Reviewed by Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) ·
Cuba’s only consular office is in Washington
Cuba has no consulate in Texas; the Texas Secretary of State’s list of foreign consulates has no entry for it. Consular work for the whole United States is done by the consular office of the embassy, which publishes its consular services page in Spanish. The page gives the postal address as Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, 2630 16th St NW, Washington DC 20009, the telephone (202) 797-8518 and the email recepcion@usadc.embacuba.cu.
The page explains how to apply by mail: include a prepaid return envelope with tracking, and pay with a United States Postal Service money order, because the office says it cannot accept another form of payment for applications made in person or by mail and will return the file. It also links to a list of agencies in Texas that work with the consular office. Every agency on that list is in Houston, and the list does not say that any of them handles a death, so ask before relying on one.
What Cuba publishes about returning a body or ashes
On the subject itself the consular page has a single paragraph, under the heading for the transfer of bodies and of ashes to Cuba. When a family wishes to take the body or the ashes of a Cuban citizen who died abroad to Cuba, the office advises relatives to contact local funeral services directly, which will inform them of the steps to follow before the consular office. It lists no documents, no fee and no timing for the transfer.
That leaves the real requirements to be obtained case by case. Write to the consular office with the person’s full name, Cuban identity details, the place and date of death, and whether a body or ashes will travel, and ask for its current requirements and fee in writing. Ask the relatives in Cuba to find out, from the funeral service that will receive the body there, what the health and customs authorities at the arrival airport will require. Do not order documents until both have answered.
Recording the death in Cuba
What the consular page does set out in detail is the transcription of a death, the entry of a death abroad in Cuba’s registry of acts and facts of Cubans abroad. It asks for the application form; the original death certificate, authenticated by the Department of State of the state that issued it and by the federal Department of State; a Spanish translation of the certificate, certified by a notary public; and photocopies of the Cuban identity document and the Cuban birth certificate of the person who died. Families usually need this record later, for inheritance and property in Cuba, even when the burial takes place in Texas.
Cuba is outside the apostille system
Cuba does not appear in the HCCH status table of parties to the Apostille Convention, which is why the consular page asks for authentication by the state and then by the federal Department of State. The Texas Secretary of State describes that path on its authentication page: for a country outside the Convention, a Texas document needs additional authentication from the Office of Authentications at the U.S. State Department. The consular office legalizes the document last.
The consular page lists 140 U.S. dollars for legalizing the original certificate, 140 for the Spanish translation and 140 for the transcription itself, plus 20 dollars when the application is not made in person. It also says that, as an exception that began with COVID-19 and continues until further notice, the legalizations associated with death transcriptions are carried out free of charge. Ask the office which amounts apply today.
From DFW to Havana
American Airlines publishes a route page from Dallas/Fort Worth to Havana (HAV), José Martí International Airport, that describes nonstop or connecting service, so ask which applies on the proposed date. American Airlines Cargo’s TLC page says its specialists work directly with funeral homes and mortuaries on the advance arrangements. We found no airline page that confirms acceptance of human remains to Cuba, so ask the cargo desk directly, and ask what it needs from the Cuban side before it will accept the booking. For a burial outside Havana, settle the onward transport with the family in Cuba first.
| Step | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Death certificate, preparation and Texas transit permit | The funeral director here |
| Texas and U.S. State Department authentication | Texas Secretary of State, then Washington |
| Requirements and fee for the transfer | Consular office of the Embassy of Cuba |
| Health and customs on arrival | The receiving funeral service in Cuba |
| Whether the airline accepts remains to Cuba | The airline’s cargo desk |
Who pays
The consular page says nothing about the Cuban state paying for a return, and we found no other official statement. Plan on the family, an insurer or an employer meeting the cost. The insurance and assistance guide lists places to ask.
Questions families ask about a return to Cuba
- Is there a Cuban consulate for Dallas?
- No. Cuba’s consular office for the whole United States is at its embassy in Washington, and the Texas Secretary of State lists no Cuban consulate in Texas.
- What documents does Cuba require to return a body?
- The embassy’s page does not list them. It advises relatives to work through local funeral services, which deal with the consular office. Ask the office for its requirements in writing.
- Does a Texas apostille work for Cuba?
- No. Cuba is not listed as a party to the Apostille Convention. The embassy asks for authentication by the state and by the federal Department of State.
Sources checked and case confirmation
Sources checked September 21, 2026. Cuba publishes no checklist, fee or timing for the transfer of a body or ashes, and we found no Cuban health or customs page on receiving remains. Confirm documents, fees, route and receiving arrangements for the individual case. Contact Vargas–London with the origin and destination to discuss the next step without sending medical or identity documents through the inquiry form.
