Currency & Related Matters

The information formerly provided through the Banco Metropolitano website is still available, although through a somewhat different route – the Banco Central de Cuba. Here’s the step-by-step way to get the current exchange information you need.

I thought that only Cubans could eat in peso (MN) restaurants and so I never went in, and that I always have to pay in CUC to see movies in regular Cuban theatres. Is this true?

Which currency is better to bring with us to Cuba (Euro, USD, Russian roubles)?

I live in Denmark and want to know if my Danske Bank credit card (which is not a MasterCard or Visa or Visa Gold) can be used in Cuba.

Cuba, like many countries, has a departure tax. It is 25 CUC (pesos convertibles) per person (currently around 22-23 Euros) and is payable after check-in and before passing through Cuban immigration to go to the departure gate. Your boarding pass gets a stamp showing this tax has been paid. Without the stamp, you are not allowed through immigration.

In a phone consultation with the Banco Financiero Internacional in Vedado, they say that American Express traveller’s cheques are acceptable in Cuba and that they can be cashed at any of their branches throughout the country. This includes their small branches which are located in many tourist hotels.

The largest Casa de Cambio (CADECA or exchange booth) in Havana (see address below) says that Cuba does not accept the colón as a currency of exchange. So it’s best you leave these at home.

If you’re bringing travelers’ checks, make sure they’re issued against a bank that does business with Cuba. You also need to bring the receipt you received when you purchased the cheques, showing both date of purchase and the numbers of the travelers’ checks.

The main branch of the Banco Financiera Internacional in Vedado says that all travelers’ cheques, including those issued by American Express, may be exchanged at any branch of their bank anywhere in the country. The commission is 13.78% on top of the normal exchange rate applied to the particular currency of the Travelers’ Cheques.