YES! If you are a US citizen, you are allowed to get married in Cuba.
There are several things you should keep in mind when going to Cuba to get married as an American:
1. All documents required by the Cuban authorities to allow you to marry in Cuba must first be legalized by the Cuban Embassy in Washington DC.
If your documents are not legalized by the Cuban Embassy in the United States, you will not be allowed to get married in Cuba. This process cannot be undertaken from within Cuba as American authorities must certify and authenticate your documents before the Cuban Embassy will accept them.
There are no exceptions.
2. The US trade embargo against Cuba is still active. This means that as an American citizen, you are not allowed to spend money at businesses which are seen to support the Cuban military.
Some of these include tourism companies such as GAVIOTA, which operates catamaran tours and other tourism ventures.
Certain hotels and resorts are also prohibited. This includes several popular all-inclusive resort chains such as Memories, Grand Memories, Iberostar, and Paradisus.
Americans are also not allowed to shop at certain stores such as Tienda el Navigante located in Havana.
3. Visa to Cuba for American citizens: American Laws
American citizens are not allowed to visit Cuba for the purpose of tourism.
However, as an American, you do not need to apply for special permission from the US government to visit Cuba if the purpose of your visit includes one of the 12 approved categories. These categories include family visits, journalism, educational activities, and professional activities.
If the purpose of your visit to Cuba does not fall under one of these 12 categories, then you must apply for advance permission from the US government to go to Cuba.
If you disobey the US laws governing travel to Cuba, you could find yourself being prosecuted criminally by the US government and subject to major fines as well as imprisonment.
4. Visa to Cuba for American citizens: Cuban Laws
Officially, American citizens must apply for a visa to Cuba in order to enter. The visa application must be submitted to the Cuban Consulate in Washington DC.
There are different kinds of visas pertaining to the reason for your visit such as a family visa, business visa, journalist visa, etc.
The length of time that the visa will be valid is at the discretion of the officer granting the visa. Usually a visa to Cuba is valid for 90 days and can be extended in person at the Cuban Immigration authorities office.
Cuba does not recognize dual US/Cuban citizenship – any person who holds both US and Cuban citizenship will be treated as a Cuban citizen according to the US government.
As always, make sure to confirm the laws governing your trip with all relevant authorities before you travel.
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Contact us for a free consultation to determine exactly which documents you need to get married in Cuba as an American citizen.
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