Pick Up Airport. Cuban Airports
One of our taxi drivers will be waiting for you in the airport, will have a small poster with your name. Please, give us your cell phone number to contact with a text message if necesary.
Migration - Upon arrival you may have to wait a little while in line at migration for your passport, Cuban Tourist Card, and travel insurance to be checked. If you are asked to provide proof of travel insurance valid for Cuba and you don't have any, you will be directed to a desk where you can buy this.
Health Check - after a standard security check, you will be asked to submit your health assessment card. This is a piece of paper that the airline will give you during your flight and which you have to fill out and sign. There are some health officials at this check point that may ask you if you have a fever or symptoms of diseases that Cuba is trying to prevent entering the country.
Luggage Claim - you then pass through to the luggage claim area. Checked luggage is carefully screened in Cuba to search for illegal substances and contraband, and there can be long delays in waiting for checked luggage to appear on the carousel. Some travellers have reported up to 3 hours.
Customs Declaration - once you have collected your luggage, and before exiting to the main arrivals hall of the airport, you will be asked to submit your customs declaration form. The airline will also provide this form to you during your flight. If you are carrying any electrical equipment, computers or communications equipment in your checked luggage, the baggage handlers may have marked the luggage tag attached to your suitcase. The customs official will check your luggage tags for any such a marks.
Changing money upon arrival
Even though the queues can be quite long, it many cases it is probably best to get some local currency (CUCs) before you leave the airport.
In Terminal 3 (havana airport), there is an ATM on the upper level, above the arrivals hall, in the departure hall. A CADECA currency exchange office is located on the ground floor. The exchange rates at the airport CADECA are the same as in other CADECAs around Cuba. To read about currency exchange and accessing your money in Cuba, please click here!
You driver can help. Depending on the time of day and the day of the week, the driver of your airport arrival transfer might be able to offer to take you to an alternative CADECA somewhere on the way to your guesthouse, where there is likely to be a smaller queue.
Getting from the Airport
If you don't have a pre-arranged airport arrival transfer, the best way to get from Havana Airport to your hotel or guesthouse in Havana is in taxi. In fact, this is pretty much the only way - as yet there are no official buses running from the airport to the city. You should be able to easily spot the long line of yellow tourist taxis outside the arrivals area of the airport.
Official taxis in Havana run on a conventional taxi-meter, and you are expected to pay the price stated on this meter at the end of your trip. Most tourists leave a small tip for the taxi driver if they are pleased with the service they received.
Airport Departure Tips
Taxis will charge between 20CUC and 35CUC for a ride to the airport from the central parts of Havana, for your departure from Cuba depending on the type of taxi and the time of day.
Departure tax There is no airport departure tax payable (previously this was 25CUC per person).
Change back your CUC - CUC cannot be officially changed to other currencies outside of Cuba.