Through its “30 Frequently Asked Questions in 30 Days” campaign, which seeks to answer the most frequently asked questions by the island’s citizens, the Embassy of the United States in Havana finally addressed one of the most controversial issues, the cancellation of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ESTA), which is used for Cuban-Spanish citizens to visit the North American country.
The message from the US Embassy, shared on its social networks, warns Cuban citizens with Spanish nationality that they cannot make appointments for this permit at the Havana headquarters, as this category will not be available.
The diplomatic headquarters instead suggests traveling to a third country and requesting an appointment at one of the US embassies in these territories.
“If the ESTA is cancelled, you must have a valid visa to travel and be admitted to the United States. You can present your application at another embassy outside of Cuba,” said an official in the video shared by the US Embassy on the island.
Similarly, they recommend visiting the page https://www.usembassy.gov/ to consult the list of embassies around the world, as well as their contact information.
It is important to remember that the US Government announced the cancellation of ESTA permits for months, so Cuban citizens with nationality from the Iberian country have not been able to visit North American territory.
The measure was taken because Cuba is part of the list of countries sponsoring terrorismand these, according to the Department of State, cannot access this travel permit for nationals of the European Union.
As a consequence, many officials have canceled the ESTA of Cuban-Spanish citizens in recent months. In some cases, they do not allow them to enter the United States, while in others, they let them through, warning them that this will be the last time, so they will have to apply for a formal visa for the next time.
The response given by the US Embassy in Havana has generated discontent in the Cuban community, especially because the new Democratic Memory Law, which was approved at the end of last yearallowed thousands of them to obtain dual citizenship.