Is It Legal to Send Money to Cuba from the US? OFAC Rules Explained
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. U.S. regulations regarding Cuba are subject to change. Always consult the official U.S. Department of the Treasury website for the most current information.
If you live in the United States, sending money to Cuba isn't as simple as sending it to Mexico or Canada. The U.S. embargo against Cuba involves strict financial regulations enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
For Cuban-Americans looking to support their families, understanding these rules is essential to ensure your money arrives safely and legally.
The General Rule: Yes, It Is Legal (With Conditions)
As of 2026, the U.S. government allows individuals in the United States to send money to people in Cuba. However, these remittances fall into specific categories, and there are strict rules about who can receive the money and how much can be sent.
Types of Legal Remittances
1. Family Remittances
You are allowed to send money to close relatives in Cuba. This includes people related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption who are no more than three generations removed from you or a common ancestor (e.g., parents, grandparents, children, siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews).
Current Limits: Under current policy, the previous hard caps (such as the $1,000 per quarter limit) were lifted by the Biden administration. You can send family remittances without a strict monetary cap, provided they are for family support.
2. Donative Remittances
You can also send money to Cuban nationals who are not your family members. These are called "donative remittances." The purpose of these funds must be to support the Cuban people directly, help them achieve independence from the state, or support independent private business (cuentapropistas/MIPYMES).
What Is Strictly Prohibited?
While sending money to average Cuban citizens is legal, OFAC is very strict about who cannot receive money from the U.S.
- Prohibited Officials: You cannot send money to prohibited members of the Cuban government or prohibited members of the Cuban Communist Party.
- The Military: You cannot send money to close relatives of prohibited officials. More importantly, you cannot use financial agencies controlled by the Cuban military.
The FINCIMEX Issue
For many years, remittances to Cuba were processed by FINCIMEX, a Cuban financial institution. However, FINCIMEX is controlled by GAESA, the economic wing of the Cuban military. The U.S. government placed FINCIMEX on the Cuba Restricted List, making it illegal for U.S. companies like Western Union to partner with them.
To resume remittances, Cuba had to establish a non-military financial entity (like Orbit S.A.) to process funds from the U.S. legally. This is why services frequently shut down and restart—they must navigate these complex institutional rules to remain compliant with OFAC.
How to Ensure You Stay Compliant
The easiest way to stay compliant with OFAC regulations is to use licensed, official money transfer operators (MTOs) like Western Union, Sendvalu, or other registered agencies. These companies spend millions of dollars ensuring their compliance departments follow OFAC rules. When you send money through them, you are required to sign a digital affidavit stating that the money is for family support and the recipient is not a prohibited official.
Using informal "mulas" or unregulated Zelle cambistas carries risks, not necessarily of prosecution for the sender, but of losing your money if the cambista's bank accounts are frozen for violating U.S. AML (Anti-Money Laundering) laws.
To find legal, licensed providers that operate in compliance with U.S. law, check our Remittance Calculator.