Legalising documents: Cuban ones for use abroad and foreign ones for use in Cuba
Cuba is not party to the apostille convention: documents are legalised in a chain. Who legalises what, what it costs in 2026 and which certificates no longer need it.
A public document is only valid outside the country that issued it if someone certifies that the signature and seal are genuine. Between countries in the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 that is done with an apostille, but Cuba is not listed among the parties to that convention. So its documents, and foreign documents to be used in Cuba, take the long route: legalisation in a chain.
This guide explains both directions of the procedure and their costs according to the rules published in the Official Gazette.
Cuban documents for use in another country
The 2026 Consular Fee Schedule describes the chain for Cuban documents that are to take effect abroad: legalisation by the Ministry of Justice and legalisation by the destination country’s diplomatic or consular mission in Cuba. Educational documents also require legalisation by the relevant central State administration body.
If you live abroad, you can have the legalisations done through the Cuban consulate or a law firm in Cuba. If the client or the recipient lives abroad, the law firm charges in the foreign currencies accepted by the Central Bank of Cuba.
| Legalisation | Through the consulate (Resolution 37 of 2026) | Through a law firm in Cuba (Resolution 486 of 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| At the Ministry of Justice, registry and notarial documents (each) | 50 USD or EUR | 375 CUP or 16 USD |
| At the destination country’s embassy or consulate in Cuba (each) | 70 USD or EUR | 375 CUP or 16 USD |
| Educational documents before the central body | 110 USD or EUR | 2,500 CUP or 104 USD |
| Educational documents at the Ministry of Justice | 50 USD or EUR | 2,500 CUP or 104 USD |
Foreign documents for use in Cuba
In the other direction, article 12 of Annex II of the Consular Fee Schedule provides that all documents issued abroad to take effect in Cuba must be legalised and certified by Cuban consular offices. Where the consulate’s district has an official language other than Spanish, a Spanish translation is required, and both the original and the translation must be legalised and certified.
| Procedure at the Cuban consulate | Fee |
|---|---|
| Legalisation and certification of signatures on foreign documents | 160 USD or EUR |
| Translation into Spanish by the consulate (per page) | 40 USD or EUR |
| Certification of a translation made by the consulate | 160 USD or EUR |
| Legalisation of officials’ signatures on documents issued in Cuba to take effect abroad | 80 USD or EUR |
What does not need legalising
Article 40 of Law 180 "On the Civil Registry" provides that certificates issued by Cuban consuls or diplomatic officials abroad to take effect in Cuba do not require legalisation.
For other acts, such as a power of attorney or a deed, there is the option of granting them directly before the Cuban consular official "to take legal effect in Cuba", under section 11 of the Consular Fee Schedule, instead of doing so before a foreign notary and then legalising the document.
Mistakes that force you to start again
Legalisation certifies signatures and seals; it does not fix the content. If the document contains an error, legalising it only means paying twice.
- Legalising before checking the names, dates and numbers in the document.
- Skipping one of the legalisations in the chain.
- Forgetting the translation, or legalising the original but not the translation.
- Assuming an apostille works in Cuba.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I apostille a Cuban document?
- No. Cuba is not listed among the parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 on the apostille. Cuban documents are legalised by the Ministry of Justice and then by the destination country’s mission in Cuba.
- How much does it cost to legalise a Cuban birth certificate if I live abroad?
- Through the Cuban consulate, 50 USD or EUR for legalisation at the Ministry of Justice and 70 for the destination country’s embassy, plus the cost of the certificate. Through a law firm in Cuba, 375 CUP or 16 USD per legalisation, under Resolution 486 of 2025.
- I signed a power of attorney before a notary in my country. What do I need to do to use it in Cuba?
- Have it legalised and certified at the Cuban consulate, with a Spanish translation if it is in another language, as required by article 12 of Annex II of the Consular Fee Schedule. The alternative is to grant the power directly before the Cuban consular official, who authorises it to take legal effect in Cuba.
- Who legalises Cuban documents?
- The Ministry of Justice, and then the diplomatic or consular mission in Cuba of the country where the document will be used. Both the Consular Fee Schedule and the fees of Resolution 486 of 2025 reflect this.
Sources
- Resolution No. 37 of 2026 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Consular Fee Schedule (Official Gazette No. 80 Ordinary of 30 September 2026), sections 7, 10, 11, 16, 18 and 19 and article 12 of Annex II.
- Resolution No. 486 of 2025 of the Ministry of Justice (Official Gazette No. 95 Extraordinary of 27 December 2025) — section IV, obtaining and legalising documents; payment methods.
- Law No. 180 "On the Civil Registry" (Official Gazette No. 26 Ordinary of 16 March 2026) — article 40.
- Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents — status table of contracting parties (Hague Conference, updated 30 June 2026).
Keep reading
The power of attorney to buy or sell in Cuba without being on the island
What an attorney-in-fact is, how to grant a power from abroad, whom to appoint and how to avoid the mistakes that force you to repeat the procedure.
Read guideCuban Civil Registry certificates: how to get them from abroad
Birth, marriage, death, single status or declaration of heirs: the ways to obtain them, what they cost and what changed with Law 180 on the Civil Registry.
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