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

The rules for what a person brings in their luggage changed in 2026. Resolution 340 of 2026 of the General Customs of the Republic, published in Official Gazette No. 83 (Ordinary) of 5 October 2026 and in force seven days later, replaced Resolution 175 of 2022 with new rules and reference values. In the same Gazette, Decree-Law 132 of 2026 and Resolution 197 of 2026 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices allow paying in dollars for what used to be confiscated for exceeding the limits.

This guide sums up those rules, together with Decree-Law 22 of 2020, which sets the tariff for non-commercial imports, and Resolution 352 of 2020 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices, which sets passenger rates.

The limit: 1,000 USD per passenger

The value of the goods in a passenger’s luggage may not exceed one thousand US dollars (article 13 of Decree-Law 22). Used personal belongings brought by the passenger are exempt (article 7), and children under ten may bring only their personal effects (article 342 of Decree 134 of 2025, the Regulations of the Customs Decree-Law).

What you bring must be occasional and for personal, family or household use (second resolution of Resolution 340). If customs considers that, by its nature, quantity or the repetition of imports, it is commercial, it may restrict your right to import for a period; while that sanction lasts only personal effects are admitted (tenth resolution).

How customs values what you bring

Miscellaneous goods — footwear, clothing, food, toiletries, household items, costume jewellery, perfume and the like — are valued by weight: for passengers, one kilogram equals ten dollars (fourth resolution of Resolution 340). Household appliances, computer equipment and other durable goods are valued by the declaration, the invoice or the reference value in Annex II of the resolution, and are presented for clearance separately from the miscellaneous goods.

What you pay within the limit

Under Resolution 352 of 2020 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices, the first 50.99 USD of each trip are exempt. Above that, up to 1,000 USD, a progressive rate applies that depends on whether you are a permanent resident of Cuba and whether it is your first import of the calendar year:

How many units of each item

Resolution 340 sets maximum quantities, always within the value limit. The main ones are:

• Miscellaneous goods of the same type: 5 kg; for very small items, 1 kg.
• Items valued by invoice or reference value: up to 5 of each type if they are worth 50 USD or less, and up to 3 if they are worth more.
• Household appliances: up to 2 of the same type, including generators.
• Mobile phones: up to 5. Computers: up to 3.
• Bicycles, electric bicycles and scooters: up to 2.
• Paint: 20 litres in total. Tools: 2 of each type.
• Drones: only with prior authorisation from the Civil Aeronautics Institute of Cuba.

If you exceed it: pay in dollars or re-export

Until October 2026, anything above the limit or of a commercial nature was confiscated. Decree-Law 132 of 2026 amended article 14 of Decree-Law 22: in those cases, the person can choose to formalise the import as a commercial one and pay the duty and services in US dollars. If they neither pay nor re-export the goods, they are confiscated.

Customs first clears what fits within the limit and processes the rest separately (Annex III of Resolution 340). If you disagree you can ask for re-export; if you need time, the goods stay in custody and storage is at your expense. Payment is by international or national card in dollars, and in cash only at airports, at the authorised entities (Resolution 197 of 2026).

Declarations and rules worth knowing

• D’Viajeros: all travellers arriving by air, Cuban and foreign, fill in the digital form within the seven days before boarding, and the airline requires its QR code (Resolution 320 of 2022 of the Ministry of Transport, amended by Resolution 175 of 2024).
• That form is your customs declaration; if it fails for technical reasons, a printed declaration is handed out (articles 423 to 425 of Decree 134 of 2025).
• The Passenger Customs Declaration form requires declaring cash and other payment instruments above 5,000 USD or the equivalent.
• Passengers may not carry parcels for third parties; the sanction is confiscation (Decree 134 of 2025).
• Unaccompanied baggage must arrive no later than 90 days after the passenger by air and 120 days by sea (article 153 of Customs Resolution 532 of 2025).