The Cuban passport, updated on 1 July, is now valid for 10 years for Cuban citizens over the age of 16 and 5 years for minors Along with this transformation, the requirement for the travel document to be extended every 2 years, which it had previously had, was also disabled. In this post, you will find all the information you need to renew your Cuban passport in order to speed up this procedure.
These developments apply only to passports issued as of this July, so the measure does not affect those issued before that date. On this basis, the authorities have clarified numerous questions that have arisen among users. Questions regarding procedures, costs and waiting times at each stage of the process of obtaining a Cuban passport or renewing it.
What do you need to renew your passport from outside Cuba?
Face-to-face:
- Copy of the expired passport and the original passport
- Fill in the application form
- Two passport-type photos. In colour, with light background, front view, face and head uncovered and without dark glasses.
- Submit the previous passport, the birth certificate or the resolution certifying the acquisition of Cuban citizenship, or the Letter of Citizenship.
- Pay the established consular fee
For remote (postal mailing) this would be added:
- Photocopy of your consular ID
- A stamped self-addressed envelope in which the passport will be sent to you once the process is completed.
Payment of the consular fee in these cases is made by bank transfer to the account of the relevant consulate. Passport renewals can be made up to 6 months before the expiry date of your current passport.
In the event of loss or theft, the same resources must be available (except for the physical passport). In addition, you must present a report of the loss of the passport, issued by the police at the place where it was lost.
What are the waiting times?
If you need to have your passport updated for an upcoming date you should be aware that the minimum time to apply for this service is 2 months in advance of the date you will need your passport updated.
This period of time is the estimated time it takes for the Passport Issuing Centre in Havana to send passports to consulates abroad. This is only an estimate, as the wait may sometimes be longer.
Possible factors that may delay the processing of your passport are variable and depend as much on you as on the consulate and the Passport Issuing Centre. Delays at the consulate offices, or in Havana, as well as in the transfer of passports to the consulates, are relatively common occurrences in these processes, and are not dependent on you.
However, regarding your part of the case, we advise you:
- To provide the correct data and avoid errors that may cause your application to be rejected.
- To pay the exact amount in the required payments and the number of stamps required for the procedure.
- Contact your consulate if you need information on the status of your application.
Fees
The price for the renewal of the Cuban passport is currently set at 180 USD/Euros for those over 16 years of age and 140 for minors. Payment to the consulate for the services provided must be made at least 72 hours prior to the application.
May I travel to Cuba with an expired passport?
If your Cuban passport has expired and you are a Cuban emigrant, resident abroad or travelling outside the country, you can apply for an identity and travel document to replace your passport on an extraordinary basis. This is for cases with an urgent need to travel to Cuba.
The document must be requested in person at the consulate.
You will need to submit:
- Complete application form
- Two passport-style colour photos
- Photocopy of passport in case of lost passport
- Airline ticket
- Original passport, if expired
- Migration status reference
- Clear evidence of their urgent need to travel to Cuba.
About Us
Opapeleo is your agency for procedures 100% online or telephone. We are in Washington DC 150 meters away from the Cuban Consulate. We provide services for the Extension and Renewal of Cuban passport, Legalisations, Powers of attorney on all kinds, Authorisations for minors to leave the country, DVT, Visas to Cuba, Top-ups, applications for Cuban certificates, delivery of official documents and all kinds of procedures related to Cuba.
