Cuba to Renew Passports of Citizens Living in the USA
Travel agencies will handle the paperwork
HAVANA TIMES — The Cuban Interests Section in Washington today announced that it will renew expired passports of Cubans residing in the United States who plan to travel in the coming months to the island, reported dpa news.
The good news from the island’s diplomatic mission comes despite having yet to find a solution to the suspension of consular services because of not having a bank that will handle its accounts.
The Cuban Interests Section issued a statement calling the measure “temporary” that will “create conditions in our Consular Office to renew expired passports or those coming due from those citizens residing in the United States who are booked to travel to Cuba in the period
May 15 to August 31, 2014.”
The procedure must be done through authorized travel agents who have “working relations” with the Consular Office at its headquarters in Washington. Although the measure is considered temporary, until a more permanent solution is found, the statement said the deadline “could be extended if the alternative solution implementation takes more time than expected.”
In February, Cuba announced the immediate and indefinite suspension of consular services in the United States do to the “impossibility” of finding a new bank to carry the accounts of its diplomatic mission after the previous one suspended service.
The delegation reiterated today, as it has done in recent months, that is has not yet managed to find a bank based in the United States to assume the bank accounts of the Cuban diplomatic missions “because of regulations arising from the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba.”
The US government has said repeatedly that it is “actively” working with the Cuban Interests Section to find a new bank, but until now, fruitlessly.
The decision to renew expired passports comes shortly after travel agencies booking tickets to Cuba from the United States received a directive from Havana in late April to prevent Cubans from boarding planes with expired passports under threat of “penalties.”
Cuba issues passports valid for six years, but requires an extension to be paid for every two years. Until late last month, the country’s immigration had accepted the entry of travelers without valid passports on the condition that they renew them in Havana due to the problems at its consulate in Washington.
Cuba requires all persons born on the island to enter with a Cuban passport even if they are now citizens with passports from another country.
Seems that is now easy for Americans to travel but for Cubans who are now US citizens……… To get a Cuban passport is both expensive and complicated. My partner had his passport stolen in Miami at the airport, now that he wants a new Cuban Passport, he was told that his birth certificate is NOT the proper document. He is waiting to get a new one from his sister but mail service from Cuba is chancy. He probably won’t get it so we wait until they find someone to bring it back personally….. CRAZY. But he loves his family and wants to see them.
There is some additional information here, but not a complete answer to your question:
” U.S. says it offered Cuba a solution to banking dilemma
The U.S. State Department says it came up with a “workable solution” to the banking dilemma that prompted Cuba to suspend its consular services in the United States but Cuba decided not to pursue it.
But it’s hard to say whether the solution was truly workable. Neither the State Department nor Cuba will disclose what it was.
“We are disappointed in this action, given that we had helped the mission identify a workable solution to its consular fee processing needs with ample time for its implementation,’’ said a State Department spokesperson. “That the Cuban Interests Section has not effectively pursued this option will result in hardship to Cuban and U.S. citizen travelers alike.”
Asked for details on the solution, a State Department employee responded, “Since these were confidential communications, this is a question best asked of the Cuban missions.”
But the Cuban Interests Section didn’t respond to an email or phone call seeking comment.”
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/20/3949521/us-says-it-offered-cuba-a-solution.html#storylink=cpy
Funny how this article doesn’t specify any solution what-so-ever only says that the Cuban Government has rejected the US’s solution. What was the solution??
What if I am applying for the 1st time for my Passport?? Its been over a year, and I havent heard nothing.. I have sent numerous EMails, and no response… What now???
Typically, the Castro regime is holding the Cuban people hostage again.
The Castro “government” is playing some kind of game with this issue of the banking crisis! The US got a solution for this problem but the Castros did not want to pursue it! And remember, there were other government who had problems like theirs! Would be nice to have those details in order to see who is really to blame!
ANTIGUA OBSERVER: US offers Cuba solution to banking woes
WASHINGTON, February 23, CMC – The United States Department of State says it had found a “workable solution” to the banking dilemma that prompted Cuba to suspend its consular services in the US. But the department claimed that Cuba decided not to pursue it.
“We are disappointed in this action, given that we had helped the mission identify a workable solution to its consular fee processing needs with ample time for its implementation,” said a State Department spokesperson.
http://www.antiguaobserver.com/us-offers-cuba-solution-to-banking-woes/