Those affected say a failure in the consular system left applications unprocessed, and they fear losing their residence and work permits.
14ymedio, Havana, August 30, 2026 – Dozens of Cubans living in Serbia have spent months waiting for their new passports after an alleged computer failure prevented numerous applications submitted at the Cuban Consulate in Belgrade from being processed. The delay, which in some cases dates back to December 2025, now threatens to leave people who had until now been living and working legally in the country without legal status.
According to a complaint sent to 14ymedio by members of the Cuban community, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, more than 70 applications are reportedly pending. Those affected say the problem originated in the system used by the diplomatic mission to transmit to Cuba the data needed to produce the documents. They also claim that, after several technical sessions involving the mission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and computer agencies in Cuba, the system was restored, although the backlog of documents has still not arrived.
The Consulate reportedly collected the applicants’ data, but much of the information did not reach the central system on the Island correctly. According to the testimony received by this newspaper, while the procedure was considered completed in Belgrade, later inquiries indicated that some applications did not even appear as registered in Cuba. Although several passports were issued in February of this year, most remain pending, the complainants say.
“Applicants have fulfilled all the requirements, and we are the ones paying the consequences of an error we did not cause”
The delay goes far beyond the inability to travel. Serbian legislation requires that a passport presented when applying for or renewing temporary residence be valid for at least three months beyond the period of residence being requested. An application may be rejected if it does not meet that requirement.
For foreign workers, Serbia also provides for a single permit that combines residence and work authorization, meaning that the lack of a valid Cuban document can also affect the ability to legally keep a job. Permits can be granted for up to three years.
“Applicants have fulfilled all the requirements, and we are the ones paying the consequences of an error we did not cause,” the complaint states.
Serbian law does, however, provide an exceptional alternative. When humanitarian reasons, force majeure or circumstances related to the country’s interests exist, authorities may grant or extend temporary residence even to a foreigner who does not have a valid travel document.
For years, Serbia was an especially accessible destination for Cubans because they could travel there without a visa
According to those affected, the Cuban ambassador in Belgrade, Pavel Díaz Hernández, has made representations to Serbian authorities to prevent those waiting for their documents from facing immigration penalties. They also say that the Embassy’s first secretary, Milexy Pérez Reyes, told them that cases are being prioritized according to how long they have been pending and that new passports should begin arriving in September through the diplomatic pouch.
The Cuban presence in Serbia has grown significantly in recent years. The country’s Statistical Office recorded the immigration of 400 Cuban citizens in 2023, compared with 233 who left Serbia that year. Another 134 Cubans arrived in 2024, while 190 left, including some who had arrived in previous years.
For years, Serbia was an especially accessible destination for Cubans because they could travel there without a visa, a circumstance that also turned the Balkan country into a stopover on the migration route to the European Union. Belgrade eventually eliminated that privilege in April 2023 amid pressure from Brussels to align its migration policy with that of the EU.
Those affected are now demanding some form of certification they can present to Serbian authorities to prove that the lack of a valid passport is not due to their own negligence
Currently, Cubans with ordinary passports need a visa to enter Serbia. Holders of diplomatic or official passports, however, may remain for up to 90 days without one.
Since July 2023, the Cuban passport has been valid for ten years for people over the age of 16 and costs 180 dollars or euros at consulates, while for minors it costs 140 and is valid for five years. The reform eliminated the old extensions that emigrants had to pay for every two years. For some applicants in Belgrade, however, the wait for that document is now approaching nine months.
Those affected are now demanding some form of certification they can present to Serbian authorities to prove that the lack of a valid passport is not due to their own negligence. They also want to know the actual status of each application and are asking that priority be given to those whose permits are close to expiring.
The administrative failure has thus produced a paradox: Cubans who arrived legally in Serbia and complied with the procedures required by that country now risk losing their status precisely because the State responsible for issuing their passports has been unable to deliver them.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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