BREAKING NUUZ: Cuba to end to exit permits for foreign travel
Cuba has announced it is removing the need for its citizens to obtain exit permits before travelling abroad.
State media said the move, to come into effect on 14 January next year, would "update" migration laws to reflect current and future circumstances.
Cubans currently have to go through a lengthy and expensive process to obtain a permit and dissidents are often denied them, correspondents say.
The move is the latest in a series of reforms under President Raul Castro.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford, in Havana, says the exit permit process is hated by most Cubans.
Now all they will need to travel is a valid passport.
The changes also mean Cubans who have permanent residency on the island will be allowed to stay abroad for up to 24 months, instead of the current 11, without having to return to renew paperwork.
Cuba previously saw people attempting to leave the country as traitors or enemies of the revolution, says our correspondent, but official recognition is growing that many Cubans want to leave for economic reasons.
BBC
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on 08:45.
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