Western Union Resumes Money Transfer Services with Cuba

Western Union resumed money transfer services from the United States to Cuba after a two-year suspension of service with a discreet pilot program.

"It is with great pleasure that we announce the resumption of our operations in Cuba with an initial test phase of outbound service from the United States," said Gabriella Fitzgerald, president of Western Union's North American division, quoted by the local press.

According to the Cuba Trade Council, there are about thirty Western Union branches which carry out these operations in the state of Florida.

The aforementioned publication explains that clients in the United States can send funds to bank accounts and debit card accounts located at Banco Popular de Ahorro, Banco Metropolitano S.A. and Banco de Crédito y Comercio (Bandec).

"There is a daily limit of US$2,000.00. Customers will not be able at this time to send to their own Moneda Libremente Convertible (MLC) or debit cards in the Republic of Cuba. Deposits are only available in U.S. currency. Recipients in the Republic of Cuba must present an identity card," adds the Cuba Trade Council text.

Western Union ceased its money deliveries in Cuba in November 2020 as part of the measures announced since October of the same year by the administration of then President Donald Trump.

On May 16 last year, the State Department announced the relaxation of some of Trump's provisions, which according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry were "a limited step in the right direction".

The announcements, made after more than a year of Biden in the White House, included the reestablishment of the Family Reunification Program and the intention to process the 20,000 annual visas committed in the bilateral migratory agreements.

Also the authorization of professional and educational contacts, as well as the reestablishment of flights to the provinces and remittances.

On January 4, the U.S. Embassy in Havana restarted processing the family reunification program procedures and in 2022 flights to other Cuban provinces were reestablished.