OFAC sets 30 October Cuba departure deadline for specified meeting travellers

Identify whether the limited wind-down covers the trip

People subject to US jurisdiction who were in Cuba on 30 September 2026 under the former professional-meetings authorisation should check their departure arrangements immediately. OFAC’s FAQ 1275 states that its limited wind-down allows previously authorised travel-related transactions through 30 October 2026 only if the traveller departs Cuba by that date. This 29 October report is a deadline follow-up to the agency’s September guidance.

The FAQ says the general authorisation for attending or organising professional meetings or conferences was removed from 30 September. It also authorises terminating and obtaining refunds for qualifying travel transactions until 30 October. The notice does not present the wind-down as permission for a new conference trip beginning now.

The affected group is defined by US jurisdiction, the original authorisation and presence in Cuba on the specified date. It is not a departure order applying to all nationalities or every tourist in Cuba. Check the actual legal basis used for the journey before assuming either that the deadline applies or that another traveller’s permission covers the same activity.

Resolve the discrepancy in official material rather than relying on a heading

The linked eCFR page for section 515.564 still displays text describing general authorisation for professional meetings alongside professional research. Its displayed amendment history ends with the 2022 change. This differs from OFAC’s expressly dated September 2026 FAQs, which say the meetings authorisation has been removed.

That inconsistency matters for someone making a final decision about remaining in Cuba or organising a future event. Use OFAC’s current deadline notice and seek clarification through the agency’s licensing guidance where the individual position is uncertain. This report does not resolve the conflicting publications by inventing a further exemption, an extension or an unpublished commencement provision.

For illustration, an older saved copy of a regulation should not be treated as assurance that a newly stated agency deadline can be ignored. Preserve the relevant permission and itinerary records when seeking clarification.

Professional research remains a separate category with its own conditions

OFAC’s separately updated FAQ 701 continues to describe qualifying professional research related to the traveller’s profession, background or expertise. It also repeats that the professional-meetings authorisation was removed and says specific licences may be issued individually for meetings-related transactions.

The research guidance limits recreational time against a full-time professional schedule and says a group does not qualify merely because some members do. A person attending a conference should therefore not simply rename the trip as research. The facts of the activity and the applicable authorisation matter.

The same resource identifies restrictions involving prohibited accommodation and direct or indirect transactions with listed entities. Meeting a travel-purpose condition does not settle every payment or lodging restriction. Use that FAQ and its linked lists to assess the actual arrangements.

A licence request does not provide an immediate replacement permission

OFAC’s Specific Licences and Interpretive Guidance page explains the difference between a general authorisation and an individual licence. A person meeting an existing general licence’s criteria need not request separate approval. Where no general licence applies, an individual application can be submitted through the official licensing portal for case-by-case consideration.

The agency’s separate processing FAQ says review times vary and can involve requests for information or consultation with other departments. It does not promise a decision before the next day’s departure deadline. Keep the case identification number to check progress, and do not treat submission of a request as a granted licence.

Keep Cuban immigration documents and departure evidence separate

Cuba’s official tourism regulations require a valid passport, the appropriate visa, medical travel-insurance cover, onward or return travel and the traveller declaration QR code. Its tourist guidance describes a single-entry ninety-day stay with possible extension, subject to the relevant rules. These Cuban permissions do not answer the separate US sanctions-authorisation question.

For British travellers, the UK entry guide explains entering an approved electronic visa code into DViajeros and retaining the resulting confirmation for airline and border checks. It recommends downloading or printing the form because connectivity may be unavailable at arrival.

Before the stated wind-down ends, affected travellers should identify the applicable authorisation, confirmed departure and any cancellation or refund action still required. The reviewed OFAC notice does not establish an automatic extension because a Cuban visa remains valid or because travel arrangements become difficult.