Cuban passport: how to get or renew it in Cuba and abroad

For a Cuban living abroad, the passport is the document that unlocks almost everything else: the Migration Law requires it to enter and leave Cuba, and its Regulations accept it as a valid identity document while the holder is on the island. For someone living in Cuba, it is the first step towards any trip.

This guide sums up what the rules published in the Official Gazette say: Decree 91 of 2023, the Consular Fee Schedule of Resolution 37 of 2026 and Law 171 "On Migration" with its Regulations, which come into force on 1 November 2026.

How long it lasts: ten years, no extensions

Decree 91 of 2023 of the Council of Ministers, in force since 1 July 2023, set the validity of the ordinary passport at ten years, or five when it is applied for on behalf of a child under 16, and declared it non-extendable. Passports issued before that date remain valid until the expiry date shown in the document and do not need further extensions.

The 2026 Consular Fee Schedule keeps the same validity: 10 years for those aged 16 and over and 5 years for minors. When a passport expires it is not extended: you apply for a new one.

If you arrive in Cuba with an expired passport

Article 87 of Law 171 "On Migration" requires Cuban citizens to hold a valid passport or equivalent document to enter or leave the country. But its article 152 expressly covers the Cuban resident abroad who arrives with an expired passport or one with no pages left: they can apply for a new one at the Interior Ministry’s procedures offices or through the authorised collective law firms and international legal consultancies.

That law comes into force on 1 November 2026. In any case, the airline decides which document it will let you board with, and you will need a new passport to leave Cuba.

What it costs abroad

Consular fees are set by Resolution 37 of 2026 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published in Official Gazette No. 80 (Ordinary) of 30 September 2026 and in force since 1 October. In eurozone countries they are charged in euros; elsewhere, in US dollars or the equivalent in local currency, at the rate approved by the Ministry.

Postage is paid by the user and is not part of the fee, and services provided outside office hours carry a double surcharge.

What you need

The Regulations of the Migration Law, in force from 1 November 2026, set the requirements in articles 342 and 343. Minors under 18 and persons with disabilities need, where applicable, the authorisation of their parents or legal representatives formalised before a notary.

How it is processed

Outside Cuba, the application is submitted at the Cuban consular office, which forwards it to the Interior Ministry’s Personalisation Centre and then delivers the passport to its holder, under Decree 91 of 2023. Each consulate publishes how to submit the application and pay.

From Cuba, a relative can also handle the passport of a Cuban resident abroad through a law firm: Resolution 486 of 2025 of the Ministry of Justice sets a fee of 5,625 CUP or 234 USD for that service.

1. 01—Check the expiry date well in advance of any trip or procedure.
2. 02—Ask your consulate how to submit the application and pay.
3. 03—Gather the official form, the previous passport or birth certificate and, for a minor, the notarial authorisation.
4. 04—Submit the application and pay the fee.
5. 05—When you receive the passport, check that every detail is correct before travelling.

If you also hold another nationality

Under article 14 of Law 172 "On Citizenship", in force from 1 November 2026, acquiring another citizenship does not mean losing Cuban citizenship. While on national territory, Cuban citizens are governed by that status, cannot make use of a foreign citizenship and must identify themselves as Cubans when entering, staying in and leaving the country.

The same law regulates renunciation of Cuban citizenship: you must be over 18, prove another citizenship, be abroad, have no debts with the Cuban State and not be serving a sentence or be prosecuted for an offence.

When you can be stopped from leaving

Article 97 of Law 171 lists the situations in which a person cannot leave the country, including: being subject to proceedings with a precautionary travel ban, having a pending sentence with a travel ban, military service obligations, national defence and security grounds, and obligations to the State or civil liability ordered by the authorities.

A valid passport does not by itself guarantee departure if one of those situations applies.

Your passport and your home in Cuba

For a Cuban living abroad, the Cuban passport is the document that proves their identity in Cuba. If you plan to buy, sell, inherit or sign a power of attorney involving a home, make sure your passport expires after the planned signing date: rushing a renewal from abroad is the easiest way to delay the whole transaction.