The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba (MINREX) confirmed this Wednesday that several measures remain in force for Cubans abroadestablished since 2020 in response to difficulties caused by the pandemic.
“We reiterate to our nationals that the extension, automatic and free of charge, of uninterrupted stay abroad, beyond 24 months, remains in force until further notice, without implying loss of the status of residents in the national territory,” he wrote in his Twitter profile Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, general director of consular affairs and attention to Cubans residing abroad of the Island’s Foreign Ministry.
In addition, Soberón added that “se remains in force that Cuban citizens residing in the national territory who have been unable to return to Cuba during COVID-19 can return, exceptionally, with your passport expired and not extended”.
It remains in force that Cuban citizens residing in the national territory who have been unable to return to #Cuba during Covid-19 they can return, exceptionally, with their passport expired and without extension.
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– Ernesto Soberón (@SoberonGuzman) June 22, 2022
These temporary measures have been maintained even when Cuba gave the green light to the large-scale resumption of international air operations since last November, thanks to the improvement in the epidemiological situation and in search of the necessary reactivation of the economy.
On March 19, 2020, the MINREX announced that “Cuban citizens close to completing 24 months” abroad would not need to request extensions at the island’s consulates to maintain their “status of permanent residents in the national territory.” Then, the Foreign Ministry assured that the measure would allow those who were in this case “to remain outside of Cuba until further notice.”
However, in October of the same year it was announced that Cubans residing on the Island, who after March 19 had not been able to return to the country before the expiration of the 24 months, could remain abroad until October 12, 2021 without losing their permanent residence.
In addition, the Cuban consulates reestablished the tariff for each month of extension abroad, after the announcement by Havana of a new plan to confront COVID-19 and the then entry of most of the country into the so-called “new normality”. ” due to the improvement of the health situation that the Island was experiencing at that time.
The provision, however, was quickly rectified, after criticism and discomfort generated in a large part of the Cuban community abroad. Just four days after the reestablishment of the charge, the MINREX announced which extended “the possibility for our nationals to return to the country without having to carry out consular procedures to extend their stay abroad, while this situation persists.”
So Soberon explained that the collection of the extension for the stay of Cubans abroad beyond the 24 months established by law would remain suspended until “normality is achieved in terms of regular flights”, but then its term has continued to be extended Until now, no date for its completion has been reported.
last februarythe diplomat commented to the press that they had not yet been created “all conditions” to change the setting. “Once it is appreciated that there is a change in the conditions that led us to adopt these decisions at the time, then the issue of the future of these measures will be analyzed. For now, they remain until further notice with the aim of facilitating the return of nationals to Cuba”, he reiterated.
