Distillers 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 Spotted something out of date?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)
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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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