Canadians can stay 90 days?

That's what I heard, too. They just need more time to find the Canadian coins in their pockets that they like to tip with.

Tip? Someone tips? With Canadian coins? Don't they know that the Canadian buck is worth ninety two cents?

It would be arrogance in the extreme if I was to take any credit for the 90 days we enjoy.....but , I did write a letter to Cuba in the summer of 2001....can't remember to whom, I whined and complained about how I could, for $15, cross into Mexico and stay for 6 months....with my car....that I had just retired and was looking for a winter home and how ridiculous and expensive it was to force me every two months to fly out and back just to fulfill the requirement and that I was that year, when my two months were up, going to fly out to the Dominican Republic and if I liked it I wouldn't be comming back. That winter, around december 5th in 2001, I was in Nueva Gerona and after 1 month went to immigration to renew my visa for another month when I was informed of the change and that I could stay for 180 days......never got so much as an acknowlegement that they even received my letter.....but sometimes I do wonder....I'll defer to 1,2, 3, & 5.
I cancelled my reservation to the DR and have made Cuba my winter home ever since.
I think its ridiculous rule that probably costs them a whole lot of money....I've heard complaints from my Isla friends from Italy, Denmark and the USA.
In my letter I suggested to them that they could steal a lot of business for their arch enemy attracting Canadians who normally winter in the southern USA and if they sold a low cost reasonable priced emergency health care package to the real oldies they could get even more....people over 80 pay as much as $20 per day for the insurance in the USA and for a 5 or 6 month stay for an old couple , just not affordable.

I've heard many political reasons for why Canada has this special privelege. The one that made the most sense, and I accepted as at least possibly correct, when I was trying to find out, was this. Part of Helms-Burton, attempted to put pressure on foreign based companies who do business in the U.S., and keep them from doing business with Cuba, by limiting their access to U.S. markets. In fact, Canada adopted antitode legislation--baring nationals from complying with Helms-Burton. This led to a number of other countries adoping the same non-compliance legislation. Of course Fidel liked that, and probably got a chuckle when legislation was introduced in the Canadian house allowing for Loyalists who fled to Canada in 1776, to sue the U.S. for compensation.( Similar to Helms-Burton re: Cuba). I know this is political, but I really believe that it answers a sincere, understandable question. Certainly, I'm sure it has SOME political reason.

I prefer the answer that it is all down to Posh! Well done.

From some Cuban circles (don't remember where now), it was to "steal" snowbirds away from Florida.

There was also an offiicial government release, sometime after, stating that Quebce and Cuba signed an aggreement where Quebc Health Cards were to be accepted in certain Cuban hospitals/clinics, most notably in Tarara. Negotiations with Ontario were ongoing but I never heard anything after that.

I have no idea whether a QHIP card can be used for payment of medical services. Don't know of anyone that has ever tried.

Hi John, everyone wants to take credit for the 6 months ruling but greslogo is right as usual. Canadians used to vacation in Florida during the winter months and during the late 90s, Cuba wanted some of that business by allowing them to stay 6 months on the tourist card, Looking back they were building condominiums to sell to foreigners (don’t know what became of them) and they even built a self contained resorts outside Havana for Canadians with bus service to downtown Havana and some all-inclusive resorts like Rancho Luna offered 3 and 4 months stays but when the gov’t put a $50 (now raised to $100) limited on their health insurance outside of Canada they spent less time in Florida and Cuba and more time at home watching the hockey games. That plus the cost of supplementary insurance for trips outside Canada and a sharp increase in air travel put a damper on Fidel’s plan. In the early 2000 I could buy a return ticket for $225 including taxes and now the taxes are that much plus the ticket. In Cienfuegos they built a high raise condo building where Cubacel has its office on Av 12 y calle 41 for foreigners but when Fidel had a change of heart they rented the units to foreigner workers and their Cuban gf for $1000 a month and there is a waiting list to get in.

Given what Rickie has posted in #16 does anybody know what is intended for the middling large development between Palco and Club Havana out in Siboney/Flores?

Cubalse housing or are they going to take another chance on leasing/selling to ex-pats? It looks to so good, somehow I can't believe it is for Cuban tract housing.

Excuse the digression.

I do not know the answer to your question, gray, but some of the houses given to Cubans lately are indeed too good to be true. Sancti Espiritus is good and the ones near the airport at Abel Santa Maria in Havana are too good. So don´t exclude this possibility.