The Spanish Consulate General in Havana announced this Tuesday that since July 1, it has increased the availability of appointments for document legalization to 1,500 slots per week, and reminded that the service is completely free of charge.
"It is reported that since July 1, the Consulate General has increased the appointments for document legalization to 1500 weekly appointments. Please remember that the appointments are free,” published the official account of the Consulate on X.
An accumulated increase of more than 50% compared to 2025
This is the third significant capacity expansion so far this year. In 2025, the consulate offered 1,000 appointments per week. In February, the consulate increased the available appointments by 35%, rising to 1,350 slots.
With the jump to 1,500 starting July 1, the accumulated increase compared to a year ago exceeds 50%.
Despite these efforts, the system remains overwhelmed.
In June, a black market for appointments was reported, with charges of up to 300 euros for priority scheduling, and waits for some procedures reaching 19 months.
Reactions: More appointments, but delays continue
The announcement was met with skepticism by many users, who acknowledged the increase in available spots but warned that delays persist in other processes.
“It's perfect, but now it is necessary that the credentials for legalization also be 1,500 weekly; otherwise, we won't accomplish anything”, commented an internet user.
Several Cubans demanded answers regarding the verification of title seals and academic certifications, especially those corresponding to 2025. "Thousands of doctors are stalled due to the verification of these seals. We are tired of waiting and not receiving a response," stated one user. Another asked, "When will the seal verification for 2025 for the homologation of Cuban doctors in Spain take place?"
There were also repeated reports about the alleged actions of agents who hoard appointments through automated systems to resell them later. "It's impossible to secure residency visa appointments through agents and people with bots who sell them at very high prices. It's time to take action on this matter," wrote a user.
Others affected claimed to have been waiting weeks or even months for credentials and appointments to legalize documents.
One citizen claimed to have requested an appointment in June for four certificates without having received a response yet, while another indicated that they had been waiting for over a month for their credentials and reported that some agencies charged up to 450 euros for processing documents.
Criticism also extended to consular registrations, with users reporting delays of up to a year and a half, as well as the subsequent processes in Spain.
“Documents are legalized and then in Spain it takes more than a year to verify them,” lamented another internet user.
Overall, the reactions indicate that the increase in appointments is seen as a positive step, but insufficient in light of the backlog of cases, lack of responses, and the difficulties in accessing appointments without resorting to intermediaries.
How to request the appointment: step by step
The procedure requires that you first register on the official platform by sending an email to cog.lahabana.cleg@maec.es with the exact subject "CITA LEGA".
The message must include the full name(s) in uppercase without accents, Cuban identity card number, DNI or NIE without spaces or dashes, date of birth, email address, and contact phone number.
Additionally, a clear photograph of the applicant along with their identification document and copies of the documents to be legalized must be attached, with a maximum of seven per appointment.
The exception is the files from the Ley de Memoria Democrática, for which there is no limit.
The official website for legalization and apostille warns that this account "does not respond to inquiries of any kind, only accepts registration requests in the Cita Previa application. Any other emails will be ignored and deleted."
Delivery and pickup schedules
Documents are submitted at window #3 (Zulueta Street), from Monday to Thursday between 08:00 and 13:00 hours, and on Fridays from 08:00 to 11:00 hours.
The collection of legalized documents is carried out at the same window, from Monday to Thursday from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM and on Fridays from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM.
Appointments are non-cancellable, and ownership cannot be transferred once obtained. Those managed by intermediaries are automatically cancelled.
The frustration of Cubans with an exhausting process
The announcement comes in a context of deep frustration. In June, the Cuban Yuni Rodríguez went viral with a video denouncing that the documents expire before they can be used:
"In Cuba, there are delays with power outages that hinder you; by the time you obtain something, legalize it through MINJUS, and wait for the infamous credentials to be legalized at the Spanish consulate in Cuba, which are taking over two months, by the time you legalize it and it gets sent to Spain, the document is already expired."
Part of the structural problem is that Cuba is not a signatory to the Hague Convention of 1961 on apostille, which requires a double legalization process that can take up to six months and cost between 300 and 400 euros just for criminal records.
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