The Central Bank of Cuba published the , a regulation that removes the prior authorization previously required from joint ventures and national investors in international economic association contracts to open accounts in banks located abroad.
The provision was signed on September 1, 2026 by Juana Lilia Delgado Portal, president minister of the organization, and is published in the , on pages six and seven.
The regulation amends Resolution 53 of May 31, 2013, which for over a decade required those entities to obtain approval from the Central Bank before operating foreign accounts.
The text of the resolution itself acknowledges that "the economic and social transformations approved and the accumulated experience indicate the need to modify the regulations for the authorization and control of foreign accounts related to the various forms of foreign investment."
What changes with the new regulation?
The main change is the shift from a prior authorization regime to one of subsequent notification.
Article 1 of the resolution states that joint ventures and domestic investors involved in international economic association contracts, subject to the Foreign Investment Law, "may open accounts abroad without prior authorization from the Central Bank of Cuba."
Once the account is opened, the account holders have seven calendar days to inform the Central Bank in writing.
According to Article 2.2, "notification shall be made by means of written communication addressed to the undersigned, within seven natural days following the opening of the account."
That communication must detail the foreign bank and the location where the funds will be held, as well as the type of account, the currency, and the duration of validity. Any subsequent modifications or the closure of the account must also be reported to the regulatory body.
Supervisory powers that are maintained
Flexibility does not imply a relinquishment of control by the Central Bank.
Article 3 preserves the authority of the entity to request additional information: «the Central Bank of Cuba may request additional information regarding bank accounts abroad, when it deems necessary».
For its part, Article 4 places the responsibility of protecting the deposited funds on the holders themselves.
The regulation requires them to establish "measures to protect the funds deposited in the accounts, such as a signature regime, levels of authorization, internal information, procedures for account management, supervision regime, and any other measures that may be necessary."
The resolution comes into effect seven business days after the date of its signature, in accordance with its Second Final Provision.
Broader regulatory framework
Resolution 100/2026 is not an isolated measure. Official Gazette No. 73 Ordinary groups together a total of eight regulations related to the framework of foreign investment in Cuba.
Among them is the , which modifies the Investment Law, and the , which regulates personnel hiring in that area.
The package includes resolutions from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, the Ministry of Finance and Prices—which establishes tax exemptions for ecotourism and specialized tourism—the Ministry of Labor and Social Security regarding the labor regime applicable to foreign investment modalities, and two resolutions from the Ministry of Tourism concerning travel agencies and tourist transportation.
This regulatory framework is part of the reform process that the Cuban government has been approving throughout 2026.
In June of that year, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz presented a package of 176 economic and social transformations that included, among other measures, the opening of the banking system to private and foreign institutions and the possibility of foreign direct investment in private companies and cooperatives.
In July, the government issued a decree to attract foreign investors that expanded the possibility of evaluating businesses outside the official Opportunities Portfolio.
The Gaceta No. 73 published this Thursday represents a new installment of that process, with Resolution 100/2026 as one of its central instruments in the banking sector.
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