GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Program estimates are based on costs, tariffs, taxes, charges, levies and exchange rates as of the date of this agreement.
• Increases of any of these costs or charges may result in an increase in the price of your experience. Civitas GES will notify participants of any rate increases no later than sixty (30) days prior to program launch.
• All deposits and airfare costs are non-refundable. Cancellations and refunds may be subject to penalty fees
• Offered price for air and land package is subject to availability. Price and availability are subject to change based on rates secured at the time of booking. Booking is done at the date that final payment is received by Civitas GES
• All initial deposits are Non-Refundable.
• Cancellations are subject to the refund policy:
  • Full refund for any reason up to ninety (90) days prior to the date of departure.
  • Full refund less Initial Deposit for any reason between 89 and up to 60 days prior to the date of departure.
  • Full refund, less Initial Deposit and less any payments or direct expenses already made between 59 and three (3) days prior to the date of departure.
  • No refund for any reason during the actual operation of the experience.
  • Full refund less Initial Deposit and less any direct expenses incurred for any changes in United States Government policy or geopolitical climate that may affect the legality of this program at any time;
• In the event Civitas GES decides to cancel the trip due to lack of participation, all payments will be fully refunded
• If a natural or man-made disaster causes cancellation of a program:
  • Full refund for any reason up to ninety (90) days prior to the date of departure.
  • Full refund less Initial Deposit for any reason between 89 and up to 60 days prior to the date of departure.
  • Full refund, less Initial Deposit and less payments or direct expenses already made between 59 prior and the date of departure.
  • No refund for any reason during the actual operation of the experience.
  • Full refund less Initial Deposit and less any direct expenses incurred as a result of the program ending early once started.
• Travelers that fail to adhere to OFAC regulations are subject to immediate expulsion from the program at participant’s expense and possible reporting to the US Department of Treasury for sanctions enforcement. No refunds will be issued to Travelers who fail to adhere to the OFAC regulations.
• Our credit card processor is Square.com. Square levies a 3.5% credit card fee on all payments that is non-refundable.
• ACCOMMODATIONS: Civitas GES reserves the right to make substitutions with hotel and accommodations of equal standard or value.
• AIRFARE: All airfare to Cuba is non-refundable. Traveler is responsible for paying all checked bags fees. Checked bag fees are not included. 
• CUBA VISA: Civitas GES facilitates the acquisition of the visa. Traveler is responsible for keeping their visa safe. Traveler is responsible for all replacement costs due to a lost visa.
• CUBA HEALTH INSURANCE: The government of Cuba requires that every international visitor have health insurance while in Cuba. Civitas GES includes health insurance as a part of its travel package. In the case where the Traveler acquires his/her own airfare, the Traveler is responsible for ensuring that he/she has Cuba Health Insurance. Cuba Health Insurance is typically included as part of the airline ticket fee for US-based carriers. If the Traveler does not use a US-based carrier, Traveler will provide Civitas GES with certification that Traveler has Cuban health insurance prior to the commencement of the program including the inbound flight ticket number.
• MINIMUM AGE FOR PARTICIPATION: The minimum age of any participant in this program is 18 years as of the first date of the program.
• DIFFERENCE IN MINIMUM DRINKING AGE LAW: The minimum age for the purchase and consumption of alcohol in Cuba is 18 years. All social interactions and events organized by Civitas GES outside of the Cuban university campus may include alcoholic beverages in accordance with Cuban Law unless specifically requested in writing by the US University prior to the commencement of the program that no alcohol may be provided.
• TRAVELER DATA: Traveler will provide Civitas GES the following data no later than sixty (60) days prior to program launch:
  • Full Name (as it appears on Passport)
  • Date of Birth
  • Residential Address
  • Contact Phone Number
  • Country of Birth
  • Country of Passport Issuance
  • Passport Number
  • Date of Expiration
  • Gender as it appears on Passport
  • Full Name of Emergency Contact
  • Relation to Participant of Emergency Contact
  • Phone Number of Emergency Contact
  • A clear color copy of the Passport that includes data and signature pages
  • If participant is a permanent resident on the United States, a clear color copy of the resident alien card
  • If participant is on non-immigrant visas, then a clear copy of the visa on the passport
  • Proof of COVID-19 Vaccinations
• CUBAN-BORN US CITIZENS: Cuban law requires additional verifications and permission for a Traveler who was born in Cuba regardless of current citizenship status in a second country (“Cuban-born”).  This is a process that requires on average a minimum of 90 days to complete. If any potential Traveler is Cuban-born, Traveler must notify Civitas GES as soon as possible. Extra applications and fees may apply.
• Deposit for the program is due ninety (90) days prior to program launch. Total balance is due sixty (60) days prior to program launch.

PRE-TRIP DOCUMENTATION

All travelers must also submit the following documentation to Civitas GES prior to program launch:

• A legible color copy of traveler’s Passport, valid for at least six months after the scheduled return date. The passport copy should contain the traveler information and signature pages. Click here to view an example of an acceptable copy.
• If the traveler’s passport is for any country other than the United States, traveler must provide a copy of his/her alien registration card or valid US visa.
• Online Travel Registration Form

PAYMENT METHODS

We accept payments by credit card, check or wire transfer.

Credit Card and Online Payments
We use Square.com for our credit card processing services. To complete your payment, complete the registration and an invoice will be emailed to the address you provided. There is a 3.5% additional service charge for payments made with a credit card. This charge is collected by Square.com and is not refundable. 

Civitas GES cannot accept credit card transactions over the phone.

Check Payments
Payments made by check should be addressed to “Civitas Global Educational Services” and mailed to:

Civitas Global Educational Services, Inc.
1775 Ohio Avenue, Unit 312
Long Beach, CA 90804
Attn: Cuba Programs

DO NOT write word “Cuba” on any check or memo field. Doing so may trigger your financial institution to reject or delay your payment pending review. Delays to processing your payment could result in forfeiture of your participation in the program.

Wire Transfers
We accept wire transfers. Please contact us at CubaPrograms@CivitasGES.com to request an invoice with wire transfer instructions.

DO NOT include the word “Cuba” in the memo of any wire transfer. Doing so may cause a delay in the processing of your payment by your financial institution (up to 90 days) resulting in forfeiture of your participation in the program.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Civitas Global Educational Services designs and facilitates all its programs in full accordance with the general license guidelines of the Cuba Assets Control Regulations (CACR) as published by the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as of June 5, 2019 and the National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) as of June 16, 2017. Our itineraries provide a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities designed to result in meaningful interactions between our travelers and individuals in Cuba. OFAC requires that all participants in our programs adhere to the full-time schedule of activities and in compliance with restrictions on direct financial transactions with certain entities and sub entities (31 CFR § 515.209).

Civitas GES programs fall under one or more of the following general licenses of the CACR:

• 31 CFR § 515.564. Professional research and professional meetings in Cuba
• 31 CFR § 515.565. Educational activities
• 31 CFR § 515.567. Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions
• 31 CFR §515.574. Support for the Cuban People

Civitas GES maintains a record of all applicable travel transactions in accordance with 31 CFR §§ 515.601 and 501.602 for applicable record-keeping and reporting requirements.

Every traveler is required to adhere to the itinerary provided for the program. Failure to do so may result in a violation of the general license terms outlined by OFAC. Penalties for violations may include early termination of your participation in the program (with no refund) and reporting to the United States Department of Treasury. Each participant will keep a copy of the program itinerary along with copies of any receipts of purchases made and expenses incurred related to the experience. In Cuba, not every vendor will have a receipt, therefore it is strongly suggested that each participant maintain a log of any purchases or expenses incurred while in-country. This log should be kept in the participant’s records for a period of five (5) years.

Click here to view the entire CACR regulations as of December 21, 2022.

USE OF SENSITIVE DATA

The type of information which we collect about you will depend on how you use the facilities offered on the website and which products or services you use. If you visit this website to browse or download information, our web server will record the date and time of your visit to our site, the pages viewed, and the information downloaded. We will only use this information for statistical and for website development purposes. Any information that you enter on to an online application form (e.g., contact details) will only be collected by us if you submit your online application. In other words, if you cancel your application or log out prior to submitting your application, any information which you had entered is automatically deleted. We will not use or disclose any personal information collected about you other than for the purpose for which you have given it to us. We will not use, sell or disclose your information for any other purpose without your consent unless required or authorized by law.

Our online forms will ask for the following information at-a-minimum:

• Full Name (as it appears on Passport)
• Date of Birth
• Residential Address
• Contact Phone Number
• Country of Birth
• Country of Passport Issuance
• Passport Number
• Date of Expiration
• Gender as it appears on Passport
• Full Name of Emergency Contact
• Relation to Participant of Emergency Contact
• Phone Number of Emergency Contact
• A clear color copy of the Passport that includes data and signature pages
• If participant is a permanent resident of the United States, a clear color copy of the resident alien card
• If participant is in the United States on a non-immigrant visa, then a clear copy of the applicable US visa

CONTACTING VIA SMS/TEXT MESSAGE

In applications, where we ask for a contact telephone number, we may also ask for your consent for us to contact you via SMS/Text message. We use your telephone number to send you text messages related to your program or up and coming programs and events organized by Civitas Global Educational Services, Inc. This is an optional consent and never required. Should you choose to receive information from us via SMS, you understand that your cell phone carrier may charge standard messages rates. We will not use, sell or disclose your phone number for any other purpose without your consent unless required or authorized by law.