Register US-born child for Cuba dual nationality

A child born in the United States to a Cuban father or mother can be recorded in Cuba’s civil registry and can then apply for Cuban citizenship. Cuba’s only consular office in the US, inside the Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC, handles this in two separate steps: the birth transcription (transcripción de nacimiento), which is fee-exempt except for the legalizations of the US birth certificate and its translation ($140 + $140, plus $20 by mail), and the citizenship application, which has no fee and, per the page, is answered within 90 business days (fees and terms published by the Cuban Consular Office, checked October 3, 2026). The key condition: the page says the transcription “no implica la obtención automática de la ciudadanía cubana”, so it does not make the child a Cuban citizen by itself.

Versión en español

Step 1: birth transcription

The consular page describes the transcription for people born in the United States to a Cuban father or mother, and adds that the Cuban consular office can only transcribe acts and events of Cuban citizens that took place within its jurisdiction.

Documents:

  1. Birth transcription request, Anexo 13, Modelo 09/30 Modificado, completed.
  2. Original US birth certificate, authenticated by the Department of State of the state that issued it and by the federal Department of State.
  3. Spanish translation of the birth certificate, certified by a Notary Public.
  4. Photocopy of the child’s US passport.
  5. Photocopies of the passports, identity documents and birth certificates of the mother and the father.

The Modelo 09/30 is a sworn request from the Cuban parent. It asks for the child’s names, sex, date and time of birth, place of birth and the US registry reference (tomo, folio, entry number); each parent’s names, citizenship, place of origin, passport number and address; the names of the paternal and maternal grandparents; and the mother’s maiden name.

Fees:

ItemAmount (USD)
TranscriptionExempt (consular page; Resolución 38/2023, Cuarto, item d)
Legalization of the original birth certificate$140.00
Legalization of the Spanish translation$140.00
Non-personal fee (mail only)$20.00
Total in person (our sum)$280.00
Total by mail (our sum)$300.00

Published by the Cuban Consular Office in Washington on its consular services page, checked October 3, 2026. The totals are our arithmetic. Payment is by USPS Postal Money Order only.

Where to file: in person at 2639 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon), by mail to Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, 2630 16th St NW, Washington DC 20009, or through an agency under contract with the consular office. The page publishes no appointment system.

Step 2: the citizenship application

The Cuban consular office adds these document details (checked October 16, 2026):

  • The applicable citizenship application form must be completed and signed.
  • The passport-style photo must be high resolution, with a light background, facing forward, with the face and head uncovered and without dark glasses.

The consular page says that since January 2018, children of Cubans born abroad can obtain Cuban citizenship through Cuban consulates abroad, without traveling to Cuba. The process starts from the birth transcription: once the Cuban birth certificate derived from the transcription is issued by Cuba’s Registro Civil Especial, 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. The page does not list mail for this step.

Documents:

  • The application form for the case: Anexo 17 (adults), Anexo 18 (minors or people judicially declared incapacitated), Anexo 19 (minors, when one parent files) or Anexo 20 (when a third person files)
  • The original birth certificate issued by the Registro de Actos y Hechos de Cubanos en el Exterior of Cuba’s Ministry of Justice (MINJUS)
  • One current color passport-style photo
  • A photocopy of the applicant’s valid passport
  • Photocopies of both parents’ valid passports; if a parent has died, that parent’s death certificate instead
  • The original birth certificate of the Cuban parent
  • A photocopy of the birth certificate of the non-Cuban parent
  • For applicants under 18: the general consular form (Anexo 2) as well, and, if a parent is not present, a deed of authorization (escritura de autorización) from that parent, authenticated by the federal Department of State, issued at a Cuban consulate, or executed before a notary in Cuba
  • If the applicant wants to live in Cuba: a document executed before a notary public by the owner of a property, authorizing the applicant to be domiciled there

Fee and timing: “Este servicio no tiene arancel asignado” (this service has no fee assigned). The page says the applicant should receive an answer within 90 business days of sending the request. If it is positive, Cuban authorities issue a Resolución de Aprobación de la Ciudadanía Cubana, with which the new citizen can request a Cuban passport through an agency or in person. See Cuban passport renewal for the passport fees.

What changes under Cuba’s new Citizenship Law

Cuba’s Citizenship Law (Ley 172) was published in the Gaceta Oficial on May 5, 2026, and “entra en vigor a los ciento ochenta días posteriores a su publicación” (takes effect 180 days after publication). The steps above are the ones the consular page describes as of October 23, 2026. The new law’s text says:

  • Who qualifies when born abroad (Article 30). The birth must be recorded in Cuba’s Civil Registry, and the person must be “hijo de padres o madres ciudadanos cubanos nacidos en Cuba” (the child of Cuban-citizen parents born in Cuba), or the grandchild of a Cuban citizen born in Cuba when the parent is a Cuban citizen by birth born abroad.
  • Where you will live (Article 33). For an applicant who intends to reside in Cuba, the law keeps the notarized authorization from a property owner, and adds that when the Cuban parent or legal representative owns the home, a certificate of the property’s registration in the Registro de la Propiedad can be presented instead.
  • Time limits (Article 66). Consulates have 20 days to forward a request, and the file is processed within 90 days, “prorrogables por igual término” (extendable by the same term by the head of the migration and citizenship directorate). Article 13 says the law’s time limits count business days unless calendar days are specified.

More detail: Cuban citizenship by descent from the US and Cuba’s 2026 migration and citizenship laws.

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). That is why the US birth certificate is authenticated by the issuing state and the federal Department of State and then legalized at the Cuban consular office, rather than apostilled. See legalizing US documents for use in Cuba.

Dual nationality on the US side

The United States permits dual nationality. Per the US Department of State: “Dual nationality means you are a national of 2 countries. A dual national generally has legal rights and obligations in both countries.”

On the Cuban side, the consular page’s travel rule is that nationals who live permanently abroad “deben portar su pasaporte cubano válido y vigente para poder viajar a Cuba” (must carry a valid Cuban passport to travel to Cuba).

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-17. General procedural information for educational purposes. Citizenship decisions belong to Cuban authorities, and requirements can change without notice. Verify directly with the Cuban Consular Office in Washington, DC. Not legal advice.