Cuban Civil Registry certificates: how to get them from abroad

Almost any procedure a Cuban carries out abroad ends up asking for a Cuban certificate: a birth certificate for a residence permit or a citizenship, a marriage certificate for a divorce, a death certificate and the declaration of heirs to settle an inheritance.

This guide sums up, according to the rules published in the Official Gazette, the ways to obtain them, what each costs and what changed with Law 180 "On the Civil Registry".

What changed with Law 180 on the Civil Registry

Law 180 "On the Civil Registry", approved on 18 July 2025, was published in Official Gazette No. 26 (Ordinary) of 16 March 2026 with an entry-into-force period of 180 calendar days, and repealed Law 51 of 1985 on the Civil Status Registry. The same Gazette published its Regulations (Resolution 61 of 2026), the service timelines (Resolution 62) and the fees in Cuban pesos (Resolution 63) of the Ministry of Justice.

Three things matter for anyone living abroad. Consular offices are part of the Civil Registry structure and can process registrations and issue certificates of the entries (articles 27, 33 and 34). Certificates issued by Cuban consuls to take effect in Cuba do not require legalisation (article 40). And, under the Regulations, certificates have no expiry date, except the certificate of single status, which is valid for one year.

Route 1: the Cuban consulate

The consulate requests the document from Cuba and hands it to you. Fees are set by Resolution 37 of 2026 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in force since 1 October 2026, and are charged at two points: the application fee when you request it and the issue fee when it is delivered.

If the request is never completed, the application fee is not refunded. And if the details you provide are wrong or incomplete and more than one registry has to be searched, an extra search fee is charged.

Route 2: a relative or a law firm in Cuba

The other route is to hire, in Cuba, the international law firms of the Servicios Legales S.A. corporate group or the Specialised Services Law Offices of the National Organisation of Collective Law Firms. Resolution 486 of 2025 of the Ministry of Justice sets their fees for services provided to Cubans resident abroad.

If the client or the recipient of the service lives abroad, payment is made in the foreign currencies accepted by the Central Bank of Cuba; only when both live in Cuba can it be paid in Cuban pesos.

Route 3: the Civil Registry, if you live in Cuba

Effective residents of Cuba pay the Civil Registry the Cuban-peso fees of Resolution 63 of 2026, plus the Documents Tax. The fee is charged when the certificate is issued, through an electronic payment gateway as a general rule and, failing that, in cash.

Which certificate to ask for

Law 180 distinguishes between literal certificates, which contain the whole entry, and extract certificates, which contain only the details set by the Regulations; unless you ask otherwise, an extract is issued (article 181). Before you pay, ask the institution requiring it which type it needs.

• Birth: identity and parentage; the one most often requested for immigration procedures.
• Literal: a full copy of the entry. Request it only if required: at the consulate it costs 160 rather than 110.
• Marriage, divorce or single status: civil status. The single-status certificate expires after a year.
• Death, last wills and declaration of heirs: what a notary usually asks for to start an inheritance.
• Legal capacity: has its own fee at the consulate and at the law firms.

Timelines

Resolution 62 of 2026 sets the Civil Registry’s timelines, in working days: up to 2 days if the entry is digitised; 3 to 7 days if it is scanned but not digitised, depending on complexity; 3 more days if it has to be verified, and up to 3 or 5 more days if it has to be searched for. On top of that comes the time the consulate or law firm takes.

Check every detail on the certificate when it arrives: a mistake in a name or date is corrected at the Civil Registry through a correction file, and it is best done before you use the document.