Customs & Shopping
Import to Cuba
- Personal items, 2 liters of alcohol, 200 cigarettes
- Medications with a doctor's certificate
- Gifts up to 1,000 CUP value (interpreted generously)
- Prohibited: Drones (!), GPS devices (in practice, phones with GPS are tolerated), pornography
Export/Return to Germany
- Cigars: Max. 50 pieces without a purchase receipt. With an official invoice (from La Casa del Habano) up to 100 pieces. Anything above will be taxed or confiscated
- Rum: 1 liter duty-free (airport duty-free counts extra)
- Art: For paintings and sculptures, an export permit is required (issued by the gallery owner)
- Corals, shells, snails: Export prohibited! (Species protection, CITES)
Souvenirs
- Cigars: Only buy in official La Casa del Habano shops (guarantee of authenticity + purchase receipt for customs)
- Rum: Havana Club 7 Años or Selección de Maestros as a souvenir. Often cheaper at the airport than in the city
- Art: Havana has a vibrant art scene. Galleries and the Mercado de San José offer paintings, prints, and sculptures
- Music: CDs of Cuban musicians in the EGREM studios or music stores
Achtung
Do NOT buy cigars on the street! Almost all street cigars are fakes — poorly rolled, often with banana leaves instead of tobacco. Only official La Casa del Habano shops guarantee authenticity. You also need the official receipt for German customs.
