency accounts receive bank transfers from abroad (article 15). They are opened without prior authorisation from the Central Bank (article 4).
From that account the holder can pay for goods and services, transfer to other foreign-currency accounts, withdraw cash in foreign currency "according to the availability and commercial policy of the banks" or withdraw Cuban pesos at the applicable official exchange rate (article 16).
To a peso account or as peso cash
Remittances and international money orders received into peso accounts or as peso cash are bought by the banks at the Segment III exchange rate (article 35 of Central Bank Resolution 128 of 2025). That segment, for individuals and non-state businesses, is a "managed float", and its rate is the one the Central Bank publishes daily on its website (articles 4 and 18 of Resolution 127 of 2025).
| Exchange segment (Resolution 127 of 2025) | Rate |
|---|---|
| Segment I | 24 CUP per dollar |
| Segment II | 120 CUP per dollar |
| Segment III: individuals, self-employed workers, small and medium businesses and others | Managed float; rate published daily by the Central Bank |
What the Gazette does not set
There is no rule in the Official Gazette capping what a person can receive from abroad, nor one regulating remittance companies or agencies. Limits on cash withdrawals and on buying foreign currency depend on each bank’s policy and on Central Bank circulars that are not published in the Gazette.
From the United States: authorised remittances
- Family remittances (§ 515.570(a)): a person aged 18 or over may send them to close relatives in Cuba, with no amount cap in the current text.
- Donative remittances (§ 515.570(b)): to any Cuban national, also without a cap.
- Prohibited officials of the Cuban government, prohibited members of the Cuban Communist Party and their close relatives are excluded as recipients.
- No remittance involving an entity on the Cuba Restricted List is authorised (§ 515.570(j)).
- Banks and US-registered money transmitters may provide the service, with the same exclusion, and keep records for at least 10 years (§ 515.572).
- An authorised traveller may carry the remittances they could lawfully send (§ 515.560(c)(4)).
If you carry it in cash
The Passenger Customs Declaration form requires declaring cash and other payment instruments above 5,000 USD or the equivalent in other currencies.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a limit on how much I can send my family in Cuba from the United States?
- The current text of § 515.570 sets no cap on family or donative remittances. It does exclude prohibited officials and prohibited Communist Party members as recipients, and prohibits the involvement of any entity on the Cuba Restricted List.
- At what rate are remittances converted into pesos?
- At the Segment III rate published daily by the Central Bank of Cuba, under Resolutions 127 and 128 of 2025. If they are received into a foreign-currency account, they stay in foreign currency.
- Can my relative withdraw the dollars in cash?
- Resolution 102 of 2026 allows cash withdrawals in foreign currency from a foreign-currency account according to each bank’s availability and commercial policy, or withdrawals in pesos at the official rate.
- Do I have to declare the money I carry on the trip?
- Yes, when it exceeds 5,000 USD or the equivalent, under the Passenger Customs Declaration form.
Sources
- Resolution No. 102 of 2026 of the Central Bank of Cuba (Official Gazette No. 76 Ordinary of 10 September 2026) — foreign-currency accounts, articles 4, 15 and 16.
- Resolutions No. 127 and 128 of 2025 of the Central Bank of Cuba (Official Gazette No. 94 Ordinary of 18 December 2025) — exchange-rate policy and Foreign Exchange Market Regulations.
- Decree-Law No. 113 of 2025 "On foreign-currency transactions in the national economy" (Official Gazette No. 89 Ordinary of 11 December 2025).
- 31 CFR §§ 515.560, 515.570 and 515.572 — remittances and related services (eCFR, text in force as of October 2026).
- Resolution No. 532 of 2025 of the General Customs of the Republic (Official Gazette No. 7 Ordinary of 21 January 2026), Annex XVIII — Passenger Customs Declaration.
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