Country-wide policy
Inside Cuba, Your Other Nationality Does Not Exist
Cuba keeps dual nationality and denies it effect. Acquiring another citizenship does not cost a Cuban theirs - the Constitution says so and the citizenship law repeats it - but a Cuban in the national territory is governed by that status alone and may not make use of a foreign citizenship. Acts done in Cuba under a foreign nationality are void, and the law adds that no annulment process is needed to make them so. A Cuban must identify as Cuban on entering, staying, transiting and leaving, and in legal acts done in Cuba or before a Cuban consulate. The practical shape is that a dual national travels to Cuba on a Cuban passport, and the consular protection of the other state is not available to them there.
Topics it changes
- Visiting as a tourist
- Becoming a citizen
- Opening a bank account
- Residency through ancestry
- Residency through marriage
What it requires
- A Cuban citizen must identify as Cuban on entry, during the stay, in transit and on leaving
- And in legal acts performed in the national territory or before Cuban diplomatic and consular missions abroad
- A Cuban citizen in Cuba may not make use of a foreign citizenship
- Acts done in Cuba under another citizenship are void, with no annulment process required
- A Cuban with another nationality enjoys no prerogative, benefit or patronage related to it in Cuba
- Someone who has renounced Cuban citizenship enters on a foreign passport and needs a visa like any other foreigner
At a glance
- Renunciation required to naturalise
- No
- Loss of Cuban citizenship on taking another
- No
- Effect of the other nationality inside Cuba
- None
- Acts done under it in Cuba
- Void, with no annulment process
- Presumption for anyone born in Cuba
- Cuban citizenship is presumed effective
- Exception before foreign missions in Cuba
- Acts before embassies, consulates and international bodies
Keeping and disregarding are not the same move
It is easy to read "Cuba permits dual nationality" and stop there. The Constitution and Ley 172 both do say that acquiring another citizenship does not cost you the Cuban one, which is more generous than Chile, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, each of which still asks a naturalising foreigner to renounce. But both instruments continue in the same sentence: in the national territory the Cuban status governs, and a foreign citizenship may not be used. Article 17 removes any prerogative, benefit or patronage attached to it, and article 15 makes acts done under it void on their face.
What it means at the airport and at the notary
Article 14(2) is the operative one for a traveller: a Cuban citizen identifies as Cuban on entry, during the stay, in transit and on leaving, and in legal acts done in Cuba or before a Cuban consulate abroad. A dual national who flies in on their other passport is not using a shortcut; they are doing something the law addresses directly. The one carve-out in article 15(4) is for acts performed before foreign embassies, consulates, international bodies and other accredited foreign representations in Cuba, which are outside the penalty.
The presumption, and the only way out of it
Anyone born in Cuba is presumed to hold effective Cuban citizenship, with a single exception for the children of foreigners in the service of their government or of an international body, who must produce evidence. The way out is renunciation, which requires being of full age, holding another citizenship, being abroad at the time, owing nothing to the Cuban State and not being under sentence or pursued for an offence; it takes effect only once accepted by decree or resolution. After that the person is a foreigner, enters on a foreign passport, needs a visa, and may seek Cuban citizenship back once and once only.
What the law says
«La adquisición de otra ciudadanía no implica la pérdida de la ciudadanía cubana. Los ciudadanos cubanos, mientras se encuentren en el territorio nacional, se rigen por esa condición, en los términos establecidos en la ley y no pueden hacer uso de una ciudadanía extranjera.»Our translation - not official
The acquisition of another citizenship does not entail the loss of Cuban citizenship. Cuban citizens, while in the national territory, are governed by that status, on the terms established by law, and may not make use of a foreign citizenship.
About this source
Cuba's single official gazette, run by the Ministry of Justice. An instrument's identity includes its gazette reference - Ley 171/2024 is GOC-2026-290-O39 - and there is no competing publisher of record. Three series: ordinaria, the regular run; extraordinaria, numbered separately and used for what must take effect on publication, so Ordinaria 39 and Extraordinaria 60 share the date 5 May 2026; and especial, which reprints a single instrument anotada y concordada with every amendment worked in and a footnote under each amended article naming the instrument that changed it. The special editions are the only consolidated Cuban law there is, and they are good: each states in its opening note the decree-law that ordered it and lists every amendment incorporated.
Standing: Issues the instrument
Cannot be cited for: Its online archive begins in 1990, which for migration means the law actually in force until 1 November 2026 - Ley 1312 of 1976, Ley 1313 of 1976 and the decrees-law 302 of 2012 and 327 of 2015 - cannot be read at the publisher of record while the laws replacing them can. Its own migration keyword index lists nothing earlier than 1999. It cannot be cited for consolidated law outside the especial series: an ordinaria or extraordinaria edition prints acts as made, and an amending decree-law there amends by instruction rather than by reprinting. A consolidation date must come from the masthead of the special edition and never from the name of the law or from the last amendment incorporated. Its PDFs break words across lines with a hyphen that survives into any verbatim quotation, and its summary pages are not always reliable - the customs special edition's contents page names the instrument Decreto-Ley 22/2021 while the decree printed two pages later is dated 24 November 2020. Nothing here is available through the extraction service in usable form; every reading was taken with pdftotext.
We re-read it every 21 days. More about this source
«Los ciudadanos cubanos tienen la obligación de identificarse con esta condición a su entrada, durante la permanencia, tránsito y a la salida del territorio nacional, así como en los actos jurídicos que se realicen en el territorio nacional o ante las representaciones diplomáticas y consulares cubanas en el exterior.»Our translation - not official
Cuban citizens are obliged to identify themselves with that status on entering, during their stay in, in transit through and on leaving the national territory, as well as in legal acts performed in the national territory or before Cuban diplomatic and consular missions abroad.
About this source
Cuba's single official gazette, run by the Ministry of Justice. An instrument's identity includes its gazette reference - Ley 171/2024 is GOC-2026-290-O39 - and there is no competing publisher of record. Three series: ordinaria, the regular run; extraordinaria, numbered separately and used for what must take effect on publication, so Ordinaria 39 and Extraordinaria 60 share the date 5 May 2026; and especial, which reprints a single instrument anotada y concordada with every amendment worked in and a footnote under each amended article naming the instrument that changed it. The special editions are the only consolidated Cuban law there is, and they are good: each states in its opening note the decree-law that ordered it and lists every amendment incorporated.
Standing: Issues the instrument
Cannot be cited for: Its online archive begins in 1990, which for migration means the law actually in force until 1 November 2026 - Ley 1312 of 1976, Ley 1313 of 1976 and the decrees-law 302 of 2012 and 327 of 2015 - cannot be read at the publisher of record while the laws replacing them can. Its own migration keyword index lists nothing earlier than 1999. It cannot be cited for consolidated law outside the especial series: an ordinaria or extraordinaria edition prints acts as made, and an amending decree-law there amends by instruction rather than by reprinting. A consolidation date must come from the masthead of the special edition and never from the name of the law or from the last amendment incorporated. Its PDFs break words across lines with a hyphen that survives into any verbatim quotation, and its summary pages are not always reliable - the customs special edition's contents page names the instrument Decreto-Ley 22/2021 while the decree printed two pages later is dated 24 November 2020. Nothing here is available through the extraction service in usable form; every reading was taken with pdftotext.
We re-read it every 21 days. More about this source
«Son nulos los actos realizados por ciudadanos cubanos mediante el uso de otra ciudadanía para surtir efectos en el territorio nacional, sin necesidad de iniciar proceso alguno de nulidad.»Our translation - not official
Acts performed by Cuban citizens through the use of another citizenship so as to take effect in the national territory are void, without any annulment process being required.
About this source
Cuba's single official gazette, run by the Ministry of Justice. An instrument's identity includes its gazette reference - Ley 171/2024 is GOC-2026-290-O39 - and there is no competing publisher of record. Three series: ordinaria, the regular run; extraordinaria, numbered separately and used for what must take effect on publication, so Ordinaria 39 and Extraordinaria 60 share the date 5 May 2026; and especial, which reprints a single instrument anotada y concordada with every amendment worked in and a footnote under each amended article naming the instrument that changed it. The special editions are the only consolidated Cuban law there is, and they are good: each states in its opening note the decree-law that ordered it and lists every amendment incorporated.
Standing: Issues the instrument
Cannot be cited for: Its online archive begins in 1990, which for migration means the law actually in force until 1 November 2026 - Ley 1312 of 1976, Ley 1313 of 1976 and the decrees-law 302 of 2012 and 327 of 2015 - cannot be read at the publisher of record while the laws replacing them can. Its own migration keyword index lists nothing earlier than 1999. It cannot be cited for consolidated law outside the especial series: an ordinaria or extraordinaria edition prints acts as made, and an amending decree-law there amends by instruction rather than by reprinting. A consolidation date must come from the masthead of the special edition and never from the name of the law or from the last amendment incorporated. Its PDFs break words across lines with a hyphen that survives into any verbatim quotation, and its summary pages are not always reliable - the customs special edition's contents page names the instrument Decreto-Ley 22/2021 while the decree printed two pages later is dated 24 November 2020. Nothing here is available through the extraction service in usable form; every reading was taken with pdftotext.
We re-read it every 21 days. More about this source
«Los ciudadanos cubanos que realicen actos en uso de una ciudadanía distinta a la cuba- na en el territorio nacional están sujetos a las sanciones que por estas infracciones establece la presente Ley, excepto cuando se efectúen esos actos ante representaciones diplomáticas y consulares, organismos internacionales u otro tipo de representaciones extranjeras acreditadas en el país.»Our translation - not official
Cuban citizens who perform acts using a citizenship other than Cuban in the national territory are subject to the penalties this Law establishes for those infringements, except where those acts are performed before diplomatic and consular missions, international bodies or other kinds of foreign representation accredited in the country.
Words broken across a line in the Gaceta's PDF keep their hyphen here. The quotation is not tidied.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
Cuba's single official gazette, run by the Ministry of Justice. An instrument's identity includes its gazette reference - Ley 171/2024 is GOC-2026-290-O39 - and there is no competing publisher of record. Three series: ordinaria, the regular run; extraordinaria, numbered separately and used for what must take effect on publication, so Ordinaria 39 and Extraordinaria 60 share the date 5 May 2026; and especial, which reprints a single instrument anotada y concordada with every amendment worked in and a footnote under each amended article naming the instrument that changed it. The special editions are the only consolidated Cuban law there is, and they are good: each states in its opening note the decree-law that ordered it and lists every amendment incorporated.
Standing: Issues the instrument
Cannot be cited for: Its online archive begins in 1990, which for migration means the law actually in force until 1 November 2026 - Ley 1312 of 1976, Ley 1313 of 1976 and the decrees-law 302 of 2012 and 327 of 2015 - cannot be read at the publisher of record while the laws replacing them can. Its own migration keyword index lists nothing earlier than 1999. It cannot be cited for consolidated law outside the especial series: an ordinaria or extraordinaria edition prints acts as made, and an amending decree-law there amends by instruction rather than by reprinting. A consolidation date must come from the masthead of the special edition and never from the name of the law or from the last amendment incorporated. Its PDFs break words across lines with a hyphen that survives into any verbatim quotation, and its summary pages are not always reliable - the customs special edition's contents page names the instrument Decreto-Ley 22/2021 while the decree printed two pages later is dated 24 November 2020. Nothing here is available through the extraction service in usable form; every reading was taken with pdftotext.
We re-read it every 21 days. More about this source
«La ciudadanía cubana se presume como efectiva en todos los casos de personas nacidas en el territorio nacional, con excepción de los hijos e hijas de extran- jeros que se encuentren al servicio de su gobierno o de organismos internacionales, que deben aportar ante las autoridades cubanas las evidencias que así lo constaten, cuando corresponda.»Our translation - not official
Cuban citizenship is presumed effective in all cases of persons born in the national territory, with the exception of the children of foreigners in the service of their government or of international bodies, who must provide the Cuban authorities with the evidence establishing this, where appropriate.
Words broken across a line in the Gaceta's PDF keep their hyphen here. The quotation is not tidied.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
Cuba's single official gazette, run by the Ministry of Justice. An instrument's identity includes its gazette reference - Ley 171/2024 is GOC-2026-290-O39 - and there is no competing publisher of record. Three series: ordinaria, the regular run; extraordinaria, numbered separately and used for what must take effect on publication, so Ordinaria 39 and Extraordinaria 60 share the date 5 May 2026; and especial, which reprints a single instrument anotada y concordada with every amendment worked in and a footnote under each amended article naming the instrument that changed it. The special editions are the only consolidated Cuban law there is, and they are good: each states in its opening note the decree-law that ordered it and lists every amendment incorporated.
Standing: Issues the instrument
Cannot be cited for: Its online archive begins in 1990, which for migration means the law actually in force until 1 November 2026 - Ley 1312 of 1976, Ley 1313 of 1976 and the decrees-law 302 of 2012 and 327 of 2015 - cannot be read at the publisher of record while the laws replacing them can. Its own migration keyword index lists nothing earlier than 1999. It cannot be cited for consolidated law outside the especial series: an ordinaria or extraordinaria edition prints acts as made, and an amending decree-law there amends by instruction rather than by reprinting. A consolidation date must come from the masthead of the special edition and never from the name of the law or from the last amendment incorporated. Its PDFs break words across lines with a hyphen that survives into any verbatim quotation, and its summary pages are not always reliable - the customs special edition's contents page names the instrument Decreto-Ley 22/2021 while the decree printed two pages later is dated 24 November 2020. Nothing here is available through the extraction service in usable form; every reading was taken with pdftotext.
We re-read it every 21 days. More about this source
«Los ciudadanos cubanos que tengan otras ciudadanías no disfrutan en el territorio nacional de prerrogativas, beneficios o patrocinios relacionados con estas, y no constituye impedimento para el ejercicio de los derechos y el cumplimiento de los debe- res previstos en la Constitución de la República de Cuba y las leyes.»Our translation - not official
Cuban citizens who hold other citizenships do not enjoy in the national territory any prerogatives, benefits or patronage relating to them, and this is no impediment to the exercise of the rights and the fulfilment of the duties laid down in the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba and the laws.
About this source
Cuba's single official gazette, run by the Ministry of Justice. An instrument's identity includes its gazette reference - Ley 171/2024 is GOC-2026-290-O39 - and there is no competing publisher of record. Three series: ordinaria, the regular run; extraordinaria, numbered separately and used for what must take effect on publication, so Ordinaria 39 and Extraordinaria 60 share the date 5 May 2026; and especial, which reprints a single instrument anotada y concordada with every amendment worked in and a footnote under each amended article naming the instrument that changed it. The special editions are the only consolidated Cuban law there is, and they are good: each states in its opening note the decree-law that ordered it and lists every amendment incorporated.
Standing: Issues the instrument
Cannot be cited for: Its online archive begins in 1990, which for migration means the law actually in force until 1 November 2026 - Ley 1312 of 1976, Ley 1313 of 1976 and the decrees-law 302 of 2012 and 327 of 2015 - cannot be read at the publisher of record while the laws replacing them can. Its own migration keyword index lists nothing earlier than 1999. It cannot be cited for consolidated law outside the especial series: an ordinaria or extraordinaria edition prints acts as made, and an amending decree-law there amends by instruction rather than by reprinting. A consolidation date must come from the masthead of the special edition and never from the name of the law or from the last amendment incorporated. Its PDFs break words across lines with a hyphen that survives into any verbatim quotation, and its summary pages are not always reliable - the customs special edition's contents page names the instrument Decreto-Ley 22/2021 while the decree printed two pages later is dated 24 November 2020. Nothing here is available through the extraction service in usable form; every reading was taken with pdftotext.
We re-read it every 21 days. More about this source
«Las personas comprendidas en el presente artículo no pueden identificarse en Cuba como ciudadanos cubanos, y a los efectos de la entrada y salida al país están sujetos a la presentación del pasaporte extranjero correspondiente, exigencia de visado y los docu- mentos de viaje que correspondan.»Our translation - not official
The persons covered by this article may not identify themselves in Cuba as Cuban citizens and, for the purposes of entry to and departure from the country, are subject to the presentation of the corresponding foreign passport, the requirement of a visa and the appropriate travel documents.
Applies to those who have renounced Cuban citizenship and had the renunciation accepted.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
Cuba's single official gazette, run by the Ministry of Justice. An instrument's identity includes its gazette reference - Ley 171/2024 is GOC-2026-290-O39 - and there is no competing publisher of record. Three series: ordinaria, the regular run; extraordinaria, numbered separately and used for what must take effect on publication, so Ordinaria 39 and Extraordinaria 60 share the date 5 May 2026; and especial, which reprints a single instrument anotada y concordada with every amendment worked in and a footnote under each amended article naming the instrument that changed it. The special editions are the only consolidated Cuban law there is, and they are good: each states in its opening note the decree-law that ordered it and lists every amendment incorporated.
Standing: Issues the instrument
Cannot be cited for: Its online archive begins in 1990, which for migration means the law actually in force until 1 November 2026 - Ley 1312 of 1976, Ley 1313 of 1976 and the decrees-law 302 of 2012 and 327 of 2015 - cannot be read at the publisher of record while the laws replacing them can. Its own migration keyword index lists nothing earlier than 1999. It cannot be cited for consolidated law outside the especial series: an ordinaria or extraordinaria edition prints acts as made, and an amending decree-law there amends by instruction rather than by reprinting. A consolidation date must come from the masthead of the special edition and never from the name of the law or from the last amendment incorporated. Its PDFs break words across lines with a hyphen that survives into any verbatim quotation, and its summary pages are not always reliable - the customs special edition's contents page names the instrument Decreto-Ley 22/2021 while the decree printed two pages later is dated 24 November 2020. Nothing here is available through the extraction service in usable form; every reading was taken with pdftotext.
We re-read it every 21 days. More about this source
Practical notes
Ley 172 comes into force on 1 November 2026. The constitutional article has been in force since 2019.
Nothing here states what the penalties for using a foreign citizenship in Cuba are. Ley 172 has a chapter on infringements and penalties which we did not read for this purpose.