Cuba / Banks

Banks generally close at 3pm, earlier on the last day of the month. When going to a bank allow plenty of time as service is usually slow and there are often long queues. You must take your passport if you want to exchange travellers’ cheques or make a credit card withdrawal, although cash can be changed without a passport. Exchange rates do vary from place to place. It is easier to change money at you hotel, but the exchange rate may be significantly lower than at the bank.

ATMs are rare in Cuba and there are just a handful of them even in Havana. Most are linked with either the Mastercard/Cirrus or Visa/Plus interbank systems. Even after finding an ATM there is no guarantee it will be in working order or have sufficient cash in it for a large withdrawal. Cards issued in the USA are not accepted at all. The best places to use a credit or debit card for a cash withdrawal are at the state run Cadecas, but bear in mind that again American cards will not be accepted.

It is a good idea to have enough currency when you enter the country to get by for a couple of days, in case there are any problems with withdrawing cash.