Cuba power of attorney (poder notarial) at a US consulate
A poder notarial authorizes another person in Cuba, the apoderado, to act on your behalf. From the United States it is granted before the consular officer at Cuba’s only consular office in the country, inside the Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC. Cuba’s consular fee schedule, Resolución 38/2023, sets $210 for a general power and $150 for a special power in its US column, paid only by USPS Postal Money Order (checked October 3, 2026). The office publishes no appointment system.
What a power can cover
The consular page describes notarial services as a way to authorize another person in Cuba to act on your behalf in specific matters or concerning property: “vivienda, registros de vehículos, donación de inmuebles, permutas, venta de auto, divorcio, etc.” (housing, vehicle registration, donation of real estate, home exchanges, car sales, divorce and similar).
Fees (Resolución 38/2023, US column)
| Notarial act | Fee (USD) |
|---|---|
| General power, administration power, power for lawsuits or will, with issuance of the Concuerda (14.b) | $210.00 |
| Special power for divorce, marriage, permuta, a minor’s departure and others, with issuance of the Concuerda (14.c) | $150.00 |
| Deeds of acts or contracts (14.a) | $100.00 |
| Notarial certificates (actas notariales, 14.d) | $100.00 |
| In addition, per sheet or fraction (14.f) | $20.00 |
| Revocation of a notarial document, with issuance of the Concuerda (15) | Half of the fee charged for granting it |
Resolución 38/2023, signed June 29, 2023, as published by the Cuban Consular Office in Washington; checked October 3, 2026. The consular page states one of these amounts in its own text: $150.00 for the minor’s passport and travel authorization.
Model request forms
For special powers, the consular page asks applicants to review its model requests “antes de visitar nuestra Oficina Consular” (before visiting our Consular Office):
- Anexo 23: special power to buy a home
- Anexo 24: special power to buy or sell a car
- Anexo 25: special power to marry
- Anexo 26: special power for a notarial divorce
- Anexo 27: special power for a donation
- Anexo 28: special power to release a shipping container
- Anexo 29: special power for a deed of authorization
- Anexo 30: special power to sell a home
- Anexo 31: special power (general model)
The consular page says the USPS money order must be completed carefully and legibly in black or blue ink, without strike-outs or blots (checked October 23, 2026).
Where and how
- Office: 2639 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20009, open to the public Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon (Nota Informativa No. 1/2024, since March 4, 2024).
- Appointments: the consular page publishes no appointment system.
- Channel: the page describes these powers as done at the office and does not describe a mail route for them. The minor’s passport and travel authorization is accepted only in person or through a contracted agency; see the Cuban minor’s passport and travel authorization.
- Payment: USPS Postal Money Order only; the page says a request paid with any other money order is returned.
- Questions: (202)-797-8518 or recepcion@usadc.embacuba.cu, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
US documents for Cuba: legalization, not apostille
Cuba is not among the 130 contracting parties to the Apostille Convention in the Hague Conference status table (checked October 3, 2026). Resolución 38/2023 (Annex II, Article 12) says every document issued abroad for use in Cuba must be legalized and certified by Cuban consular offices. A US birth certificate, marriage certificate or court document headed to Cuba is therefore not apostilled. The consular page describes the chain: a Spanish translation certified by a notary public, authentication by the issuing state and by the US Department of State, then legalization at the Cuban consulate. See legalizing US documents for use in Cuba.
What the page does not publish
- Witness requirements, processing times or how long a power stays valid.
- How the original is sent to Cuba or which Cuban institutions accept it. Confirm with the office and with whoever will use the power in Cuba.
Related information
- Cuban consulates in the United States
- All Cuban consular procedures
- Legalizing US documents for use in Cuba
- Cuban minor’s passport and travel authorization
- Registering a US death with Cuba
- Find pro bono immigration legal help
Official sources
- Embassy of Cuba in the US: Servicios consulares (section “Notariales”). The office’s English-language page is older and out of date, so this guide relies on the Spanish page only.
- Resolución 38/2023 on the consular fee schedule: sections 14 and 15; Annex II, Article 12
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Fees and requirements are set by the Cuban Consular Office and can change without notice. Verify directly with the Cuban Consular Office in Washington, DC, and, for complex matters, consult a lawyer. Not legal advice.