The Cuban content creator Claudia Álvarez Ferrales, residing in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, denounced the disproportionate cost that Cubans must bear to obtain their apostilled criminal records, an essential document for accessing the extraordinary regularization of immigrants in Spain.
Claudia posted a reel on Instagram and showed how, while a Colombian citizen pays around nine euros for their apostilled criminal record, a Cuban must pay between 150 and 350 euros through intermediaries, consultancy services, or private agencies, because the official channels are practically inaccessible for processing documents in Cuba.
"I just want to know how far and how long. Why is it harder for Cubans to get anything compared to the rest of the world?" Claudia asks at the beginning of the video.
He explains that prices vary "depending on whether you sell to the highest bidder or to someone who assures you they can get it done in less time," and openly criticizes the business that has been established around a process that, in theory, should be manageable through legal means.
"Honestly, it's outrageous, it's a total disrespect, the business they are doing with this, with something you should be able to request through legal channels, but due to the conditions in the country, the delays, and everything we already know about how things are handled, it's practically impossible," they state.
Claudia also highlights the double burden faced by Cuban emigrants: the precarious situation of those surviving on the island with a cost of living "as if it were Dubai," and the myth that Cubans abroad "have euros falling from the trees."
The immediate context is the extraordinary regularization of immigrants in Spain, approved through Royal Decree 316/2026, with applications open from April 16 to June 30, 2026, which could benefit up to 840,000 people in an irregular situation.
One of the requirements is to present a criminal record certificate from the country of origin, apostilled and translated if necessary. For most Latin Americans, this process is straightforward and affordable. For Cubans, however, the regime's bureaucracy, the lack of digitalization, and consular delays make it a costly process that relies on third parties.
The lawyer Mario Dueñas had already warned that the bureaucratic difficulties in Cuba jeopardized the possibility of many Cubans meeting the June deadline.
Furthermore, those who are excluded from the mass regularization face an even more uncertain outlook.
Claudia's video sparked an avalanche of responses from Cubans who immediately identified with the situation. One commenter wrote: "What we're going through is beyond words; my citizenship cost me 250 euros for each document, each document, for God's sake."
Another person added, "I don't see the light with so much bureaucracy, and it keeps getting more expensive and delayed."
The problem is not new. The Cuban passport has historically been one of the most expensive in the world, costing up to 800 dollars over six years including renewals.
Since April 2025, Cuba requires a valid passport to enter the country, which further increases the economic burden on emigrants.
"I'm not the only one who thinks this. I'm sure there are many more people who don't say it," Claudia concludes, before posing the question that titles her video: "Honestly, how far and how long will this go on?"
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