How to get married in Cuba in 2026: requirements, steps and documents
Updated: November 4, 2026. Laws and fee schedules checked on November 4, 2026.
To marry legally in Cuba, you must formalize the marriage before a notary or a registrar, with your identity document. If you are a foreigner, you also need your birth certificate and your marital status certificate, both legalized by the Cuban consulate. Witnesses are no longer required before a notary, but the application is made public before the wedding: allow 5 working days and confirm the period with your notary’s office.
This guide summarizes the official rules, which are published in Spanish, and links each point to its source. It does not replace advice from a lawyer: before setting the date, confirm your case with the notary’s office, the law office or the consulate.
Would you rather not do this alone? Tell us about your case and we will guide you. The first consultation is free.
What changed in 2026
Three sets of rules change what had been published until now about getting married in Cuba:
- Law 175, the Notary Law (“Del Notariado”). In force since January 7, 2026, according to the Ministry of Justice. The ministry states that it excludes witnesses from marriage deeds. Text in Official Gazette No. 62 of 2025.
- Law 180, the Civil Registry Law (“Del Registro Civil”). In force since September 16, 2026, according to the Ministry of Justice. It governs how a marriage is applied for, formalized and registered. Text and regulations in Official Gazette No. 26 of 2026.
- New consular fee schedule. Resolution 37/2026 of Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), in force since October 1, 2026. It sets what Cuban consulates charge.
Requirements to get married in Cuba
The Family Code (Código de las Familias, Law 156/2022) sets these substantive conditions:
- Marriage is the union of two people with legal capacity, and it only has legal effects if formalized before the competent official (art. 201).
- You must be at least 18 (art. 204) and must not be married or have an undissolved registered de facto union (unión de hecho afectiva) (art. 205).
- Relatives in the direct line, siblings and other collateral relatives up to the third degree cannot marry each other, except relatives by marriage (art. 206).
- Someone who has been married is only free to marry again once the end of that marriage has been registered (art. 207).
If you are a foreigner, your legal capacity to marry is governed by your personal law (ley personal), unless a law or treaty in force in Cuba says otherwise (Resolution 61/2026, art. 94). Check this in your own country as well.
If you are both foreigners
MINREX states that these marriages take place at the Consultorías Jurídicas Internacionales (international legal consultancies) and the Bufetes Internacionales (international law offices). That page dates from 2018, so ask which office handles your case today. The notary will also ask for the official authorization of your stay in Cuba (Law 175, art. 57.2).
If one of you is a foreigner and the other is Cuban
The regulations of Law 180 (Resolution 61/2026) say the marriage is formalized before an official of the specialized law offices (bufetes especializados) or, abroad, of a Cuban consular office (art. 217.1). The foreign partner proves:
- Their legal stay, with the visa in their passport, their admission at the airport or another document from the competent authority (art. 217.3).
- Their marital status, with an official certificate from their country, duly legalized, unless a treaty waives this (art. 217.4).
If the foreign partner is a resident of Cuba, the marriage can also be formalized before the registrar, by showing the document that authorizes their stay (Law 180, art. 125.1).
If you are both Cuban
You present your identity card or passport. You only need to submit a marital status certificate if that information is not on record or cannot be verified in the system (Law 180, arts. 118 and 120).
Required documents
This table brings together what is requested by MINREX, a Cuban consulate and Law 180. The divorce and widowhood rows for the Cuban partner are based on the Family Code (art. 207). The consular lists predate 2026, so confirm them with the office handling your case.
| Your situation | Foreigner | Cuban |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Passport and proof of legal stay | Identity card or passport |
| Single | Birth certificate and certificate of single status issued less than six months ago | Marital status: verified in the system or with a certificate |
| Divorced | Birth certificate and final divorce judgment | Divorce registered at the Civil Registry |
| Widowed | Birth certificate, marriage certificate and your spouse’s death certificate | Death registered at the Civil Registry |
| If someone represents you | Deed of special power of attorney | Deed of special power of attorney |
If you do not speak Spanish, before a notary you are assisted by an interpreter whom you choose and for whom you are responsible, unless the notary knows your language (Law 175, arts. 67 and 68).
Legalization and translation in 2026
A foreign document only takes effect in Cuba if it goes through these steps:
- Legalization in your country, before the competent authority. In Spain, for example, the Cuban consulate in Seville lists the regional High Court of Justice, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Translation into Spanish, if the document is in another language, before going to the consulate. It must be official and, at consulates in countries with another official language, it is a requirement for legalization: both the original and the translation are legalized (consular fee schedule, Annex II, art. 12). With a translation done outside the consulate, the translation is also legalized in your country before it reaches the consulate. You can also legalize only the original and have it translated at the consulate, if it offers that service (MINREX).
- Legalization and certification at the Cuban consulate. The fee schedule requires it for every document issued abroad that is to take effect in Cuba (Annex II, art. 12). If there is no Cuban consulate in your country, it is done at the one in a nearby country (Law 175, art. 252.2).
- Entry into a Cuban notary’s records (protocolización), unless a treaty waives it. It is required by Law 175 (art. 252.1) for foreign notarial documents and certificates, and by Law 180 (art. 52.2) and its regulations (art. 77) for presenting them at the Civil Registry. Ask the office handling your case how this applies to your documents.
Two points that often cause confusion:
- Consular certificates. Certificates issued by Cuban consuls to take effect in Cuba do not require legalization (Law 180, art. 40.3). This does not remove the steps in your country or at the consulate, or the entry into a notary’s records.
- The apostille. Cuba does not appear on the list of countries in the Hague Apostille Convention (checked on November 4, 2026), although the regulations of Law 180 mention “legalization, apostille or consular certification” (art. 77). Do not assume an apostille is enough: ask the consulate.
If you have questions about your documents or the order of the steps, we can help you clear them up. The final word belongs to the office handling your case.
Advance public notice and witnesses
Before the wedding, your names and the act you are going to carry out are made public, so that any legal impediment can come to light. By applying, you consent to that publication. The period depends on who formalizes the marriage:
- Before a notary: 5 working days. This is set by the regulations of the Notary Law (Resolution 331/2025, art. 131), which implement art. 129.2 of Law 175.
- Before the Civil Registry: 3 calendar days. This is set by Law 180 (art. 121.3). That article also mentions notarial units, and it is a later, higher-ranking law than the notarial regulations. Ask your notary’s office which period applies and, until you have confirmed it, plan for the longer one.
Witnesses. The Ministry of Justice confirms the exclusion of witnesses from marriage deeds. There are exceptions. If the application cannot be published, you can appear with 2 witnesses of fact (testigos de hecho) who state that you have no impediments (regulations of Law 180, art. 211.3). And if you cannot show your identity document and postponing the act could cause irreparable harm, the notary requires 2 identifying witnesses (testigos de conocimiento) (Law 175, art. 57.1.b).
Where the legal marriage takes place
| Place | For whom |
|---|---|
| Notary’s office | The notary is one of the officials empowered to authorize marriages (Family Code, art. 203.2) |
| Specialized law offices (bufetes especializados) | A Cuban with a foreigner, within Cuba (Resolution 61/2026, art. 217.1) |
| Consultorías Jurídicas and Bufetes Internacionales | Two foreigners, or a Cuban with a foreigner (MINREX, 2018 page) |
| Palacio de los Matrimonios | Civil Registry offices. A foreign resident marrying a Cuban can go to the registrar (Law 180, arts. 32.2 and 125.1) |
| Cuban consulate | Outside Cuba, if at least one of you is Cuban (Resolution 61/2026, art. 60.2) |
If you want the legal act outside the office, for example at a hotel or a house, the notarial regulations mention marriage away from the office at the couple’s request (Resolution 331/2025, art. 47.2). There are two limits: the notary acts within their territorial jurisdiction, as a general rule the province (Law 175, arts. 19.2 and 20.1), and the notarial record (protocolo) cannot be taken out of the notary’s office except in certain cases (Law 175, art. 258.1). Ask the notary or the law office whether they can travel to that place on that date and how the marriage deed will be signed.
To choose the place for the celebration, see where foreigners get married in Cuba.
Timelines
These are the official service times. They do not include the time legalization takes in your country or at the consulate.
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Foreigner’s certificate of single status | Issued less than six months ago (MINREX, 2018 page) |
| Marriage deed before a notary | 6 working days or more from filing, including the public notice (Resolution 332/2025) |
| Formalization before the Civil Registry | 4 working days or more, or as agreed, including the public notice (Resolution 62/2026) |
| Notarial act of entry (acta de protocolización), if your case requires it | 5 working days (Resolution 332/2025) |
| The notary sends the file to the Registry | 3 working days (Law 175, art. 130) |
| Registration of the marriage | Up to 7 calendar days (Resolution 62/2026) |
| Marriage certificate | The same day at a registry office or Palacio; before a notary, after registration (Resolution 61/2026, arts. 213 and 214) |
Leave some margin: at As de Sueños we recommend starting to plan at least six months ahead. Also ask whether the six months of the certificate of single status are counted up to the application or up to the wedding, and request it accordingly.
Symbolic wedding or legal wedding
A symbolic ceremony has no legal effect: marriage only produces effects when formalized before the competent official (Family Code, art. 201.3). Even so, it makes sense in these cases:
- There are delays with the documents.
- You want the ceremony on a beach, at a hotel or on an estate, without depending on the notary that day.
- You prefer to handle the legal procedure separately, in Cuba or in your own country.
We have seen this happen: at some weddings the notarial books could not be taken out of the notary’s office and the ceremony had to be symbolic. Law 175 (art. 258.1) limits taking the notarial record out, so it is worth confirming with the notary where and how the marriage deed will be signed, and deciding in advance what happens if they cannot come to the place. The differences and how to combine them are in symbolic or legal wedding in Cuba.
If you prefer a symbolic ceremony, we can organize it from start to finish. Tell us your idea.
Registering the marriage in your country
The proof of the marriage is the certificate of its registration at the Cuban Civil Registry (Law 180, art. 122.4). For it to take effect in your country, you will normally have to legalize it and register it there. Each country sets its own rules, so ask your consulate or civil registry before you travel.
One example: for the marriage of a Spanish citizen in Cuba to have full civil effects in Spain, it must be registered at the Spanish Civil Registry. The Consulate General of Spain in Havana states that registration is free and details the documents and the appointment.
Reference costs
These are official third-party amounts, checked on November 4, 2026. In eurozone countries the consular fee is paid in euros, and elsewhere in US dollars or the equivalent.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Consular legalization and certification of a foreign document | 160 USD or EUR; charged per document, according to the Seville consulate’s page, which shows an earlier fee (Consular fee schedule) |
| Translation into Spanish at the consulate | 40 USD or EUR per sheet (Consular fee schedule) |
| Certification of that translation | 160 USD or EUR (Consular fee schedule) |
| Special power of attorney before the consul | 160 USD or EUR, plus 30 per sheet or part of a sheet (Consular fee schedule) |
| Procedure not done in person at the consulate | 30 USD or EUR (Consular fee schedule) |
| Marriage before the consul | 210 USD or EUR for the act. Other procedures are charged separately, such as 180 for processing the registration with the Ministry of Justice (MINJUS); confirm with the consulate (Consular fee schedule) |
| Marriage before a notary, residents of Cuba | 100 CUP at the notarial unit; 300 CUP elsewhere (Resolution 333/2025) |
| Notarial act of entry (acta de protocolización), residents of Cuba | 100 CUP plus 50 CUP per sheet (Resolution 333/2025) |
| Marriage before the Civil Registry, residents of Cuba | 100 to 150 CUP at the office; 150 to 200 CUP elsewhere, depending on the time (Resolution 63/2026) |
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. With a translation done outside the consulate, legalizing the originals and the translations comes to 640 USD or EUR. With translation at the consulate, it is 320 USD or EUR plus 40 per sheet and 160 to certify each translation. None of this includes legalization in their own country. Confirm the calculation with your consulate.
The fees in Cuban pesos are for people with effective residence in Cuba and other authorized parties, and they do not include taxes on documents. Under those fees, if you withdraw before formalizing, 50% of the amount charged is refunded. We have not found a published official fee from the law offices for non-resident foreigners, so ask for the amount in writing before you start.
Checklist
- Confirm which office handles your case and which documents it asks for today.
- Translate and legalize your documents in good time, check the date of your certificate of single status and ask whether they must be entered into a notary’s records.
- Ask whether the application can be filed before you arrive, and allow for the days of public notice.
- Bring your passport, proof of your legal stay and copies of each document.
- If you do not speak Spanish, arrange your interpreter. If the act is not at the office, confirm with the notary that they can come and have a plan B.
- Before you return, find out how to register the marriage in your country.
Would you like to go through this list with us? Tell us about your case.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get married in Cuba if I go as a tourist?
The notary asks for the official authorization of your stay (Law 175, art. 57.2), and for the marriage of a Cuban to a foreigner, legal stay must be proved, for example with the visa in your passport (Resolution 61/2026, art. 217.3). Those articles refer to a stay, not to residence; the route through the registrar is for foreign residents. Confirm your case with the office handling it.
Do you need witnesses to get married in Cuba?
Not before a notary, according to the Ministry of Justice, which states that Law 175 excludes witnesses from marriage deeds. There are exceptions: if the application cannot be published (2 witnesses of fact, Resolution 61/2026, art. 211.3) or if you cannot show your identity document and postponing the act could cause irreparable harm (2 identifying witnesses, Law 175, art. 57.1.b).
How many days do you have to be in Cuba to get married?
We have not found a minimum stay in the rules. Before a notary, the service takes 6 working days or more from filing, including the public notice. If your documents require entry into a notary’s records, the notarial act (acta de protocolización) has a 5-working-day period, and the rules do not make clear whether it runs at the same time as the service above. Ask whether the application can be filed before you arrive, because the number of days you need depends on that.
Is an apostille enough for my documents?
Do not assume so. Cuba does not appear on the list of the Apostille Convention (checked on November 4, 2026), and the consular fee schedule requires foreign documents to be legalized and certified by the Cuban consulate. Ask that consulate.
Can you marry by proxy in Cuba?
Yes, when one of you cannot attend: the other appears with the person to whom the absent partner granted a special power of attorney (Law 180, arts. 121.4 and 124). Before the consul, that power of attorney costs 160 USD or EUR, plus 30 per sheet or part of a sheet, according to the October 2026 fee schedule.
Can two people of the same sex get married in Cuba?
Under Cuban law, yes: the Family Code defines marriage as the union of two people with legal capacity, without distinguishing their sex (art. 201). But a foreigner’s capacity is governed by their personal law (Resolution 61/2026, art. 94), so confirm this with the office handling your case and in your country.
Is a symbolic wedding legally valid?
No. Only a marriage formalized before the competent official has legal effects (Family Code, art. 201.3). You can hold the symbolic ceremony and handle the legal procedure separately.
Is my Cuban marriage valid in my country?
It depends on your country’s law, and it usually requires legalizing and registering the Cuban certificate. In Spain, for example, it must be registered at the Spanish Civil Registry to have full civil effects. Ask your consulate before you travel.
Do you want to get married in Cuba?
At As de Sueños we advise you on the procedures and coordinate the celebration from Havana. Tell us your date and your case: the first consultation is free and we will send you a proposal.
Official sources
Checked on November 4, 2026. Most are in Spanish:
- Official Gazette No. 62 of 2025: Law 175 and Resolutions 331, 332 and 333 of 2025 of the Ministry of Justice.
- Official Gazette No. 26 of 2026: Law 180 and Resolutions 61, 62 and 63 of 2026 of the Ministry of Justice.
- Law 156 of 2022, Family Code.
- Consular fee schedule, Resolution 37/2026 of MINREX.
- Ministry of Justice: implementation of Law 175 and entry into force of Law 180.
- Cuban consulates: notarial matters and getting married in Cuba. These pages predate the 2026 rules.
- Hague Conference: countries in the Apostille Convention.
- Consulate General of Spain in Havana: registering marriages.