Havana/Cubans residing abroad will have to pay more for the passport and for several of the most requested documents to emigrate, approve studies or carry out family procedures. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that next October 1 Resolution 37/2026 will come into force, which updates the consular fee.
The passport for those over 16 years of age will go from 180 to 200 dollars or euros, while that of minors will rise from 140 to 160. These prices were set from 2023 by a previous resolution which reduced the price of the document at consulates and extended its validity from six to ten years for adults, in addition to eliminating the old extensions every two years.
The new tariff sets charges in euros for countries that use this currency and takes the dollar as a reference in other territories, with the possibility of charging the equivalent in local currency.
The Foreign Ministry justified the increase due to the “complex international macroeconomic panorama” and “sustained global inflation,” and assured that the update will improve the “quality, security and efficiency” of consular services.
Although the update does not affect the price of the passport issued in Cuba, which remains at 2,500 pesos, the procedures within the Island are far from being simple.
The increase will be more pronounced for Civil Registry certifications. Documents for birth, marriage, de facto union, death, criminal record, divorce, last will, declaration of heirs and single status will cost 110 dollars or euros, to which another 30 will have to be added for the application.
For those who pay in euros, for example, obtaining one of these certifications until now cost 100 euros – 25 for requesting it and 75 for its issuance. From October there will be 140, an increase of 40%, not counting possible legalizations. In the rest of the countries, the previous rate varied: the expedition cost 80 dollars and in the United States 100.
Although the update does not affect the price of the passport issued in Cuba, which remains at 2,500 pesos according to Annex 4 of Law 113 of the Tax System – modified by Decree-Law 21/2020 and still in force –, the procedures within the Island are far from simple.
The long waits at civil registries to obtain birth, marriage and death certificates have worsened with the increase in requests linked to emigration. In 2023, the Ministry of Justice itself recognized a “notable increase” in criminal record requestsrequired by numerous consulates to grant visas.
The graduate certificate and non-disqualified degree certificate goes from 185 to 240 euros, plus the 30 euros for the application
Academic documents also become more expensive. For those who process them in euros, the certifications of grades, study programs and thematic plans go from 225 to 290 euros, while the application increases from 25 to 30. The overall cost thus rises from 250 to 320 euros, before legalizations. The graduate certificate and non-disqualified degree certificate goes from 185 to 240 euros, also plus the 30 application fee.
Other procedures can be added to these amounts. The legalization of teaching documents increases in these countries from 95 to 110 euros, the legalization in a foreign embassy in Havana goes from 55 to 70 and the legalization, now in charge of the Cuban Ministry of Justice, goes from 35 to 50 euros.
The increase in the price of the Cuban passport comes after the confusion generated at the beginning of this year by information that placed the price at 234 dollars. The Foreign Ministry then denied that the consular fee had been modified. That figure corresponded to another legal service linked to obtaining the document and not to the price charged directly by the consulates.
