Spain Establishes Second Consular Office in Cuba: Key Services and Procedures

The General Consulate of Spain in Havana is set to inaugurate a new Visa Application Center in the Playa district on October 5th. This initiative aims to ease the longstanding backlog caused by the Grandchildren Law, according to the Spanish government's announcement.

Located at Avenida 31, between 18 and 14, house 1419 in Miramar-Playa, Havana, this new center will handle the submission and processing of applications and documentation, as well as the distribution of passports and resolutions. However, it is important to note that the ultimate decision regarding visa approvals or denials will remain solely with the General Consulate of Spain in Havana.

Phased Implementation of Consular Services

The rollout of services will occur in stages. Beginning October 5th, the center will manage short-stay (Schengen) visas and handle the collection of passports and resolutions. From October 12th, the center will expand to include national visas for purposes such as study, work, highly qualified professionals, non-lucrative residency, internships, and research.

Starting October 19th, the center will also process applications for family members of Spanish citizens and citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland. The visa delivery schedule at the new center will be Monday through Thursday from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM and Fridays from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM.

Appointment Booking and Transition

According to the official statement, booking appointments for consular services is free of charge. However, starting October 5, 2026, visa appointment requests at the new Visa Application Center in Cuba will incur a fee of 17 euros.

As of September 21st, the Bookitit platform ceased accepting new appointment requests for these services. Individuals who already have appointments or who submitted their applications before this date will not need to reinitiate the process; the new center will contact them directly via email.

Applications not yet transitioned to the new center will continue to be processed at the Velasco Palace headquarters, located at Zulueta Street number 2, corner of Cárcel, in Old Havana.

Addressing Growing Demand and Administrative Challenges

The establishment of this new center is a response to years of mounting pressure. The Spanish government has recorded 107,338 nationality applications submitted at the Havana consulate under the Law of Democratic Memory—commonly referred to as the "Grandchildren Law"—which represents 12.24% of all applications worldwide.

Although the deadline for new applications closed on October 22, 2025, thousands of cases are still being processed. The growing Spanish community in Cuba also contributes to the demand. By the end of 2025, the number of registered Spanish citizens in Havana had nearly doubled to approximately 185,000 over the past decade. Each new citizen brings with them the need for additional administrative services, such as passports, registrations, certificates, and renewals, further straining consular resources.

Throughout 2026, the consulate implemented measures to alleviate these pressures. In February, it increased weekly document legalization appointments by 35%, from 1,000 to 1,350, and further to 1,500 by July. In April, it began processing certain Schengen visas for another European country. Despite these efforts, complaints about delays and difficulties in securing appointments persisted.

In September, Spain's Supreme Court temporarily suspended the electoral registration of individuals who obtained nationality through the Grandchildren Law, although it did not annul the nationalities already granted or halt ongoing application processes.

The opening of the new center arrives amid high demand and political debate surrounding the legislation that overwhelmed the consular system.