Havana Professional-Services Setup Brief
A focused visit for a consulting, legal or professional-services firm exploring a Havana presence, covering the MIPYME and Law 118 options, the notary and tax steps and the realities of serving both the state and private sectors.
For: Professional-services and consulting firms
1 · Budget first
A transparent, itemised estimate for 1 traveller · 4 nights · business tier. Every line is a planner range in USD — an estimate to budget with, not a quote.
| International airfare | $600 – $1,400 |
| Entry documents (tourist card) | $30 – $75 |
| Travel insurance | $40 – $150 |
| Accommodation | $380 – $780 |
| Local transportation | $370 – $730 |
| Food | $360 – $660 |
| Guides & activities | $160 – $480 |
| Connectivity | $15 – $55 |
| Tips | $20 – $80 |
| Water, laundry & sundries | $12 – $48 |
| Emergency reserve | $139 – $459 |
| Total (1 traveller) | $2,126 – $4,917 |
- Per traveller
- $2,126 – $4,917
- Per day
- $532 – $1,229
- Ground only (no airfare)
- $1,387 – $3,058
- Airfare est. / traveller
- $600 – $1,400
Basis: business hotel · business food · private driver · 4 guided days.
Adjust every number in the planner →Estimates in USD to help you budget — not observed prices, quotes or guaranteed availability. Most US cards don’t work in Cuba; carry cash and keep the reserve.
2 · Fly in
Rome (FCO) → Havana (HAV) — José Martí International
Cuba's principal international gateway — the only truly diversified one, with links across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Example dates 2026-09-15 → 2026-09-19 (adjust on the live search). CubaAtlas books nothing — these open live results:
3 · Day by day
Where to sleep and dine each day is a real listing from the CubaAtlas provider dataset, nearest your base.
Morning
Land at José Martí; settle in Vedado.Afternoon
Ground orientation: where private professional services now operate and the client landscape.Evening
Working dinner with a private-sector adviser.Business step: Read the CubaAtlas business + professional-services guide before day 2.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, MatanzasMorning
Compare a MIPYME wrapper vs. a Law 118 arrangement for a services firm.Afternoon
Notary consultation on incorporation and scope-of-activity registration.Evening
Dinner debrief on serving state entities vs. private MIPYMEs.Business step: Notary consultation on MIPYME vs. Law 118 for professional services.
Morning
ONAT walkthrough: tax regime, invoicing and the export-of-services question.Afternoon
Banking (MLC/USD accounts) and hiring local professionals in CUP/MLC.Evening
Working dinner on billing cross-border clients.Business step: ONAT/bank orientation on tax registration and MLC business accounts.
Morning
ProCuba/MINCEX orientation on services-sector openings.Afternoon
Draft a go/no-go memo with your interpreter.Evening
Farewell dinner; confirm the follow-up track.Business step: ProCuba/MINCEX orientation on professional-services opportunities.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, Matanzas
4 · Visa, entry & customs
Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card (tarjeta del turista) plus a passport valid for the stay and proof of onward travel and medical insurance. Buy the tourist card before you fly — the price and colour depend on your departure country and airline.
Nationals of Italy travel on the ordinary tourist card — no consular visa for a standard holiday stay.
5 · Shipping & commercial issues
Bringing goods, samples or equipment is a commercial import, not baggage: most inputs move through a Cuban state comercializadora, and a foreign business operates under a Law 118 form (joint venture, wholly-foreign enterprise, or international economic-association contract). Currency is a real constraint — plan around MLC/USD accounts.
Embargo / OFAC: the US embargo restricts what US persons and, in places, third parties can do with Cuba. Property transactions and many dealings carry sanctions exposure — this is orientation, not legal advice. Verify with counsel and the relevant ministry before committing.
Sectors in focus: Professional & consulting services · Legal & advisory
Orientation only. Setup routes (MIPYME under DL 88/2024 or a Law 118 arrangement, notary, ONAT registration) are detailed with primary sources in the CubaAtlas business guide; confirm current requirements with a Cuban notary and MEP/MINCEX before acting.
6 · Book direct, or compare an agency
This plan is costed to book direct — the $3,172 (expected) above is what the trip actually costs, itemised, with no package margin. A travel agency bundles flights, hotel and transfers into one price and adds a service fee for the convenience. We don’t quote agencies (we’d never invent a price) — so take a package quote and compare it line-for-line against the breakdown above.
Operating Italy agencies serving Cuba, if you prefer a package:
- Alpitour ↗
Bravo Club resorts + tours (Varadero, Cayo Largo, Cayo Coco, Havana).
Sells: packages, tours
- Turisanda ↗
Operating since 1924 (Alpitour group); Havana–Varadero, self-drive.
Sells: packages, tours · +39 011 0171111
- Veratour ↗
Veraclub resorts (Cayo Largo, Varadero) + Avana & Varadero tours.
Sells: packages, tours · 06 500 66 777
- Havanatur Italia ↗
Italian Cuba specialist since 1992; incl. casa particular.
Sells: flights, packages, hotels, cars, excursions · 02 6760691
- Eden Viaggi ↗
Ciao Club resorts (Varadero, Cayo Largo, Holguín).
Sells: packages
CubaAtlas is non-commercial and takes no commission. Agency links go straight to the operator; we don’t book, broker or earn from them.
Every Cuba agency, compiled — with the free equivalent for each →Questions
- How much does the "Havana Professional-Services Setup Brief" trip cost?
- An estimated $2,126–$4,917 all-in for 1 traveller(s) over 4 nights ($3,172 per traveller expected), including airfare, lodging, food, transport and a reserve. It is a planner estimate, not a quote — you book each part direct, with no agency margin.
- Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
- Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card plus a valid passport, onward travel and medical insurance — no consular visa for a standard holiday stay. See the CubaAtlas visa & entry guide.
- When is the best time for this trip?
- Best months: Year-round; avoid August heat.
- Can I book this trip on CubaAtlas?
- No — CubaAtlas is a free, non-commercial planner. It gives you the itinerary, the budget, live flight-search links and real hotel and restaurant listings, and you arrange each part directly at the source. We book nothing and take no commission.