Registering in Cuba a birth, marriage, divorce or death that happened abroad

A child born abroad, a marriage before a foreign judge or the death of a relative in another country do not appear on their own in the Cuban Civil Registry: you have to apply for registration. This guide sums up what Law 180 "On the Civil Registry" and its Regulations, Resolution 61 of 2026 of the Ministry of Justice, published in Official Gazette No. 26 (Ordinary) of 16 March 2026, provide.

Why register it

Events and acts affecting Cubans that took place outside the country are registered when Cuban law requires it (article 13 of Law 180). What is registered is presumed true against everyone and serves as preferential evidence; an unregistered event has effects for the person concerned, but not always against third parties (articles 22 and 23).

The Regulations make clear that these registrations have no deadline, because they are the exercise of a right and not a legal obligation (article 173).

Where to apply

If the event happened abroad, registration is requested at the Cuban consular office or at any other registry office, and it is carried out by the Central Office of the Civil Registry (article 14.2 of the law). Consulates process applications for events involving Cubans in their district and send the Central Office an electronic copy of the file within 15 working days of receiving it (articles 34 and 35).

Requirements for foreign documents

Under article 77 of the Regulations, a foreign document to be used at the Civil Registry needs:

• An official Spanish translation, if it is in another language, made by an official translator recognised in Cuba or by the competent body of the country of origin, and legalised.
• Legalisation or consular certification.
• Content that is not manifestly incompatible with Cuban public order.
• Notarisation (protocolización) by a Cuban notary, except judgments from countries with an agreement with Cuba for that purpose.

Birth of children of Cubans abroad

The ordinary route is the Cuban consulate of the country where the birth took place or, failing that, the section of the Central Registry of Acts and Events of Cubans Abroad. The consulate prepares the file and the Central Office makes the entry (articles 169 and 170 of the Regulations). The file contains:

• An application by a person with a legitimate interest.
• The valid Cuban passport or identity document of the father or mother.
• The original certificate from the civil registry of the country of birth or, for justified reasons, another official document proving the event.
• The parents’ birth certificates, which are optional: the Cuban parent’s is checked in the system.

Marriage before a foreign authority

A marriage celebrated abroad before the competent official of that country can be registered in Cuba at the request of a party, for the purpose of its validity in Cuba. The application is made at any office and the Central Office registers it (article 126 of the law and article 215 of the Regulations). The title is the certificate of registration of the marriage in the country where it was celebrated (article 122).

Divorce abroad

Foreign court judgments can be registered in Cuba after recognition by the People’s Supreme Court. Declaratory divorce judgments are exempt from that recognition and are registered according to the family provisions in force (article 53.2 of Law 180).

Death of a Cuban abroad

The application is filed with Cuba’s consular or diplomatic officials, who prepare the file and send it to the Central Office, where the entry is made (article 245 of the Regulations). Besides the application, the file includes the death certificate issued by the Cuban consulate or, failing that, the notarial record of the foreign certificate or the medical death certificate, and a copy of the deceased’s passport or identity document.

If the body is buried or cremated in Cuba, the licence is issued by the local Civil Registry, which does not accept photocopies of the consular certificate or unlegalised foreign documents (article 239 of the Regulations).

What it costs

Consular fees may be increased by the legalisations and translations in the Consular Fee Schedule, as applicable. The Civil Registry fee does not include the Documents Tax.