United States Reinstitutes Travel Restrictions to Cuba: Professional Meetings and Educational Exchanges Curbed

The U.S. Department of the Treasury declared on Tuesday a fresh set of limitations targeting Cuba, effective Wednesday, which bans individuals under U.S. jurisdiction from participating in or organizing professional gatherings or conferences on the island, and significantly cuts back on authorized educational travel.

This new regulation was released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as an amendment to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and is scheduled to take effect on September 30, 2026.

OFAC stated, "Individuals subject to U.S. jurisdiction are no longer permitted to attend or organize professional meetings or conferences in Cuba."

Those who were in Cuba under this authorization as of September 30 have a 30-day wind-down period—until October 30—to finalize their travel transactions and exit Cuban territory. Additionally, cancellations and refunds for trips booked prior to this date are allowed.

Impact on Educational Travel

In terms of educational travel, OFAC has significantly tightened existing authorizations. From now on, educational travel is only permitted under two conditions: accredited U.S. universities and their students or permanent staff for non-commercial research specifically related to Cuba, or high school exchanges, provided all travelers are accompanied by a representative of the sponsoring organization.

The authorization for group educational trips under the "people-to-people" category, originally designed to foster direct contact between U.S. and Cuban citizens without being classified as tourism, has been completely removed.

Travelers who had already completed at least one transaction—such as purchasing a flight or booking accommodations—before September 30 are covered by exceptions that allow them to proceed with their plans.

Additional Financial Restrictions

The travel restrictions are not the only measures included in the amendment. OFAC has also rescinded authorization for banks under U.S. jurisdiction to open or maintain accounts for independent Cuban private sector entrepreneurs; existing funds must be frozen immediately, and a specific license is required to unblock them.

Moreover, the general license for "U-turn" transactions, which allowed U.S. banks to process transactions originating and terminating outside the U.S. without involving U.S. persons, has been eliminated. These transactions can now only be rejected, not blocked.

The amendment further extends the prohibition on transactions with entities on the State Department's Cuba Restricted List to include indirect financial operations, in addition to the direct ones already banned, and adds an explicit prohibition against any transaction intended to circumvent these restrictions.

All these actions fall under Presidential National Security Directive number 5 (NSPM-5), reissued by the Trump administration on June 30, 2025, advocating a policy of maximum pressure on Cuba.

This path is not new for Washington. During Trump's first term, OFAC had already revoked the license for professional meetings in Cuba in September 2020. The Biden administration reinstated it in June 2022 as part of a 12-point engagement package that also eased remittances and flights. Wednesday's amendment reverses that opening.

Since January 2026, Washington has implemented over two dozen rounds of sanctions against Cuba, including measures targeting the nickel sector and individuals within Raúl Castro’s circle. The elimination of "people-to-people" exchanges closes one of the few remaining channels of civilian contact between the two nations.