Cuba is not part of the Apostille Convention. Documents therefore travel by consular legalisation, and the consular section itself gives the single most useful piece of advice on the subject: ask the institution that will receive the document which legalisation it requires, because more than one level exists and paying for the wrong one is money gone.
Quick facts
The consular section also warns against handing these matters to third parties who are not close family or people you trust completely. It is unusual for an official body to say so, and it reflects how much intermediation has grown around Cuban paperwork.
The chain, step by step
| Step | Who does it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation | U.S. notary public | For private documents |
| State certification | Secretary of State | Of the issuing state |
| Federal authentication | U.S. Department of State | Where the chain requires it |
| Consular legalisation | Embassy of Cuba | Final step for use in Cuba |
| Cuban documents outward | Cuban authorities, then the embassy | Mirrors the chain in reverse |
For Cuban records requested from here, delivery time depends on the legalisations requested and on whether the entry exists in the digitised registry. Delays are explicitly attributed to identification problems, mismatched data, or records not yet digitised.
How to prepare a document
- Ask the receiving institution in Cuba exactly which legalisation it needs.
- Order a certified copy, or have the private document notarised.
- Obtain the state certification, and the federal one where required.
- Submit to the embassy with the request form and the exact fee.
- Allow extra time where the underlying Cuban record may not be digitised.
- Keep the chain together: each stamp certifies the one before it.
Required documents
- Original document, intact.
- Completed legalisation request.
- Identification of the person filing.
- Payment in the exact amount.
- Prepaid tracked return envelope.
What the consular section does
It legalises documents, requests Cuban civil records, issues passports and visas, executes powers of attorney and handles citizenship files.
Additional notes
Never call it an apostille
Using the word sends people to the wrong office. Cuba uses consular legalisation, and no U.S. authority can substitute for it.
Digitisation is uneven
Older records, particularly from small municipalities, may not be in the digital registry. That is the main cause of long waits.
Names must match
A discrepancy between the name on your U.S. documents and the Cuban entry will stop the request. Prepare evidence explaining any difference.
Be careful who handles it
The consular section’s own advice is to avoid entrusting these matters to anyone outside the family or complete trust.