Cuban citizenship by descent for adults born in the US

An adult born in the United States to a Cuban father or mother can apply for Cuban citizenship through Cuba’s only consular office in the US, in Washington, DC, without traveling to Cuba. The process has two steps: the birth transcription, which is fee-exempt except for the legalizations ($140 + $140, plus $20 by mail), and the citizenship application on Anexo 17, the adult form, which has no fee and, per the consular page, is answered within 90 business days (checked October 19, 2026). Cuba’s new Citizenship Law, Ley 172, published May 5, 2026, takes effect 180 days later and adds a route for grandchildren.

Versión en español

How this guide differs from the child registration guide

Our guide to registering a US-born child with Cuba follows the same two steps from a parent’s point of view. This page covers the applicant who is already an adult and files on their own behalf, what the adult form asks, and what Ley 172 says about descent, including grandchildren.

Adult applicantMinor applicant
Citizenship formAnexo 17 (Modelo No. 1, mayores de edad)Anexo 18, 19 or 20, depending on who files
Who signsThe applicantA parent, a legal representative or a third person, depending on the form
General consular form (Anexo 2)Not on the adult listRequired for applicants under 18
Deed of authorization from an absent parentNot on the adult listRequired if a parent is not present
FeeNone assignedNone assigned
AnswerWithin 90 business daysWithin 90 business days

Source: the Cuban Consular Office in Washington, section “Solicitud de la ciudadanía cubana”, checked October 19, 2026.

Step 1: birth transcription

The consular page says birth transcription is done for people born in the United States to a Cuban father or mother, or to Cuban parents. It “no implica la obtención automática de la ciudadanía cubana, pero sí es un paso imprescindible para su solicitud” (does not automatically grant Cuban citizenship, but is an essential step to apply for it). The page publishes no separate transcription route for adults.

Documents:

  1. The transcription request, Anexo 13, Modelo 09/30 Modificado, completed.
  2. The original US birth certificate, authenticated by the Department of State of the issuing state and by the federal Department of State.
  3. A Spanish translation of the birth certificate, certified by a Notary Public.
  4. A photocopy of the US passport of the person whose birth is transcribed.
  5. Photocopies of the passports, identity documents and birth certificates of the mother and the father.

Fees: the act of transcription is exempt; the legalizations are $140.00 for the original certificate and $140.00 for the translation, plus $20.00 for the non-personal procedure if sent by mail. That is $280.00 in person or $300.00 by mail (our sum). Payment to the consular office is by USPS Postal Money Order only.

Cuba does not use the apostille for US documents; they are authenticated and then legalized at the Cuban consulate. See legalizing US documents for use in Cuba.

Step 2: the adult citizenship application

Once Cuba’s Registro Civil Especial issues the Cuban birth certificate that results from the transcription, it is presented at the consulate with the rest of the application.

Channel: through an agency under contract with the consular office, or in person at 2639 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon). The page does not list mail for this step.

Documents for an adult:

  1. Anexo 17, Modelo No. 1, application for the acquisition of Cuban citizenship by birth (adults), completed and signed.
  2. The original birth certificate issued by the Registro de Actos y Hechos de Cubanos en el Exterior of Cuba’s Ministry of Justice (MINJUS).
  3. One current color passport-style photo, high resolution, light background, facing forward, face and head uncovered, no dark glasses.
  4. A photocopy of the applicant’s valid passport.
  5. Photocopies of both parents’ valid passports. If a parent has died, that parent’s death certificate replaces the passport copy.
  6. The original birth certificate of the Cuban parent.
  7. A photocopy of the birth certificate of the non-Cuban parent.
  8. Only if the applicant wants to reside in Cuba: a document executed before a notary public by the owner of a property, authorizing the applicant to be domiciled there.

Fee and time: “Este servicio no tiene arancel asignado” (this service has no fee assigned). Resolución 38/2023 exempts the application, issuance and appeals in the citizenship acquisition process (Cuarto, item ñ). The page says the applicant should receive an answer within 90 business days of sending the request.

What Anexo 17 asks

The adult form is a one-page statement in the first person. It asks for:

  • Full name with both surnames, citizenship, place and date of birth, and passport number.
  • The full name and citizenship of the father and of the mother.
  • A request for “la adquisición de la Ciudadanía Cubana por Nacimiento”.
  • A choice of intention: reside in Cuba or reside abroad.
  • “Razones personales”: the reasons the applicant considers support the request.
  • The applicant’s full name and signature, and a space for the consular officer’s name, signature and the consulate’s stamp.
  • Contact phone and e-mail.

After approval

If the answer is positive, Cuban authorities issue a Resolución de Aprobación de la Ciudadanía Cubana. With it, the new citizen can request a Cuban passport through an agency or in person. For applicants over 16, the consular page lists $180.00 for the passport. See Cuban passport renewal for the passport documents and payments.

Ley 172: Cuba’s new Citizenship Law

Cuba’s Gaceta Oficial No. 39 Ordinaria of May 5, 2026 published Ley 172, Ley de Ciudadanía. It “entra en vigor a los ciento ochenta días posteriores a su publicación” (takes effect 180 days after publication); by our count of calendar days, that is November 1, 2026. As checked on October 19, 2026, the consular page still describes the 2018 process above.

Who is Cuban by birth (Article 2.2). The list includes “los nacidos en el extranjero de padre o madre cubanos” (those born abroad to a Cuban father or mother) and those born abroad to a Cuban parent who lost Cuban citizenship, “siempre que la reclamen” (provided they claim it).

Requirements for people born abroad (Article 30):

  • a) the birth is registered in Cuba’s Civil Registry;
  • b) “ser hijo de padres o madres ciudadanos cubanos nacidos en Cuba” (being the child of Cuban-citizen parents born in Cuba); or
  • c) “ser nieto de ciudadano cubano nacido en el territorio nacional, cuando el padre o la madre o algunos de ellos o todos, sean ciudadanos cubanos por nacimiento, nacidos en el extranjero” (being the grandchild of a Cuban citizen born in Cuba, when the parent is a Cuban citizen by birth born abroad).

Formalities (Article 33). The request comes with a declaration that “conste expresamente la voluntad de adquirir la ciudadanía cubana por nacimiento” (expressly states the will to acquire Cuban citizenship by birth); the applicant’s Cuban birth certificate, “que se obtiene una vez realizada la transcripción del nacimiento en el consulado cubano competente”; the Cuban parent’s Cuban birth certificate; for those who intend to reside in Cuba, a notarized authorization from a property owner or, when the Cuban parent or another legal representative owns the home, a property registry certificate; and, for grandchildren, proof that the parent born abroad is a Cuban citizen by birth.

Children of Cubans who gave up citizenship (Article 34). Children of Cuban parents born in Cuba whose renunciation was accepted, or who lost or were deprived of Cuban citizenship, can apply on reaching the age of majority.

Where and how long (Articles 63, 65 and 66). Requests from people born abroad are filed at a Ministry of the Interior office in Cuba or at the Cuban consulate for the country where the applicant is. An incomplete request gets up to 15 calendar days to be fixed; otherwise it is archived. Consulates have 20 days to forward requests, and the investigation runs 90 days, extendable by the same term. Article 13 says the law’s time limits count business days unless calendar days are specified.

What it repeals. Its third final provision repeals Decreto-Ley 352 of December 30, 2017, “Sobre la adquisición de la ciudadanía cubana por nacimiento de los nacidos en el extranjero de padre o madre cubanos”, and Decreto 358 of 1944, the old citizenship regulation.

Effective citizenship and dual nationals

Ley 172, Article 14.1, says acquiring another citizenship does not mean losing Cuban citizenship, and that Cuban citizens in Cuba “no pueden hacer uso de una ciudadanía extranjera” (cannot use a foreign citizenship). Article 43.1 says Cuban citizenship is proven abroad with a Cuban passport or equivalent document, and Article 41 lists the resolution of acquisition of citizenship by birth among the documents that prove it for children of Cubans born abroad. Article 24 says approval carries the obligation to obtain Cuban identity documents within the legal term.

The consular page’s travel rule for Cubans living abroad is that they “deben portar su pasaporte cubano válido y vigente para poder viajar a Cuba” (must carry a valid Cuban passport to travel to Cuba). For entry documents for non-Cuban relatives, see the Cuba tourist card and A-2 family visa.

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-19. This is general information, not legal advice. Consult an attorney for your specific situation. Citizenship decisions belong to Cuban authorities, and requirements can change without notice, especially around the November 2026 entry into force of Ley 172. Verify directly with the Cuban Consular Office in Washington, DC.