Where do foreigners get married in Cuba?

Updated: November 4, 2026. Laws and fee schedules checked on November 4, 2026.

Foreigners get married in Cuba in two ways that are worth keeping apart. The legal act is formalized before the competent official, depending on the case at a legal consultancy, a law office or the Civil Registry. The celebration usually takes place at hotels, private houses or estates with full service and a plan B for power cuts or rain.

Not sure about the place yet? Tell us your idea and we will guide you. The first consultation is free.

Is it legal for foreigners to get married in Cuba?

Yes. Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) covers both marriage between two foreigners and marriage between a foreigner and a Cuban. The rules changed in 2026 with the Notary Law and the Civil Registry Law: the requirements, documents and timelines are explained in our legal guide to getting married in Cuba in 2026.

Where do foreigners get married in Cuba?

The legal act

PlaceFor whom
Consultorías Jurídicas and Bufetes Internacionales (international legal consultancies and law offices)Two foreigners, or a Cuban with a foreigner (MINREX, 2018 page)
Specialized law offices (bufetes especializados)A Cuban with a foreigner, within Cuba (Resolution 61/2026, art. 217.1)
Palacio de los MatrimoniosCivil Registry offices. A foreign resident marrying a Cuban can go to the registrar (Law 180, arts. 32.2 and 125.1)

Ask which office handles your case today. The notarial regulations mention marriage away from the office at the couple’s request (Resolution 331/2025, art. 47.2), but the notary generally acts within their province and the notarial record cannot be taken out of the notary’s office except in certain cases (Law 175, arts. 20.1 and 258.1). Confirm whether they can travel to your venue on your date.

The celebration

In our experience, foreigners prefer hotels and private venues that cover all the logistics, have plans A, B and C for power cuts or bad weather, and make it easy to pay from abroad. Some examples they tend to consider:

  • Hotel Nacional de Cuba: history, elegance and views of the Malecón.
  • La Divina Pastora: on the waterfront, with views of Havana Bay.
  • Private guesthouses in Santa Fe: intimate, personalized weddings.
  • Hotels in Varadero and the cays: on the seafront. Ask whether they have their own wedding package.

Always confirm availability and conditions for your date with each venue. If you are looking for more options in the capital, see the wedding venues in Havana (in Spanish).

We choose the venue with you and coordinate the suppliers, so you do not have to find them one by one.

What couples really look for in a venue

Beyond how beautiful the place is, foreign couples look for logistical peace of mind and versatility. They do not want surprises and, if there are any, they want to know another plan exists.

  • Wedding experience: defined protocols, contacts with florists, musicians and photographers, and staff used to foreign couples.
  • Ability to react: generators, tents or a covered space for power cuts, rain or delays.
  • Payment from abroad: not every venue can process foreign cards, so ask before you book.
  • Accommodation: if family or friends are traveling, it helps if the venue lets them stay for several days.

Documents and procedures

As a baseline, each foreigner needs a passport and proof of legal stay, a birth certificate and a certificate of their marital status. Foreign documents are translated into Spanish if necessary, legalized in their country and at the Cuban consulate and, unless a treaty says otherwise, entered into a notary’s records in Cuba (protocolización) (Law 175, art. 252). Ask how this applies to your documents.

Witnesses are no longer required before a notary, according to the Ministry of Justice, and the application is made public before the wedding: 5 working days under the notarial regulations and 3 calendar days under Law 180. Confirm the period with your notary’s office and, until then, plan for the longer one. The full table of documents, the exceptions and the sources are in the legal guide.

If you have questions about the procedures, we can help you clear them up. The final word belongs to the office handling your case.

Weather, power cuts and other surprises

Cuba is a Caribbean island where power cuts, tropical rain and delays are part of daily life. Imagine you have spent months preparing a ceremony by the sea and a downpour arrives that day: if the venue has no backup room or tent set up, the wedding gets complicated.

Always ask the venue, explicitly:

  • Do you have a generator in case of a power cut?
  • Is there a covered option for the ceremony?
  • How do you handle supplier delays or extreme weather?
  • Do you have a bilingual wedding coordinator?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. In our experience, December to March tends to be drier and cooler, which is why it is a very popular time for weddings.

When we choose the venue with you, we go through these questions and prepare the plan B together.

How much does it cost to get married in Cuba as a foreigner?

It depends mostly on the venue and the services, so here we only give the official amounts. They are third-party amounts, checked on November 4, 2026:

  • Consular legalization and certification: 160 USD or EUR, according to the consular fee schedule in force since October 1, 2026. The Seville consulate’s page, which shows an earlier fee, charges it per document.
  • Translation into Spanish at the consulate: 40 USD or EUR per sheet, plus 160 USD or EUR to certify it.

For example, a single foreigner whose birth certificate and certificate of single status are already in Spanish pays 320 USD or EUR for consular legalization. If they need translating, the cost goes up: with a translation done outside the consulate, legalizing the originals and the translations comes to 640 USD or EUR. On top of that come legalization in their own country and the law office’s fees. Confirm the calculation with your consulate. We have not found a published official fee from the law offices for non-resident foreigners, so ask for the amount in writing. The legal guide has the full table.

The venue, dinner, flowers, music, photography and video are quoted separately and vary widely depending on the date and the number of guests. Tell us your date and how many you will be and we will send you a tailored proposal.

How to choose the venue for your style and budget

  • If you want history and classic elegance: a historic hotel in Havana, such as the Hotel Nacional.
  • If you want sea views and a welcoming atmosphere: a waterfront terrace, such as La Divina Pastora.
  • If you want something personalized on a tighter budget: the private guesthouses in Santa Fe, with more advance planning.
  • If you want to leave almost everything to one place: a hotel with a wedding package, if it offers one. Check carefully what it includes.

Whatever you choose, do not underestimate having a plan B, and even a plan C, in case the weather, the electricity or the paperwork gets complicated. For the paperwork, see symbolic or legal wedding in Cuba.

Frequently asked questions

Can two foreigners who do not live in Cuba get married there?

MINREX, on a 2018 page, covers marriage between foreigners at the Consultorías Jurídicas and the Bufetes Internacionales, and the notary asks for the official authorization of the stay (Law 175, art. 57.2). Confirm your case with the office handling it.

Can the notary come to the hotel or the estate?

The notarial regulations mention marriage away from the office, but the notary generally acts within their province and the notarial record cannot be taken out of the notary’s office except in certain cases. Ask before you book and decide what happens if they cannot come. We have seen this happen: at some weddings the notarial books could not be taken out of the notary’s office and the ceremony was symbolic.

Are witnesses required?

Not before a notary, according to the Ministry of Justice, which states that Law 175 excludes witnesses from marriage deeds. There are exceptions, such as when the application cannot be published. The details are in the legal guide.

Can we have just a symbolic wedding on the beach?

Yes, but it has no legal effect: marriage only produces effects when formalized before the competent official (Family Code, art. 201.3). You can handle the legal procedure separately, in Cuba or in your own country.

When is the risk of hurricanes lowest?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so December to May falls outside it. Even so, have a plan B for rain on any date.

Is it worth getting married in Cuba as a foreigner?

Yes, with caveats. Cuba has the sea, culture, music, food and hospitable people, but a wedding here requires planning, information and realism: you have to plan for everything from the legal documents to the power cuts.

At As de Sueños we have been coordinating weddings in Cuba since 2019. Tell us your date and your idea: the first consultation is free and we will send you a proposal.

Sources

Checked on November 4, 2026. Most are in Spanish. The full list is in the legal guide.