U.S. warns of Cuba travel risks amid power outages, outbreak

Cuba is one of those trips where the legal fine print matters as much as the flight ticket. The State Department still puts the island at Level 2, warns about crime and unreliable electricity, and separately flags a chikungunya outbreak, which means the real decision point is not whether the beaches are open, but whether your trip is licensed, documentable, and survivable when the power goes out.

The warning is about more than discomfort

The headline risk is the electrical grid. The State Department says Cuba’s power supply is unreliable and notes several prolonged nationwide outages since October 2024, with scheduled and unscheduled cuts lasting up to 12 hours a day in Havana and even longer outside the capital. That changes everything from hotel check-ins to meal planning, phone charging, card readers, and the basic ability to get help when systems fail.

The embassy’s own movement is part of the story. U.S. Embassy employees have to follow a special notification process with the Government of Cuba before traveling outside Havana, and that can limit how quickly the embassy can reach U.S. citizens when emergencies hit. In a country where the lights can stay off for half a day, that kind of bureaucratic friction is not a footnote, it is part of the travel environment.

The license is the first hard stop

This is the point most travelers misread. A passport and a tourist visa are not the same thing as legal permission under U.S. rules. The guidance says a passport must be valid for six months beyond arrival and must have at least two blank pages, and it also says a tourist visa is required. But it is just as blunt on the larger issue: travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by U.S. law.

That is where the Office of Foreign Assets Control comes in. OFAC says travel-related transactions are permitted only for certain authorized travel under 12 categories in 31 C.F.R. § 515.560. If you are relying on a general license, OFAC says those licenses are self-selecting and self-executing, and you do not have to notify the agency of your travel plans. You do, however, need records that prove your trip fits an authorized category, because the burden does not disappear just because you bought a ticket.

That distinction matters because a lot of Cuba trips get sloppy right here. People treat the visa as the green light and forget that the legal exposure sits in the category, the paperwork, and the spending trail. If the trip does not fit an authorized bucket, the island does not become legal simply because you made it there.

Cash is still king, and cards are a trap

The State Department’s money advice is unusually practical because Cuba forces it to be. U.S. credit and debit cards do not work in Cuba, so travelers are told to bring U.S. dollars or euros and exchange them through authorized banks, CADECA exchange houses, airports, or hotels. The warning is to confirm alternate payment options before departure, because Cuban policies on U.S. dollars can change.

There is also a cash declaration issue that gets overlooked. The Cuban government requires declaration of cash amounts above the equivalent of 5,000 dollars. On departure, the guidance says to spend or exchange local currency before reaching airport security checkpoints because CUP cannot be converted outside Cuba. That is not a minor detail when you are staring at a wad of bills and a flight clock. Airlines may also apply different rules for baggage or service fees at the airport, so even the exit can turn into a cash-only scramble if you are not ready.

The safest way to think about Cuba right now is simple: assume card failure, assume currency friction, and assume your payment plan needs more than one layer.

The health and security picture keeps moving

The embassy alerts make it clear that conditions can shift fast. On September 30, 2025, U.S. Embassy Havana warned of a chikungunya outbreak in Cuba and said the CDC had issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice recommending enhanced precautions. That is the kind of notice that should change what lands in your bag before it changes your itinerary: repellent, sleeves, and a lower tolerance for mosquito exposure are not optional extras.

Security alerts have moved just as quickly. On October 8, 2025, the embassy said access to the building would be impeded by an activity in front of the Cuban embassy compound in Havana, and it said the embassy would be open only for emergency services on October 9, 2025. By May 2026, the embassy homepage was still showing active notices, including a security alert dated May 14, 2026, and a demonstration alert dated May 21, 2026. The message is straightforward: even the consular footprint can be disrupted on short notice.

How to travel smarter if you go

The State Department pushes travelers toward the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, and this is one of the few pieces of advice that really pays off. STEP exists to help the embassy send alerts, advisories, and emergency messages, and it makes you easier to locate if something goes sideways. In a place with blackout risk, shifting demonstrations, and access interruptions, that backup matters.

A solid Cuba plan now looks less like a vacation checklist and more like a compliance and contingency file:

• carry proof that your trip fits an authorized category
• keep copies of travel records tied to that authorization
• bring cash you can actually exchange and spend
• assume power cuts will affect charging, bookings, and transport
• enroll in STEP before departure
• watch embassy alerts closely, because they can change access and services overnight

The larger backdrop explains why the warning feels so sharp. Reuters reported in April 2026 that Cuba’s top tourist destinations were still suffering from power and fuel shortages, with international arrivals down 56%. Cuban official tourism figures cited in February 2026 also showed January 2026 visitors down year over year, with one data set showing a 5.9% drop and another summary of the same month showing a 9% decline.

That is the real Cuba travel story right now: not a normal island getaway, but a place where legal permission, cash access, power reliability, and outbreak risk all collide before you even unpack.