Consulates

Cuban minor passport and travel authorization from the US: $150

A Cuban minor's passport and travel abroad need a parental power of attorney: $150 at the Washington office, in person or by agency only, not by mail.

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Cuban minor passport and travel authorization from the US

To get a Cuban passport for a minor child (menor de edad), or to authorize the child’s travel abroad, Cuba requires a parental power of attorney. Its full name is the Poder Especial de Autorización para Obtención de Pasaporte de Menor de Edad y Viaje al Exterior. From the United States you sign it at the Cuban Consular Office in Washington, DC, for $150 USD (fee published by the Cuban Consular Office, checked October 3, 2026), or through an agency under contract with the consulate. Two rules matter most. This procedure is accepted only in person or through an agency, never by mail, and each document covers one child only.

Versión en español

At a glance

Item	What the Consular Office publishes (checked October 3, 2026)
What it is	A notarial power of attorney authorizing a minor’s passport and travel abroad
Accepted channels	In person in Washington, DC, or through an agency under contract with the consulate
By mail	Not accepted
Cost at the office	$150 USD
Cost through an agency	Notary in your state + $140 USD per legalization + $20 USD non-personal charge
Children per document	One
Parents per document	Both parents can sign a single document for one child
In-person form	Anexo 21, Modelo de Solicitud de Autorizo de Pasaporte y Salida del menor

Why it is a power of attorney

The consular page files this procedure under “Notariales” and explains that any procedure to issue a minor’s passport or for a minor’s travel abroad requires the parent to authorize those acts through a notarial power of attorney (Poder Notarial). It is not a simple letter or a migration form. It is a notarial act with its own fee.

Cuba’s Foreign Ministry fee schedule, Resolución 38/2023 (signed June 29, 2023), confirms this. Section 14.c, “Poder especial para divorcio, matrimonio, permuta, salida de menor, y otros, y expedición de Concuerda”, is 150.00 in the US column.

This power is different from the general power of attorney and from other special powers, such as those for buying or selling a home or a car, donations or divorce. Those are covered in our guide to the Cuban power of attorney. What the page states expressly for this power is its channel rule: in person or through an agency only, no mail.

Required documents

From the section “Autorización para Obtención de Pasaporte de Menor de Edad y Viaje al Exterior”:

Photocopy of the Cuban passport or Cuban identity card (carné de identidad) of the requesting parent. A passport must be valid and unexpired.
The minor’s birth certificate.
Photocopy of the main page of the minor’s Tarjeta de menor.
In person: Anexo 21, Modelo de Solicitud de Autorizo de Pasaporte y Salida del menor, which the page says you complete at the office.

The page does not say whether the minor’s birth certificate must be Cuban or from another country, so confirm with the office before you go. If the child was born in the US, registering the birth in Cuba is a separate procedure. See registering a US-born child with Cuba. If you need a certificate issued in Cuba, see the guide to the Cuban birth certificate from the US.

The Anexo 21 form also asks for these details (checked October 17, 2026):

The requesting parent’s citizenship and marital status.
The Civil Registry where the child’s birth is recorded, with its tomo and folio (volume and folio).
The child’s address in Cuba.
A note on the form: the granting parent appears before a notary public and, for that, “debe presentar el pasaporte cubano válido y vigente, copia legible de la certificación de nacimiento del otorgante, fotocopia de la certificación de nacimiento y de la tarjeta de menor” (presents a valid, unexpired Cuban passport, a legible copy of the parent’s own birth certificate, and photocopies of the child’s birth certificate and Tarjeta de menor). The consular checklist above accepts the parent’s Cuban passport or identity card; this note on the form names the passport.

Two channels and what each costs

In person at the Consular Office

Address for in-person visits: 2639 16th St NW, Washington DC, 20009.
Public hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon, in effect since March 4, 2024, per Nota Informativa No1/2024.
Cost: the page says the power of attorney will be done at the office for 150.00 USD (checked October 3, 2026).
Payment: the page says the office accepts only United States Postal Service Postal Money Orders. A request paid with any other money order is returned.

Through an agency under contract

The document must be certified by a public official (a notary) of the state where you live.
It must follow the new template set under the laws of Cuba’s Ministry of Justice. The page says the agencies that work with the consulate hold that template.
Cost: each legalization is 140.00 USD, plus 20.00 USD for the non-personal procedure (checked October 3, 2026). The page does not say how many legalizations each power of attorney needs. Confirm with the agency or the office.
The page publishes lists of agencies by state. We do not reproduce them here because the files are undated. Check the current list on the official page.

Step by step

Pick the channel. You can go to Washington or use a contracted agency. Mail is not an option for this procedure.
Prepare one document per child. Two children means two powers of attorney. If both parents are authorizing the same child, they can do it in a single document.
Gather the copies: the parent’s valid Cuban passport or identity card, the minor’s birth certificate, and the main page of the Tarjeta de menor.
In person: complete Anexo 21 at the office, sign the power of attorney, and pay $150 USD by Postal Money Order.
Through an agency: sign before a notary in your state using the Cuban Ministry of Justice template the agency gives you. Then pay $140 USD per legalization plus the $20 USD non-personal charge.
Continue with the minor’s passport or travel procedure, which is separate.

What you cannot do

Send the request by mail. The page expressly excludes it.
Authorize two children in one document.
Use any power-of-attorney template you like through an agency. The page requires the current Cuban Ministry of Justice template.

After the authorization: the minor’s passport

The same consular-services page, read October 15, 2026, sets out the passport rules that apply once the authorization exists: a Cuban passport issued to a minor is valid for 5 years (10 years from age 16), under the measures in force since July 1, 2023; children under 16 do not sign the application form (Annex 2); and the passport fee for under-16s is the lower of the two rates in our Cuban passport guide. If a child who left Cuba before January 1, 2014 never had a Cuban passport, the first-passport route on that guide applies (in person or through an agency only); a child born abroad who acquires Cuban citizenship by Resolution can then request the ordinary passport.

What the page does not publish

The page does not publish a processing time, how long the power stays valid, or where it is presented in Cuba afterward. Anexo 21 appears in the page’s list of forms, but its fields are not described in the text. For questions, the office takes inquiries Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, at (202)-797-8518 and recepcion@usadc.embacuba.cu.

Official sources

Cuban Consular Office in the United States, “Servicios Consulares” (sections “Notariales” and “Autorización para Obtención de Pasaporte de Menor de Edad y Viaje al Exterior”), Spanish page: misiones.cubaminrex.cu/es/eeuu/servicios-consulares
Anexo 21, Modelo de Solicitud de Autorizo de Pasaporte y Salida del menor: anexo_21._modelo_de_solicitud_autorizo_de_pasaporte_y_salida_del_menor.pdf
Resolución No. 38/2023, Cuban Foreign Ministry consular fee schedule, section 14.c: resolucion_38_de_2023_sobre_el_arancel_consular.pdf

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. The rules for powers of attorney for minors depend on Cuban law and on the Cuban Ministry of Justice template in force. Verify directly with the Cuban Consular Office in Washington. Not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Cuban minor's passport and travel authorization?

It is a power of attorney. The Cuban Consular Office in Washington says that any procedure to issue a passport for a minor or for a minor’s travel abroad requires the parent to authorize those acts by a notarial power of attorney. The page’s full name for it is Poder Especial de Autorización para Obtención de Pasaporte de Menor de Edad y Viaje al Exterior.

How much does the Cuban minor travel authorization cost at the consulate?

The page says the power of attorney done at the consular office costs $150 USD (checked October 3, 2026). That matches Resolución 38/2023, section 14.c, which sets the special power for a minor’s departure at 150.00 in its US column. Through an agency, the page lists $140 USD per legalization plus a $20 USD non-personal charge.

Can I send the minor's authorization by mail?

No. The consular page states, in capital letters, that the authorization for a minor’s passport and travel abroad is processed only if requested in person or through the agencies under contract with the consulate.

Can I authorize both of my children in one document?

No. The page says two minors cannot be authorized in the same document, so each child needs a separate power of attorney. Both parents, however, can sign a single document for the same child.

What documents are needed for the minor's power of attorney?

A photocopy of the requesting parent’s Cuban passport or Cuban identity card (a passport must be valid and unexpired), the minor’s birth certificate, and a photocopy of the main page of the minor’s Tarjeta de menor. In person, you also complete Anexo 21 at the office.

How does the agency route work?

The page says the document must be certified by a public official (a notary) of the state where you live, and must follow the new template set under the laws of Cuba’s Ministry of Justice, which the agencies working with the consulate hold. Each legalization costs $140 USD, plus a $20 USD non-personal charge.

Does this power of attorney replace the minor's passport application?

No. The page presents the power of attorney as the prerequisite for the minor’s passport and travel procedures; the passport itself is a separate procedure. See the guide to renewing a Cuban passport from the US and confirm requirements with the consular office.

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General information, not legal advice. MigrantUSA is an independent publisher and is not a law firm; using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship, and this content is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. US federal, state, and local government procedures, fees, and forms change. Always verify current details directly with the relevant agency before acting. For immigration, tax, or other legal matters specific to your situation, consult a licensed attorney or BIA-accredited representative.