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Cuban Embassy and Consulates of Cuba in Canada: Complete Guide

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Embassy of Cuba at 388 Main St, Ottawa, and consulate offices in Montreal and Toronto: address, email, phone extension, suite, hours of operation, etc.

Waving national flag of Cuba

Canada and Cuba established diplomatic relations in 1945, and Canada remained one of only two countries in the Americas that did not break off ties with Havana after the 1959 revolution. For more than eight decades, this uninterrupted relationship has shaped trade, tourism, and people-to-people contact between the two nations, and it is the reason the Cuban diplomatic network in Canada is so active today.

Tourism is the most visible part of the relationship. Canada is Cuba's largest source market: in 2025, 754,010 Canadian visitors travelled to the island, far more than any other country. Before the pandemic, more than one million Canadians went to Cuba every year. Cuba is also Canada's top export market in the Caribbean and Central American region, and Canada is the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in Cuba, with Canadian companies active in mining, energy, oil and gas, agriculture, and tourism.

For real people, these figures turn into paperwork. A Cuban family in Toronto needs a passport for a child born here. A Canadian from Quebec plans to marry in Havana. A company in Alberta signs a supply contract with a Cuban partner. Each of these cases ends up at the embassy in Ottawa or at one of the two consulates. Below, I have collected the official contacts of all three offices, the services they provide, and the exact steps to get a Canadian document accepted in Cuba.

If you need a certified Spanish translation, notarization, or full legalization of Canadian documents for Cuba, I can take care of the entire process for you. Contact me to get a clear timeline and an exact quote.

Contact Details

Cuba is represented in Canada by an embassy in Ottawa and two consulates general, in Montreal and Toronto. The embassy handles political, economic, and cultural relations with the Government of Canada, while its Consular Section, together with the consulates, serves Cuban citizens and foreign nationals who need Cuban documents, visas, or legalizations. The Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Canada is H.E. Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz.

All three missions publish their information on the official Cuban Foreign Ministry portal, CUBADIPLOMATICA (misiones.cubaminrex.cu). In-person visits are generally arranged by appointment, so it is best to write by email first and explain the procedure you need. The offices are closed on both Cuban and Canadian public holidays.

Cuban Embassy in Ottawa, Canada (Embassy of Cuba, Consular Section)

General Consulate of Cuba in Montreal, Canada (Consulado General de Cuba en Montreal)

Consulate General of Cuba in Toronto, Canada (Cuban Consulate Office)

Consular Services List

The Cuban consular network in Canada provides services to three main groups: Cuban citizens living in or visiting Canada, Canadians and other foreign nationals who plan to travel, work, or settle in Cuba, and companies doing business with Cuban partners. Each request has its own procedure and requirements, so before you submit anything, confirm the current list of documents and fees with the consular office that serves your province.

For Cuban Citizens

For Canadian Citizens and Foreign Nationals

For Businesses and Organizations

Canadian Document Legalization Process

There are two types of legalization:

Cuba is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not enough for Canadian documents to be accepted there. To use official documents issued in Canada in Cuba, they must go through a full legalization process. According to the official Cuban consulate page, documents intended to take effect in Cuba must be legalized by the Cuban consulate after they have been previously authenticated by the Legal Department of Global Affairs Canada.

Step 1: Authentication

Documents must first be authenticated by the appropriate Canadian competent authority — either the Department of Global Affairs Canada or a designated provincial authority.

Since January 11, 2024, when the Apostille Convention entered into force in Canada, authentication responsibilities have been shared. Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa handles federal documents as well as documents from provinces and territories without their own designated office. Provincial authorities operate in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan — for example, the Official Documents Services (ODS) in Ontario. Because Cuba is not a member of the Convention, these authorities issue a certificate of authentication rather than an apostille.

Keep in mind that private documents and copies, such as affidavits, single status statements, powers of attorney, and true copies of diplomas, must be signed before a notary before they can be authenticated. Provincial authorities also generally authenticate only documents issued or notarized within their own jurisdiction, and submission methods and processing times vary from office to office.

Step 2: Legalization

Subsequently, the document goes to the Cuban consulate for your province. You can drop it off or send it by mail. Cuban offices usually want a certified Spanish translation as well. Get it done early, because it's much harder to add one after the consulate has already stamped your papers.

Payment rules are strict. For applications sent by mail, the payment must be done by money order or certified check payable to "Consulado de Cuba en Montreal" (or to the office you apply to). Personal checks and cash are not accepted. You must also include a pre-paid safe envelope with a tracking number so the consulate can return your documents. For services requested in person, the accepted means of payment are Interac debit card, money order, or certified check from a Canadian bank.

It's rarely a big problem that holds up a Cuban legalization. More often, a seal is missing or the authentication certificate lists another country. The consulate is also strict about payment: if the money order doesn't match what they asked for, or your return envelope has no tracking number, the documents come back unprocessed. Spend ten minutes double-checking before you mail them.

I handle the whole chain for clients across Canada: certified Spanish translation, notarization, authentication, and legalization at the Cuban consulate, with delivery back to you. Get in touch with me, and I will prepare your documents so they are accepted in Cuba the first time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last year's information on a Cuban consulate's website may still be sitting there today. The same can happen here, even though I correct this page whenever I learn about a change. So before you head to the consulate or post your originals, write to them and ask whether the requirements are still the same.

Do Cuban passports still need an extension every two years?

That requirement is gone. For years, Cuban passports had to be extended every two years through a paid prórroga at the consulate. Cuba ended this on July 1, 2023, and older passports don't need the extension either.

Validity also changed. A new passport issued to a Cuban citizen who is 16 years of age or older is valid for ten years, while passports for children under 16 are valid for five years. When your passport does expire, contact the consulate to learn whether you need to appear in person.

Is the WhatsApp link from the consular office official?

Yes. The Consular Section of Cuba in Ottawa has announced an official WhatsApp channel on its CUBADIPLOMATICA page. You can follow the link to access our menu and receive all the information you need about the procedure you want to complete, as the embassy describes it.

Before writing an email, you can open the WhatsApp menu and see which papers your procedure requires. Scammers sometimes copy the name and logo of the Cuban embassy, so for your security, start the chat from the link on the CUBADIPLOMATICA website. If an account you found elsewhere asks for your card number or a passport photo, don't send anything.

Which Cuban office in Canada should I contact?

The embassy in Ottawa and the consulates general in Montreal and Toronto each serve a specific part of the country, and requests are normally handled by the office responsible for your place of residence. Quebec residents typically work with Montreal, while Ontario residents are usually directed to Toronto or Ottawa.

If you are not sure, send a short email to the nearest office, describe your procedure, and ask which consulate will accept your application. Sending documents to the wrong office is one of the easiest ways to lose time.

Do Canadians need to visit a Cuban consulate before a holiday in Cuba?

For a standard tourist trip, usually not. The old paper tourist card has been replaced by an electronic visa, and travellers flying directly from Canada often receive it through their airline or tour operator. You must also complete the D'Viajeros form before departure.

The Government of Canada reminds travellers that proof of medical insurance valid in Cuba is required on arrival. A consular visit is needed only for non-tourist visas, such as work, study, or journalism.

When are Cuban diplomatic offices in Canada closed?

Besides weekends and Canadian statutory holidays, the offices close on Cuban national holidays: January 1 and 2 (Triumph of the Revolution), Good Friday, May 1, July 25 to 27 (National Rebelliousness Day), October 10 (Independence Day), December 25, and December 31.

Late July and the end of December are the tricky periods: the offices close for several days in a row, and mail and courier deliveries slow down. If you have a deadline around those dates, send your documents a few weeks earlier.

Do Canadians need to visit a Cuban consulate before a holiday in Cuba?

Before booking, check the Government of Canada's travel advice for Cuba. In 2026, the advisory level was raised to "Avoid non-essential travel," and several Canadian airlines suspended flights due to fuel and electricity shortages on the island.

Need Help With Documents for Cuba?

Documents for Cuba take more steps than for most countries. A typical file goes to a notary, then to Global Affairs Canada or a provincial office, then to the Cuban consulate, and usually to a certified Spanish translator as well. If one step goes wrong, for example the authentication certificate names the wrong country, the consulate sends the whole package back and you start over.

I offer complete support from the first review of your documents to their legalization at the Cuban consulate. Contact me today, and I will explain the exact requirements for your case, give you a clear timeline, and take the paperwork off your hands.