Cuban civil documents for USCIS — certified translation, done right.

Which document to request in Cuba

Civil-status records in Cuba are issued by the Civil Status Registry (Registro del Estado Civil) under the Ministry of Justice (MINJUS), which issues certificaciones of birth, marriage, death and single status; requests can be started online at minjus.gob.cu, but payment and collection take place in Cuba. The documents most often needed for a U.S. immigration file, and what they are called:

What USCIS requires

The rule is short and it is the same for every country. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3):

Any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language translation which the translator has certified as complete and accurate, and by the translator's certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

Three consequences follow. The translation must be complete — every stamp, seal, marginal note and handwritten entry, not just the boxes with names and dates. It must be accompanied by the translator's signed certification of accuracy and competence; the regulation does not require the certification to be notarised, though notarisation is available when a court or consulate asks for it. And the underlying record is normally filed as a copy: 8 CFR 103.2(b)(4) refers to the form instructions, which ask for copies, and 8 CFR 103.2(b)(5) allows USCIS to request the original at any time, returning it after adjudication.

If a record does not exist or cannot be obtained, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(2) requires proof of that and secondary evidence — church or school records, then affidavits — which must themselves be translated.

Apostille: when you need one, and when you don't

Cuba is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so its documents cannot be apostilled; for use in countries that require authentication they are legalised instead, through the chain described below. Nothing in 8 CFR 103.2(b) or in the USCIS form instructions asks for legalisation of a foreign civil record or of its translation: for a USCIS filing the certified translation is the requirement.

Cuba: points that come up in practice

Cuba is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Documents for use abroad are legalised instead: since February 2025 the Ministry of Justice (MINJUS) has taken over from the Foreign Ministry (MINREX) the whole legalisation procedure, and certificates issued through the MINJUS digital platform with the registrar's electronic signature no longer need it. USCIS does not require legalisation of a Cuban certificate — it requires the certified English translation.

How the translation is delivered

Send a scan or photo of the document and say where it is going — USCIS, the National Visa Center, a consulate, a court, an Italian comune. A written quote covering scope, format, notarisation if needed and timeline returns within one business day. The translation follows the conventions USCIS and U.S. courts expect: the source document's layout preserved where possible, seal and signature locations marked, page numbering matched, any illegible portion clearly noted, and every name reproduced exactly as it appears in the source, accents and both surnames included (see the name in official documents). Delivery is a PDF of the translation with the signed certificate of accuracy; notarised originals are couriered where required. Rates are on the pricing page.

Questions clients ask

Sources

Checked on 21 September 2026:

• MINJUS — Registro del Estado Civil
• Granma, 3 Feb 2025 — legalización pasa al MINJUS
• HCCH — status table (Cuba not listed)
• 8 CFR 103.2(b) — Legal Information Institute

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This page is for general orientation only. It is not legal advice and does not substitute for advice from licensed counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Terminology varies between countries and between civil-law and common-law systems; the equivalents shown here are the most common in cross-border practice.