Buying a house in Cuba from abroad: a guide for the diaspora

A large share of housing demand in Cuba comes from outside the island: Cubans who emigrated and want a home for their family or for their return, and foreigners with ties to the country. Until October 2026, anyone living abroad could not appear as the buyer and had to put the house in someone else’s name. Law 187 "On Housing" changed that rule.

This guide is for you if you live outside Cuba — whether you are a Cuban emigrant or a foreigner without permanent residency — and you are thinking about buying a home on the island. It explains what the law allows today, what happens to homes bought in a relative’s name and, above all, how to reduce the risk of a transaction you will carry out largely at a distance.

The legal rule: who can be an owner

Law 187 "On Housing", published in Official Gazette No. 86 (Ordinary) of 14 October 2026 and in force since 21 October, repealed Law 65 of 1988 and Decree-Law 288 of 2011. Under the new law, the natural persons entitled to housing are Cuban citizens — with no residence requirement — and foreigners with permanent residency; in addition, sales are open to foreign natural and legal persons.

In practice, a Cuban emigrant can buy in their own name, and a foreigner without residency can also acquire a home by purchase. The limit is the same for everyone: up to two homes, plus one rest or vacation home declared as such on the title.

This change adds to the Migration Law, in force from 1 November 2026, which removes the old 24-month limit that turned anyone spending that long abroad into an "emigrant", and to Decree-Law 130 of 2026, which removed the incapacity to inherit for leaving the country permanently. The law is new and its regulations have only just been published: confirm with the notary what documentation your case requires.

If you already bought in a relative’s name

For years, the usual route was to buy in the name of a trusted relative residing in Cuba. The new law does not change who owns those homes: legally, the home still belongs to whoever signed the deed and appears in the Registry. The money may have come out of your pocket, but the title says another name.

If you want the house in your name, the route is a new transfer — usually a donation or a sale — formalised before a notary and registered, with whatever taxes apply. Do it while the relationship with the titleholder is good: verbal understandings that the house is "really yours" carry no weight against a registry that says otherwise.

How to reduce the risk

Buy in your own name whenever you can. It is the simplest protection, and the new law has just put it within your reach.

Seek notarial or legal advice in Cuba before buying, not after. The deed is signed before a notary based in the province where the home is located, and the notary will tell you what documents are needed to identify you and prove the payment.

And be clear about what does not protect you: verbal promises, chat messages or the mere fact that "the whole family knows". What counts is what is written and registered.

Due diligence at a distance

The most painful scams in the Cuban market happen precisely at a distance, with buyers who trust photos and promises. Never close a purchase that someone you fully trust has not seen in person, more than once. A live video call walking through the house is worth more than twenty selected photos.

Before discussing money, insist on seeing the property title and an up-to-date ownership and liens certificate from the Property Registry, which confirms who the owner is and whether the home carries debts or restrictions. Our guide on required documents details every paper involved in a safe sale.

Distrust haste. "I have another buyer this afternoon" is the favorite tool of someone who does not want you to verify. A well-done purchase from abroad takes weeks, not hours.

If you cannot travel: the power of attorney

If you cannot be in Cuba to sign, the tool is a notarized power of attorney: you appoint someone you trust to act on your behalf in the transaction, with clearly defined powers. It is granted from abroad, before a Cuban consulate or before a local notary with subsequent legalization.

It is a procedure with its own rules and frequent mistakes, so we devote a full guide to it: the power of attorney to buy or sell in Cuba without being on the island.

Prices and expectations

From abroad it is easy to lose sight of what a home really costs in each area, and that disorientation is exactly what inflated prices exploit. Before negotiating, compare against real market data: the average prices by province, municipality and neighborhood that CubanPortal computes from its active listings.

Use them as a compass: they tell you whether the asking price is within or outside the market of that area. The final decision always combines those numbers with the specific condition of the home, documentation in order and, at signing, the advice of a notary.

How to pay from abroad

Money is the part of the transaction with the most room for trouble. Law 187 requires the price of a sale to be paid through bank instruments or any other method that is not cash, so the classic envelope handed over in person is no longer a valid way to pay for a home.

For someone buying from abroad that is good news: the payment is traced and tied to the deed. What you need to sort out first is how the funds reach an account in Cuba from the country you live in, and that is worth confirming with your bank and with the notary before setting a signing date.

• Document the origin and delivery of every amount, with date, sum and recipient.
• Avoid paying in full before signing: payments should be tied to the notarial act.
• Use only accepted bank or electronic channels for the price; cash is no longer a valid form of payment.
• Declare the real price in the deed: lowering it "to pay less tax" leaves you with no proof of what you paid.
• Keep every receipt: you will need them if the transaction ever has to be reconstructed.

Typical mistakes when buying from abroad

Almost every case that ends badly shares the same three or four shortcuts. None of them looks serious at the time.

• Paying a deposit by transfer before anyone you trust has seen the house.
• Accepting photos instead of a live video call or an in-person visit.
• Putting the house in the name of someone "in the family" when you can now buy it in your own name.
• Not requesting an up-to-date ownership and liens certificate.
• Trying to pay the price in cash, which Law 187 no longer allows.
• Leaving the registry filing "for the next trip".