Cuba residency and citizenship requirements: new law

Half a century of rules gone in a day: on November 1, 2026 Cuba's new migration, citizenship and foreigners laws took effect. The 24-month rule is dead, and foreigners now face a $1,000 non-refundable deposit and a probation year for permanent residence.

In detail

Cuba spent half a century under a migration law written in 1976, and on November 1, 2026 that law finally retired. Three new statutes took effect at once: Law 171 on migration, Law 172 on citizenship and Law 173 on foreigners, along with two government regulations. The famous 24-month rule, under which a Cuban who stayed abroad for more than two years lost resident status, is gone. Foreigners get a new ladder to permanent residence, complete with a probation year and a $1,000 non-refundable deposit.

The change matters to three groups: foreigners married to Cubans or planning to live on the island, investors, and Cubans living abroad. Here is what changed, what it costs and where the fine print bites.

What changed in Cuba on November 1, 2026?

The National Assembly of People's Power passed the laws back on July 19, 2024, but they appeared in the official gazette, Gaceta Oficial No. 39, only on May 5, 2026. Each law came with a 180-day lead time, which ran out on November 1. Decree 136/2025 (the regulation of the Migration Law) and Decree 137/2025 (the regulation of the Foreigners Law) took effect alongside them.

Law 171 replaces Law 1312 of 1976 and its 2012 and 2015 amendments. Law 172 is the country's first standalone citizenship law. Law 173 replaces the old foreigners law, also from 1976. The backdrop is demographic: according to official figures, Cuba's population fell by 313,414 people in 2025, ending the year at 9.43 million.

What is effective residence and why did the 24-month rule go?

Instead of counting months abroad, the law introduces residencia efectiva migratoria (effective migratory residence): you are a resident if you spent most of the previous year in Cuba. The regulation sets the numbers:

• More than 180 days a year. The migration service recognizes residence on its own, without an application. Days add up, so there is no need for six consecutive months.
• Between 120 and 180 days. You can request residence by proving ties to the country: marriage, close family on the island, paid work, housing, investments, bank accounts or taxes paid.

This matters directly to foreigners. Permanent residence lapses after a year of continuous absence, and other resident statuses after 6 months. Anyone planning a life split between two homes will need to keep a calendar like an accountant.

How can a foreigner get Cuban residency under the new law?

Law 173 divides foreigners into non-residents (visitors, diplomats and official guests) and residents. There are five resident statuses:

You can apply for permanent status on one of these grounds: marriage or a registered union with a Cuban who lives on the island; being the parent of a Cuban-born child; more than 5 years in Cuba under another resident status; high professional qualifications or international standing in science, sport or culture; substantial wealth abroad or in a Cuban bank; or funds to start a business or invest in projects that matter for the country's development.

How much does permanent residence in Cuba cost and what is checked?

The headline innovation is the probation year. A foreigner first becomes a provisional resident and only then a permanent one. The regulation requires:

• A $1,000 deposit. Paid at a Cuban bank in dollars, euros or another freely convertible currency, and not refundable. The applicant and every foreign family member each pay it.
• Health insurance for the entire period.
• Lawful income sufficient to live in Cuba, plus an active account at a Cuban bank.
• Conduct and integration, including taking part in activities run by social organizations. Membership is not required, but the box will need filling with actual attendance.

The timelines are written down: up to 180 business days to review the initial application, up to a year of probation, and up to 60 business days for the permanent residence decision. After a refusal you must leave and wait 2 years before trying again. An approved permanent resident must reach effective residence within a year, or the status exists only on paper. Anyone who held permanent residence before November 1, 2026 keeps it without the deposit or a new review.

For comparison, Latin America has plenty of countries where residence comes without a probation year or civic duties. See our overview of residence permits by country and our pages on Panama, Uruguay and Mexico.

How can a foreigner get Cuban citizenship?

Law 172 puts the naturalization requirements in one place for the first time. A foreigner must:

• be an adult;
• hold permanent residence for at least 5 years, or at least 2 years for the spouse or parent of a Cuban-born citizen;
• work or carry out an authorized economic activity if of working age;
• have no convictions for terrorism, human trafficking, drug offenses, money laundering or other serious crimes;
• pass a citizenship exam;
• provide two notarized letters from Cuban-born citizens who have lived on the island for more than 5 years, are not related to you and have known you for at least 3 years.

A year after filing, the applicant must confirm the application before a notary. A naturalized citizen who moves abroad must confirm at a consulate every 3 years that they wish to remain Cuban, or the citizenship can be withdrawn. There is no separate Cuba citizenship by investment program: an investor follows the same route through permanent residence, which means at least 6 years including the probation year.

Does Cuba allow dual citizenship?

Acquiring another nationality no longer costs you Cuban citizenship. Inside Cuba, however, only Cuban citizenship counts: transactions made there on a foreign passport are void, and a Cuban-born citizen who enters or leaves on a foreign passport faces a fine of 300 to 500 penalty units (cuota, worth 100 to 200 Cuban pesos each). The ordinary adult passport is now valid for 10 years instead of 6.

There are welcome provisions too. Grandchildren of a Cuban born on the island can obtain citizenship by birth even if their parents were born abroad. Renunciation now has a formal procedure: the applicant must be over 18, hold another nationality, live abroad and owe nothing to the state.

The uncomfortable part is real. The law keeps the state's power to block exit on 11 grounds and, in exceptional cases, to limit its own citizens' entry. The President can strip citizenship for acts abroad against the country's highest interests. Such decisions can be challenged administratively and then in court.

What does this mean for Cubans abroad?

Cubans are now either residents on the island or residents abroad. Emigrado (emigrant) status is no longer granted to anyone new: those who already hold it can switch to resident-abroad status through a consulate, with an answer due within 90 business days. Residents abroad keep the right to own and dispose of property in Cuba and to apply for family reunification. Those who take part in the island's economy get a separate category, inversores y de negocios (investors and business people).

Many Cubans are building their lives in another country, so a second citizenship is a practical question. Some families have Spanish roots, in which case it is worth reading about Spain's grandchildren law. Anyone heading for the United States will find the routes in our guide on how to move to the US. And for supporting relatives on the island, see our advice on how to send money to Cuba.

Our residency and second citizenship services

We help you choose a country that fits your goal and guide you through the whole process, from the first residence permit to the passport, with locally licensed lawyers.

If you earn remotely, look at digital nomad visas, and the tax side of changing residence is covered in our section on taxes abroad.

What are the alternatives to Cuba?

Cuba remains a choice of the heart: family, marriage, love for the island. If the goal is a practical second passport and freedom to travel, the rational move is to look elsewhere. The Dominican Republic grants residence without civic obligations, while Grenada and Dominica offer citizenship by investment with no years of residence and no exams. Where Cuba asks for a probation year, these countries ask for a source-of-funds check, and that is a great deal faster.

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