In the last hours, it was reported on measures that modify the validity and cost of the Cuban passport as of July 1, whose objective is to strengthen the ties between the country and its citizens residing abroad.
To expand the information on these new measures, the General Director of Consular Affairs and Attention to Cubans Resident Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the head of the Directorate of Identification, Immigration and Aliens of the Ministry of the Interior appear this Wednesday at the Round Table.
The radio-television program provides details on the scope of these provisions and answers questions and concerns of the population.
The general director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad of the Minrex, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, commented that there is a good level of acceptance of the measures, beyond satisfaction, because people appreciate that the dialogue between Cuba and its compatriots in the exterior continues, is invariable and follows the path undertaken in the dialogue of 1978.
Cuba adopted measures to protect nationals abroad, for which the senior official confirmed that the extension of stay abroad, beyond 24 months, automatic and free of charge, announced in March 2020 in order to support Cubans who were abroad during the critical period of covid-19.
The new provisions related to the validity and cost of the current passport are in line with the policy of continuous strengthening of Cuba's ties with its nationals abroad.
These are measures –Soberón Guzmán explained – that were being studied and that respond to aspirations raised by nationals abroad in meetings with officials and the Foreign Ministry.
He summarized the spirit of the measures quoting the words of the Cuban president during the Parliament session, when he affirmed that we must build a relationship with the Cubans of respect and admiration.
A passport with greater validity, without the need for extension and at a lower cost
Soberón specified that the new measures include extending the validity of passports from six to 10 years for Cuban citizens 16 years of age or older, and setting it at five years for minors. In addition, eliminate the requirement of extension every two years and reduce the cost of passports at consulates, setting the fee at 180 dollars/ euros for people over 16 years of age and 140 dollars/ euros for minors.
"In essence, we will have a passport with greater validity, without the need for an extension and at a lower cost," he alleged.
It was decided to equate the length of stay in Cuba of Cubans residing abroad and their foreign relatives (spouses and children), and to establish for those who emigrated before January 1, 1971, the requirement to present their Cuban passport to enter Cuba.
"This responds to the recognition in the Constitution of the principle of recognition of effective citizenship," the general director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad of the Minrex held.
In response to some questions from the population, he clarified that passports valid for 10 years will be those issued from July 1, 2023. "It is not possible to apply this measure retroactively, so a practical and realistic," he confirmed.
In addition, it was decided that passports with a validity of six years and those that will be issued soon coexist in time, until the first semester of 2029.
According to Soberón Guzmán, the issued passports have an issuance and expiration date, which is why placing a sticker to extend their life has been considered, but the volume of Cuban passports inside and outside the country is very large, and that would take a long time, and would go against the logic of the measures, which is to reduce procedures and costs.
International organizations related to the issue of passports recommend reducing the use of stickers, because they are falsifiable.
Another of the recommendations of the population was to extend the validity without placing anything in the document. The Minrex official explained that the responsibility of controlling the validity of passports couldn’t be transferred to foreign counterparts and airlines.
“Those authorities would have to start calculating when the passport was issued, if it is for a minor or an adult, how many years I should add… That is, it would go against the agility of the immigration clearance process that exists at the international level in the airlines.
A third option -he continued-, less beneficial for Cuban citizens, would be to establish that from now on passports are not valid, only those of 10 years, and that people have to get that passport.
He reiterated that the practical and objective approach, in addition to benefiting Cubans, is that these two passports coexist. As six-year passports expire, 10-year passports will take precedence.
"This does not imply that a Cuban citizen who has a six-year-old passport does not get a 10-year-old one," he said, adding that the reasons for this decision could be diverse, whether due to loss, theft, deterioration or the decision to renew. "There's nothing stopping it."
As of July 1, Soberón Guzmán stressed, it is not necessary to carry out the extension for any passport and it will maintain its current cost.
Passports issued in Cuba do not change their price
Colonel Mario Méndez Mayedo, head of the Ministry of Identification, Immigration and Foreigners, commented that one of the greatest concerns of the population collected in these first hours, after the measures were announced, refers to whether it is only for residents out of the country.
"The measures are for all Cubans," he simplified. “Some ask if the passport expired in December 2022, for example, is reactivated with these measures. It is important to reaffirm that the implementation date of the measures will be for passports issued from July 1, 2023 and those that are currently active do not lose their validity.
He specified that when reference is made to the price of passports abroad, it is because this is the one that varies significantly.
“Passports issued in Cuba, which are made in the processing offices, do not vary in price, which will continue to be 2,500 Cuban pesos.
They will not vary the cost or the currency to make the payment.
Nor have the requirements in relation to minors been modified.
What is being raised about the age limit of 16 years is because the International Civil Aviation Organization establishes regulations for passports that, as far as possible, are accepted by the countries, Méndez Mayedo described.
"At this time of change and updating of immigration measures, we see the opportune moment to correct that," he said.
“Until the age of 16, it is considered that the face is dynamically highly variable and, therefore, the passport issuance time must be reduced, the physiognomy changes. Passport requirements for minors have not changed. Among them, the supporting notarial documents of both parents to travel abroad are maintained, as well as Instruction 79 of the Supreme Court for when one or both parents are not there, and guaranteeing the departure of the minor with certain requirements is also still in force.
“The trip of minors abroad is something very protected and the families understand it. And these changes in physiognomy generated confusion at the borders”.
The head of the DIIE assured that, in the case of a minor who has a six-year-old passport, it is valid, "there are no problems."
What will happen to people who immigrated before January 1, 1971?
In another moment of the Round Table this Wednesday, May 17, the general director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad of the Minrex explained that the measures for people who emigrated before January 1, 1971 will allow eliminating the requirement of needing an entry permit each time they enter Cuban territory.
“These citizens can visit Cuba and enter with their foreign passport, but they have to apply for an entry permit at the Cuban consulate.
This measure is aimed at eliminating this requirement. Once the Cuban citizen obtains his Cuban passport, he can enter and leave Cuba as many times as he wants, when he wants, without any difficulty," he said.
"This will eliminate a measure that could be considered in some way discrimination, because he was a national who had to request an entry permit for his country of origin," he stressed.
According to Soberón Guzmán, another intention of the measure is to eliminate the differences between Cubans, since some could enter with a passport and others had to request a permit. "In this way, it is homogenized and everyone enters with their passport and without major difficulties."
He explained that facilities will be granted to this group of people for a year, so that they can come to Cuba and carry out the passport procedures.
"They will be able to travel to Cuba as they do today, with their foreign passport, with their travel permit and, when they can be identified, they obtain their passport and the other procedures related to that process are eliminated."
Requirement to extend to all passports is removed
Regarding the extensions, the head of the Ministry of Identification, Immigration and Foreigners affirmed that, as of July 1, 2023, the requirement to extend passports is eliminated, which applies to all.
"Neither passports issued with validity for six years nor those that will be issued in the future will need extension," he stressed.
It was also clarified at the Round Table that the Cuban immigration authorities will assess on a case-by-case basis people who appear without extension at the border, until June 30.
“We are aware that there are difficulties in our country with transportation, the transfer to do the paperwork. The Cuban immigration authorities will analyze at the border the cases that are presented without extension until June 30,” Méndez Mayedo said.
“Not only those who are leaving will be valued, but those who are entering. This is something we wanted to clarify, because it is in keeping with the spirit of the measures adopted. How many people can there be, we will see that on a case-by-case basis”, he added.
“This Wednesday, the offices opened and many wondered what they were doing with the extension. Some went to claim their digital stamp acquired by mail, when it has to be at ONAT. Even recently, it was reported about the facilities so that people can recover the money and the mechanisms established with the bank.
“This issue was reviewed with the Post Office, with ONAT it is being seen at the municipal level. The one that has a stamped stamp, on paper, there are other procedures.
Equate the times with permanent residents abroad
Later, Soberón Guzmán explained that concerns normally come from abroad. “Cubans, permanent residents abroad, known as emigrants or PRE [residence permit abroad], can be in Cuba for up to one year.
“This is another measure that was taken at the time in favor of relations between all Cubans abroad.
“Previously, it was a shorter time and it took up to a year, because it is considered that a person who permanently resides abroad has his life there, works, but there may be someone who wants to spend a long time abroad and has up to a year to be in Cuba.
“However, many Cubans residing abroad, or a part of them, have married foreign citizens, created families, and currently, foreigners who visit Cuba (not those who have some type of residence in the country, permanent or temporary) can be up to six months in national territory depending on the visa, the reason for the trip.
“When that family wants to come, mother, father, children, they would have a difficulty, because the Cuban citizen, father or mother, could stay for a while, but the foreign citizen could be a minor. With this measure, time is equated: the family, the father, the mother, and the children, may be in Cuba for as long as they want, the same amount of time, which can be up to a year, without this representing a problem.” pointed out the general director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad of the Minrex.
After the measure was announced, procedures remained at normal levels
The head of the DIIE reported at the Round Table that this Tuesday all the heads of the country were prepared by videoconference, "so that they would open the day with an explanation, both for those who went and did not know the news and for others who did they knew, and they were practical precisions, they were given new elements.
“Logically, we thought that passport procedures would decrease, but they remained at normal levels. It must be taken into account that the strongest change is abroad, in the price of the passport”.
He considered that the measure to eliminate the extension will have an impact on the processing offices. “For example, in the Plaza de la Revolución office, 20% of the people who attend do so for extensions.
“The behavior of the offices will be different from that of the consulates. There is a normal situation. Even, with a tendency to less presence of people”.