Scuba in Cuba

[lmorin]

As a dual citizen (Australia and US) I am able to fly to Canada, or Mexico, and then fly to Cuba.. I use my US passport to leave the states and return, and my Aussie to go to Cuba. Can others do similar in the states or do you really need the dual citizenship to be able to do something like this if you and a US citizen? Does Cuba prohibit US citizens in?

Sure customs may give you a hard time, but the thing is, I get in trouble with customs all the time when I go back to Australia. When I leave the US I HAVE to use my US Passport (Since I'm a citizen), When I arrive in AUS, I HAVE to use my AUS passport (Since I'm a citizen). When I return to the US I have no stamps, and they get freaked out, and I go through the same process every time. I have to abide by two sets of laws.

The point of the prior paragraph is if you want to go there is always a way around, and always some loophole. I look forward to the day that we can get over our differences and realize we are all just people on this rock looking for great dive sites

The bolded part is important. We met an upper middle aged American couple who had just had a Cuba adventure. They went strictly to dive and did so by flying to Mexico City, then taking another flight to Havana. They left their passports in Mexico, had a great time diving for a week, then returned to Mexico City, collected their passports and returned to the US.

 

[TMHeimer]

The bolded part is important. We met an upper middle aged American couple who had just had a Cuba adventure. They went strictly to dive and did so by flying to Mexico City, then taking another flight to Havana. They left their passports in Mexico, had a great time diving for a week, then returned to Mexico City, collected their passports and returned to the US.

Don't you need a passport to get into any country? How did they get by that entering Cuba?

 

[TMHeimer]

As a dual citizen (Australia and US) I am able to fly to Canada, or Mexico, and then fly to Cuba.. I use my US passport to leave the states and return, and my Aussie to go to Cuba. Can others do similar in the states or do you really need the dual citizenship to be able to do something like this if you and a US citizen? Does Cuba prohibit US citizens in?

Sure customs may give you a hard time, but the thing is, I get in trouble with customs all the time when I go back to Australia. When I leave the US I HAVE to use my US Passport (Since I'm a citizen), When I arrive in AUS, I HAVE to use my AUS passport (Since I'm a citizen). When I return to the US I have no stamps, and they get freaked out, and I go through the same process every time. I have to abide by two sets of laws.

The point of the prior paragraph is if you want to go there is always a way around, and always some loophole. I look forward to the day that we can get over our differences and realize we are all just people on this rock looking for great dive sites

Cuba welcomes all tourists, Americans included. That is their main industry now, I think, since no more USSR. The Cubans did not stamp U.S. passports as of 2003 anyway. Why do you have to use your U.S. passport for the U.S. and AUS one for Australia? Why do you even have two passports? I am a dual citizen of Canada and U.S. and only have a Canadian passport--no questions ever asked, even when they see I was born in New York. My one and only U.S. passport expired in 1982--I had used that to immigrate to Canada.

 

[RTee]

We dove in Brockville this past Thanksgiving weekend, and on the Sat. it was sunny and 0 degrees in the morning. We (dive buddy and I) were in drysuits with full undergarments and there was a girl in two 3mm shorties. Her legs were purple after the first dive and she had to wait an hour for the second dive.
Do you guys have antifreeze running through your veins??

Cheers,
Steve

Pegger...Thanksgiving weekend...I will either be back in one layer of 7mm with my chicken vest so I can use the light weight hood vs the heavy weight one of my 7mm shorty or I will just keep simple and use my ...White Fusion dry suit...lol

 

[Bogtrotter]

Unless there is a special arrangement for flights between Mexico and Cuba you do need a passport to enter the country. You are also issued a tourist card which you are supposed to carry with you. They do not stamp passports however, at least not for Canadians.

Just got back from Cuba a few days ago actually- lots of fun!

 

[RyanNM]

Been twice. Good people. Safe ops, even though sometimes no fuel for the boat canceled scheduled dives- not often. Great people, experienced operators, clear water. Equipment safe if sometimes not-so-new. Unsure why they love Americans from the U.S. but they do. Dives often inexpensive- 2 tanks, $65 at the Bay of Pigs from the shore.

 

[Drin]

Cuba welcomes all tourists, Americans included. That is their main industry now, I think, since no more USSR. The Cubans did not stamp U.S. passports as of 2003 anyway. Why do you have to use your U.S. passport for the U.S. and AUS one for Australia? Why do you even have two passports? I am a dual citizen of Canada and U.S. and only have a Canadian passport--no questions ever asked, even when they see I was born in New York. My one and only U.S. passport expired in 1982--I had used that to immigrate to Canada.

I have two passports - Canada and U.S. - and dual citizenship. It's prudent to have both. Some countries will allow you entry on one but not another. Canada, for example, can deny you entry even as a Canadian citizen if you're trying to enter on a foreign citizenship passport. They cannot deny you entry if you're carrying a Canadian passport.

Bottom line is you never know when pull need the OTHER passport (whichever one it is you're not carrying). Better to have the security of carrying it.

-Adrian

 

[TMHeimer]

Cuba welcomes all tourists, Americans included. That is their main industry now, I think, since no more USSR. The Cubans did not stamp U.S. passports as of 2003 anyway. Why do you have to use your U.S. passport for the U.S. and AUS one for Australia? Why do you even have two passports? I am a dual citizen of Canada and U.S. and only have a Canadian passport--no questions ever asked, even when they see I was born in New York. My one and only U.S. passport expired in 1982--I had used that to immigrate to Canada.

I now correct my post of 4 months ago (see also my "renunciation of US Citizenship" thread in The Pub). As I explained there, I'm one of those dual citizens in a real tax mess because of FACTA. I also recently found that as a US (dual) citizen I have been entering the US from Canada by car since forever, using my one and only Canadian passport (well, before 2009 you didn't NEED a passport to enter by car, and still don't to enter Canada). I was supposed to have a US one to enter the US since I am a citizen (or a "passport card" for driving in). But I'm not sure what you (jgoodstein) mean by having to use your US passport to LEAVE the US. There are no customs when you leave a country (unless you were leaving the USSR and it's friends back then). Do you mean you need it to board the plane to leave the US? An Australian one or any legitimate one is not sufficient? This would surprise me. But maybe there are even MORE new rules this month or this week....

 

[highdesert]

Wow... some of you Yanks really do believe your own propaganda.

Kind of sad, isn't it?