Cuba Embassy Washington

Before your visit

• Location: The embassy is in Washington, D.C., about 2.9 km in a straight line from the White House; the nearest large airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), about 8.1 km away. The nearest Metro station is Columbia Heights (less than 1 km). (distances: OpenStreetMap, airports: FAA passenger boarding data CY 2025)

About the Embassy of Cuba in the United States

According to the State Department’s Order of Precedence, the embassy is currently led by Lianys Torres Rivera as chargé d’affaires ad interim (rank: minister-counsellor), since 14 January 2021. The Congressional Directory lists no consular offices of Cuba elsewhere in the United States. In Cuba, the United States is represented by the U.S. Embassy in Havana (cu.usembassy.gov), according to the Congressional Directory.

Do Cuban citizens need a visa for the United States?

Cuba is not one of the 42 countries in the US Visa Waiver Program (Department of Homeland Security), so Cuban citizens normally need a US visa before travelling to the United States, also for short visits; visas are issued by US embassies and consulates abroad, not by the Cuban embassy in the United States.

Documents checklist

The most frequent applications and the documents the Cuban authorities ask for:

Renewing a Cuban passport abroad

• Renewal is possible for passports issued on or after 1 January 2010
• The consular application form (planilla)
• A photocopy of the passport’s main page
• Two colour passport photos, high resolution, light background, no dark glasses
• Cubans born abroad who acquired citizenship: the citizenship resolution and Cuban birth certificate
• Some consulates accept postal applications, others only in person (biometric data) – check with your consulate

Sources: Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs – passport renewal by e-mail or post, Consulate General of Cuba in Madrid (checked October 2026). Requirements and fees can change and individual posts may ask for more – confirm the current list with the embassy before your visit.

Other embassies in Washington, D.C.

175 other countries are represented in Washington, D.C., among them: Cyprus (embassy), Czech Republic (embassy), Denmark (embassy), Djibouti (embassy), Dominica (embassy), Dominican Republic (embassy), Ecuador (embassy), Egypt (embassy), El Salvador (embassy), Equatorial Guinea (embassy), Eritrea (embassy), Estonia (embassy), Eswatini (embassy), Ethiopia (embassy), Fiji (embassy), Finland (embassy), France (embassy), Gabon (embassy), Gambia (embassy), Georgia (embassy). The full list of all 176 missions is on the overview page for the United States.

Closing days

The eleven US federal holidays are New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January), Washington’s Birthday (third Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Juneteenth (19 June), Independence Day (4 July), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Columbus Day (second Monday in October), Veterans Day (11 November), Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Day. A holiday that falls on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before, one that falls on a Sunday on the Monday after – in 2027, for example, on 18 June, 5 July and 24 December. The embassy may also close on public holidays of Cuba.

Emergency assistance

In an emergency, Cuban citizens should call the embassy on +1 202-797-8515. In the United States, dial 911 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police (GOV.UK travel advice). US citizens who need consular help in Cuba can contact the U.S. Embassy in Havana.