What to Do When Someone Dies in Cuba as a Foreigner

The phone call comes without warning. Someone you love has died in Cuba, and you have no idea what happens next. The procedures are nothing like what you'd expect in the US, UK, or Canada — every step runs through state-controlled agencies, and the clock starts immediately.

Here's what actually needs to happen, in order, during the first 72 hours.

Contact the Police and Secure the Scene

If the death occurred outside a hospital — in a hotel, casa particular, or public space — the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) must be contacted first. They will secure the scene and notify the municipal prosecutor's office (Fiscalía), which has jurisdiction over all foreign deaths.

The remains are placed under state custody until the prosecutor issues a written release. You cannot move the body, arrange transport, or contact a funeral home independently.

If the death happened in a hospital, the attending physician issues the initial medical death certification and hospital staff coordinate directly with authorities.

Activate ASISTUR Immediately

ASISTUR S.A. is Cuba's state-designated medical assistance and insurance agency. It is the single entity that coordinates between police, medical examiners, funeral homes, and insurers for foreign nationals.

Call ASISTUR's 24-hour alarm center in Havana: (+53) 7 866-4121 or 7 866-8920.

If the deceased arrived on a direct flight from the US within 30 days of death, ASISTUR travel medical insurance is automatically included in the airline ticket. Activate it with the local office as soon as possible — coverage cannot be applied retroactively.

Understand the Mandatory Autopsy

Cuba requires a forensic autopsy for every foreign national who dies on Cuban soil, regardless of cause. Natural causes, accident, medical emergency — the autopsy happens regardless. The examination takes place exclusively at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Havana, which means the remains may need to be transported from wherever the death occurred.

This is not optional and cannot be waived by the family, the embassy, or travel insurance.

A critical detail many families learn too late: under Cuban forensic protocols, internal organs removed during autopsy are routinely retained by the facility and not returned to the body. Remains repatriated from Cuba arrive anatomically incomplete.

Register the Death Within 24 Hours

The death must be registered at the municipal Civil Registry (Registro del Estado Civil) in the district where the death occurred. Cuban law imposes a strict 24-hour deadline for this registration. ASISTUR typically coordinates this step, but the family or their representative should confirm it happened and obtain the initial death certificate (Certificado de Defunción).

This certificate is the foundation document — nothing else moves forward without it.

Notify Your Embassy

Contact the appropriate embassy in Havana:

• US Embassy: (+53) 7 839-4100, email [email protected]
• British Embassy: (+53) 7 214-2200
• Canadian Embassy: Emergency Watch Centre (+1) 613-996-8885

Consular officers will help verify identity, liaise with local authorities, and eventually issue the Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA). But they cannot pay for burial, repatriation, or any local services — those costs fall to the family, the estate, or travel insurance.

Make the Repatriation Decision Early

Within the first few days, you must decide: repatriate the body, cremate locally, or bury locally. Cuba's tropical climate and unreliable electricity make this decision time-sensitive — embalming must begin within 24-48 hours if you want to ship remains home.

Each option involves different paperwork, costs, and timelines. Repatriating a body requires embalming, a zinc-lined casket, and an export transit permit. Cremation is simpler but not available in all provinces.

The Cuba Expat Death Guide walks through every step of each option with exact documents, fees, and agency contacts so you don't miss a deadline that can't be recovered.

Someone Died in Cuba: English Speaker's Emergency Guide →