Relocation intelligence
🇨🇺 Moving to Cuba: tax, residency and cost of living
Cuba levies progressive income tax up to 50% on the self-employed; state employees earning below the exempt threshold generally pay no income tax. The effective burden on an income worth roughly EUR 54,000 is around 50% for the self-employed. Corporate tax is 35%. The country is a one-party state with a dual-currency history and a wide gap between the official and informal exchange rates. The economy faces shortages and limited private freedom.
Thinking of moving to Cuba? Here is the tax, residency, property and quality-of-life picture in plain numbers, with sources.
Key facts
- Top income tax
- 50%
- Corporate tax
- 35%
- Capital gains
- 0%
- Wealth tax
- No
- Inheritance tax
- Yes
- Cost of living index
- 35
- Safety
- 4/10
- Internet quality
- 2/10
- Visa-free destinations
- 67
- Foreigners can own property
- No
- Residency in
- 6 months
- Citizenship in
- 5 years
Taxes
Progressive income tax up to 50% for the self-employed, effectively around 50% at EUR 54,000; state employees generally pay no income tax. Corporate tax 35%.
Residency and visas
Settling for foreigners is limited and bureaucratic, and the private sector is small and tightly regulated.
Property ownership
Foreigners generally cannot own property; ownership is largely held by the state or Cuban citizens.
Cost of living and quality of life
Cuba is relatively safe with decent basic healthcare, but faces shortages, low wages, limited freedoms and aging infrastructure.
Passport and mobility
The Cuban passport gives visa-free access to about 67 destinations.
Why people move to Cuba
Decent basic healthcare and safety
By regional standards Cuba has a strong health system and low violent crime.
Opening private sector
The private sector is cautiously growing via the self-employed and SMEs, with opportunities for those who can navigate the bureaucracy.
Honest trade-offs
- Cuba is een eenpartijstaat met beperkte politieke en economische vrijheden, tekorten aan basisgoederen en lage lonen.
- Er bestaat een grote kloof tussen de officiele en informele wisselkoers; de hier gebruikte koers is de officiele koers, waardoor de effectieve waarde van inkomen sterk kan afwijken.
- Buitenlanders kunnen doorgaans geen vastgoed in eigendom hebben; eigendom is grotendeels in handen van de staat of burgers.
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