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Regulations / Cuba

Alcohol regulations in Cuba

How to import or export liquor and spirits to Cuba, how to register products and labels, the import duty and taxes, and how to get a licence to make alcohol there. Researched June 2026.

Research guide, not legal advice. Compiled in June 2026 from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page. Duty rates, fees and rules change often: confirm with the regulator, a customs broker or local counsel before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Status
Legal
Legal drinking age
18 (no explicit statutory consumption age; age of majority is 18 and Penal Code Art. 405.1 criminalizes inducing persons under 18 to habitually consume alcohol)
Legal purchase age
16 to 18 (18 in state-owned establishments, nightclubs, and most tourist resorts; 16 reported in some general retail contexts, though no unified national sales-age statute is confirmed)

Licence to make spirits (distillery and bottling)

Licences needed
State enterprise creation approval or Foreign Investment authorization (Law 118), Industrial Operating Licence, and Sanitary Licence (Licencia Sanitaria)
Authority
Ministry of the Food Industry (MINAL), Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX), and National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology (INHEM / MINSAP)
Documents
not confirmed
Fees
not confirmed
Time to obtain
not confirmed

Import licence and registration

Who can import
Authorized state-owned importing enterprises (such as ALIMPORT, Cimex, TRD Caribe, ITH) approved by MINCEX. Private MSMEs (MIPYMES) and cooperatives may import alcoholic beverages, though regulations require importing via designated state foreign trade enterprises.
Licences or registrations
Importer authorization in the National Registry of Exporters and Importers (RNEI) and specific import contract approvals
Authority
Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) and Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Cuba
Documents
Commercial invoice, bill of lading, packing list, certificate of origin, sanitary/health certificate, certificate of free sale
Fees
not confirmed
Time to obtain
not confirmed

Product and label registration

Required
yes
Process
Sanitary Product Registration (Registro Sanitario de Alimentos y Bebidas) prior to importation and commercialization
Authority
National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology (INHEM, formerly INHA), under the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP)
Documents and samples
Company and manufacturer details, commercial brand name, country of origin, 3 product samples, certificate of origin, health/sanitary certificate, certificate of free sale, and compliant Spanish label
Fees
not confirmed
Renewal
not confirmed
Time to obtain
not confirmed

Import rules

All commercial imports must be channeled through state-authorized importing entities. Shipments require a Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Free Sale, and Sanitary/Health Certificate from the country of origin. Stick-on Spanish labels are permitted if affixed prior to arrival at the Cuban port of entry.

Import duty on spirits (HS 2208)

Ad valorem customs duties under the Cuban Customs Tariff (HS 2208) are assessed on the CIF value (general Cuban tariff range is 0% to 30%, averaging 10%–15% MFN; exact line-item rate for 2208 not confirmed). Additionally, effective March 19, 2026, a specific import tax of 0.30 USD per liter applies to all imported alcoholic beverages, including whisky, rum, vodka, gin, liqueurs, and ethyl alcohol.

Excise and taxes

Special Tax on Products and Services (Impuesto Especial a Productos y Servicios) applies to alcoholic beverages under Law 113 (Tax System Law) and Decree-Law 107 (April 2025). Effective March 19, 2026 (Ministry of Finance and Prices resolution of March 6, 2026), all imported alcoholic beverages face a special tax of 0.30 USD per liter paid by both state entities and non-state actors (MIPYMES); domestic brands are exempt. Retail sales taxes also apply.

Retail and distribution

Sold through state-owned retail chains (in Cuban Pesos or Freely Convertible Currency - MLC), tourist hotels, state gastronomy establishments, and licensed private restaurants/bars (paladares) and MSMEs (MIPYMES). No national statutory dry days or uniform closing hours exist, though local municipal councils (CAM) and police regulate operating hours.

Online sale and delivery

Allowed; state platforms (frequently oriented toward foreign remittances in USD/MLC) and private MSMEs/restaurants offer online ordering and local home delivery, subject to general commercial licensing.

Labelling

Governed by Cuban Standard NC 108 (Labeling of Prepackaged Foods). Mandatory items in Spanish (stick-on labels allowed if applied before importation): product name, country of origin, commercial brand name, name and address of manufacturer, list of ingredients and additives, net content (metric), instructions for use and storage, date of manufacture or lot number/code, and expiration date (often exempted for beverages over 10% ABV). Statutory health warning requirements on labels are not confirmed.

Advertising

Historically banned in public media for nearly 70 years; legalized under Law 162 (Social Communication Law) and Decree-Law 102 on Advertising and Sponsorship (published June 2024, effective October 2024), overseen by the Institute of Information and Social Communication (IICS), which regulates and restricts alcohol advertising in broadcast, print, and digital media.

Legal definitions of spirits

Regulated by the National Office of Standardization (ONN) via Cuban Standards (Normas Cubanas - NC) and Protected Designation of Origin (DOP 'Cuba') rules for rum. Specific minimum ABV figures for individual spirit categories are not confirmed.

Dry or restricted areas

None nationwide; public consumption is generally legal, though public intoxication and drink-driving are penalized.

Recent changes

  • June–October 2024: Enactment and entry into force of Law 162 (Social Communication Law) and Decree-Law 102, legalizing and regulating commercial advertising and sponsorship in Cuban media while establishing restrictions on alcohol promotion.
  • August–September 2024: New private sector regulations tightened oversight on MSMEs (MIPYMES), shifting business approvals to local municipal councils (CAM) and restricting commercial activities.
  • March 19, 2026: Based on Decree-Law 107 (April 2025), the Ministry of Finance and Prices implemented a new special tax of 0.30 USD per liter on all imported alcoholic beverages (including spirits and beer), applicable to both state importers and private MIPYMES, while exempting domestic producers.

Opportunities for exporters

Demand for imported spirits exists primarily within Cuba's tourism hospitality sector, foreign-currency state stores (MLC), and private bars/restaurants (MIPYMES), particularly for categories not produced locally such as whisky, gin, and vodka. However, exporters face high barriers including mandatory state-intermediated importation, severe foreign exchange shortages, inflation, and the March 2026 special import tax of 0.30 USD per liter.

Regulators

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