Your Italian Passport & Cuba
Your Italian Passport & Cuba
Last night on the NBC Nightly News, Brian Williams interviewed an American citizen who has been in Cuba on his Swiss passport since before the embargo was lifted. I bring this up because despite the fact that there is conflicting information on another website, an American citizen who also holds an Italian passport has always had the right to travel to Cuba especially if he is an Italian resident. In other words, a newly recognized Italian citizen can use his/her Italian passport to travel anywhere in the world Italian citizens have the right to go.
Re: Your Italian Passport & Cuba
You have always been able to travel to Cuba with your American passport as long as you don't mind violating the regulations. I know people who have been doing it on a regular basis for years without any trouble. That does not change the fact that any citizen or permanent resident of the United States is prohibited from travel to Cuba unless they fall within one of the 12 OFAC permitted categories. The only change that has been made is that you no longer need to apply for an OFAC license, but you must still be in one of those categories.
It doesn't matter if you entered on your US, Swiss, or Italian passport, in the eyes of the US government you are violating OFAC if you are a US citizen and travel to Cuba. You might think this is wrong on the part of the US government, and I'd agree with you, but that doesn't change their interpretation of the regulations.
Here's the relevant section from the Treasury Department FAQ:
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center ... er.aspx#11
Are you likely to be sanctioned? No, but it is irresponsible to tell people that it's just fine to go to Cuba on your non-US passport if you are also a US citizen. There is a risk involved. The person on that video clip may very well come home to an OFAC notification for being dumb enough to announce it on TV.
It doesn't matter if you entered on your US, Swiss, or Italian passport, in the eyes of the US government you are violating OFAC if you are a US citizen and travel to Cuba. You might think this is wrong on the part of the US government, and I'd agree with you, but that doesn't change their interpretation of the regulations.
Here's the relevant section from the Treasury Department FAQ:
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center ... er.aspx#11
Are you likely to be sanctioned? No, but it is irresponsible to tell people that it's just fine to go to Cuba on your non-US passport if you are also a US citizen. There is a risk involved. The person on that video clip may very well come home to an OFAC notification for being dumb enough to announce it on TV.
Re: Your Italian Passport & Cuba
And if he never returns to the US because he's a Swiss resident? Then what? Might not the US passport be renewed? If a dual citizen resident in the other country can't use the passport of that country to travel anywhere holders of that passport are allowed to go, why does the US allow dual citizenship in the first place? And what about NBC News? Shouldn't it have known not to interview and air on the nightly news a story about an American citizen in Cuba on his Swiss passport? Why are you just trying to put the blame on the individual involved?
