Registration at an Address Does Not Confer Property Rights, Declares National Assembly

On July 30, 2026, Cuba's National Assembly of People’s Power ratified Law 188, titled "Personal Identity and Domicile System." This legislation explicitly clarifies that being listed at a particular address does not create any property rights over the residence, nor does it allow occupation without the owner's consent.

The law was officially published in Cuba's Official Gazette No. 67 Ordinary of 2026 on August 14, after being unanimously approved during the Tenth Legislature's Seventh Ordinary Period of Sessions.

The formalization of the approval was carried out through Agreement X-180, signed by Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly. It mandates that the law must be endorsed by the President of the Republic before it comes into full effect.

Clarifying Domicile and Ownership

A key aspect of the legislation is its clear differentiation between domicile and ownership, a distinction that has historically caused confusion in Cuba.

According to the approved text, a domicile is described as "a legal-administrative attribute, not a property title nor a means to convert residence into ownership rights over the property."

Every Cuban citizen or foreign resident can only have one registered domicile, which must be kept current with the appropriate authority, falling under the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and specifically handled by the Directorate of Identification, Migration, Foreign Affairs, and Citizenship.

Introducing Digital Identity and Biometrics

The law also introduces a unique, permanent, and non-transferable identifier for each individual, along with a digital identity for electronic transactions.

Biometric data associated with identification will include photographs, fingerprints, voice samples, iris scans, skin color, eye color, and height.

Additionally, the legislation outlines a sanctioning regime with violations categorized as minor, serious, or very serious.

Reactions and Concerns

Law 188 replaces Decree-Law 248 of 2007, which previously regulated the identification and domicile registration system in Cuba.

The ruling was presented by the Commissions on Constitutional and Legal Affairs and National Defense and Internal Order of the National Assembly, as stated in Agreement X-180.

Prior to its approval, the proposal sparked public debate. Emigrated Cubans raised concerns about maintaining a registered domicile in Cuba while living abroad. The legislation addresses this by allowing Cuban consular offices to process Personal Identity and Domicile Registry requests for citizens residing overseas.

Human rights organization Cubalex warned that consolidating identity, biometrics, and domicile into a single state-run system managed by MININT could become a "surveillance infrastructure disguised as a civil procedure," highlighting the lack of sufficient safeguards to limit the use of collected data.

Official Gazette No. 67 lists a total of 17 laws ratified in that legislative session on July 30, including Law 187 on Housing and Law 189 on the Labor Code.