A lot of people we met in Cuba were diligent about always using a VPN connection to get online. We didn’t feel the need to have a VPN for security purposes, but there are some good reasons to use one.

Firstly, online payments are not permitted in Cuba. So, if you need to do anything online that involves transferring funds (paying for an Airbnb booking, accessing online banking) you’ll be out of luck. Secondly, as the USA has imposed sanctions on Cuba, some sites hosted in the States may not be accessed in Cuba.

So, while we think a VPN is not specifically necessary (although many people are concerned about online anonymity) if you think you’ll need to make financial transactions in Cuba, you’ll definitely need one. If you have some favorite US hosted sites that you can’t live without, you’ll need a VPN for that as well.