UK updates Cuba travel advice warning of prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has updated its travel advice for Cuba and warned travellers to expect prolonged power outages and widespread fuel shortages that may affect transport and resort generators. The advisory flags serious service interruptions that could disrupt itineraries and daily life for visitors and residents alike.

The GOV.UK travel advice states, “Lengthy power outages are a daily occurrence across Cuba. Take precautions such as conserving fuel, water, food and mobile phone charge, particularly if travelling outside Havana.” The guidance adds practical steps, saying, “Ensure you have enough fuel before setting off on your journey.” Canada’s travel guidance similarly warns: “To reduce pressure on the electrical network, Cuba schedules long daily power cuts. Sometimes, unexpected nationwide power outages occur and can last more than 24 hours.” Travel.gc also lists shortages including food, bottled water, public water supply, medication, fuel and hard currency and urges travellers to “Monitor local media for the latest information; Try to keep your phone charged; Plan accordingly.”

CiberCuba reported the UK warning on January 31, 2026, quoting the FCDO line that “no journey can be guaranteed as safe,” and noted that Argentina issued a similar caution the same weekend, citing lack of fuel, prolonged blackouts and shortages of food and medicine. CiberCuba also reported that several countries, including Canada, have updated travel alerts and that embassies and international companies are reviewing evacuation protocols and contingency plans as conditions deteriorate.

Tour operators and operators on the ground have been dealing with instability for some time. Cubagrouptour’s archive shows a March 12, 2024 fuel shortage update that said “Cuba is currently experiencing a severe fuel shortage, resulting in longer-than-usual blackouts and difficulties obtaining petrol,” and an October 28, 2024 post noting that “On October 23rd, Cuba's national grid was restored, and there was power to most provinces,” while also warning that generation shortages meant planned outages would continue in some areas. Cubagrouptour has described mitigation measures such as scheduling activities during blackout hours, using restaurants that can maintain refrigeration and planning refuelling stops; the operator also flagged an operational note that “AirBNB Discontinues Payment to Cuban Accounts February 22, 2025.”

Health and weather risks are part of the picture. GOV.UK records that “The Cuban government has declared an arbovirus epidemic following the increase in cases of Dengue, Oropouche and Chikungunya in Cuba.” The FCDO entry also references Hurricane Melissa and notes infrastructure and services remain severely impacted in eastern provinces.

Readers planning travel to Cuba should treat bookings, transfers and on-island plans as vulnerable to disruption. Follow official travel pages and local media, confirm that hotels and resorts have generator capacity and fuel, secure travel insurance that covers emergency costs and itinerary changes, and prepare basic supplies, water, medication and phone power solutions, before arrival. The apparent discrepancy in FCDO metadata, which shows the page as “still current at: 26 January 2026” while an aggregation cited an update dated January 30, 2026, underlines the need to check the live GOV.UK and other government advisory pages for the latest wording and timestamps before travelling.