In recent years, the Cuban government has taken a number of measures to improve relations with its emigrants around the world, including the administration of inheritances in Cuba.
In this scenario, Cubans whose citizenship has been revoked benefit from the right of repatriation, while those emigrants who retain their citizenship enjoy rights similar to those of those who still reside on the island.
Within this group of rights to which Cuban emigrants have access, there are those related to property, which can be acquired and managed by the owner from anywhere in the world through the use of a very common legal tool: the power of attorney.
This resource allows expatriates to entrust the management of one or more of their properties to reliable hands, and to determine the duration of this authorization and the conditions under which it can be used.
Inheritance administration Cuba
Regarding inheritance in Cuba, Cuban law affirms the right to keep and inherit property without losing rights due to prolonged absences, so Cubans living abroad only need someone to represent them at the time of receiving the inheritance.
How do I receive an inheritance from abroad?
After being notified of the receipt of an inheritance, the beneficiary must formally accept it in front of a legal representative to ratify it. For this reason, he/she must have a power of attorney authorizing a person in Cuba to represent him/her in this act and to make the payments corresponding to the acceptance of the new property.
As in most cases, you can turn to a trusted person to act as your agent, but there are also agencies and lawyers who, through a contract, act as the agent and legal representative of the Cuban resident abroad.
In any case, these are the steps to grant a power of attorney to administer an estate in Cuba:
- Contact the nearest Cuban Consulate
Note: In some cases you will be able to make an appointment in person, in others you will need to make an appointment online or by email.
- Provide proof of your identity
- Make sure you clearly define the powers you want to delegate to your agent.
- Make it official that you are willing to grant power of attorney to the designated person.
It is extremely important that you do not give your attorney-in-fact the ability to manage your estate beyond your actual interests, as this can lead to fraud, breaches of contract, and other disagreements that may affect the interests of your heirs.
