As of March 1, the United States Embassy in Havana will charge all its consular services in US dollars. The diplomatic headquarters released a statement on Tuesday announcing that “it will no longer accept Cuban pesos” for visa payments, notarial services or parole.
“The Embassy of the United States does not accept the use of credit cards to pay for its services,” he added. the short note published on the official website of the diplomatic headquarters. The decision leaves out the national currency, with which until now part of the consular procedures could be covered, and requires payment with dollars in cash.
The measure was seen coming. The US consulate was not open to the public for three years, including the months after the monetary unification, carried out in Cuba in January 2021 and which eliminated the convertible peso (CUC) from circulation. After restarting visa processing last January, payment in Cuban pesos or dollars was allowed, a duality that many pointed out as untenable.
After restarting visa processing last January, payment in Cuban pesos or dollars was allowed, a duality that many pointed out as unsustainable.
The costs of managing an immigrant visa for family reunification, the type of procedures that since the beginning of this year have already been carried out again at the Havana consulate, amount to 325 dollarswhile those corresponding to the winners of the Diversity Lottery are 330.
Last June, it entered into force a resolution of the Central Bank of Cuba that prevents the consulates on the Island from converting their accounts in pesos to foreign currency. The measure caused the paralysis of consular services in several diplomatic headquarters that were forced to choose between charging their procedures in pesos or in freely convertible currency (MLC).
The consulates that chose to continue operating in Cuban pesos, the favorite option for citizens, who more easily have the national currency, can only make bank deposits in that currency and are not allowed to make transfers to MLC accounts or transfer funds To the exterior.
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