The foreign ministry said passports would be valid for 10 years, instead of six, for Cubans over 16 years of age, and cut by more than half the costs associated with renewing the travel documents off-island.
The ministry also eliminated a requirement that Cubans pay a fee every two years, even before their passports expired, to maintain their active status.
The new rules take effect on July 1, said Ernesto Soberon, director of Consular Affairs for the Cuban Foreign Ministry. He said the measures are focused on “the strengthening of ties with the Cuban community abroad.”
Cuba for decades limited emigration of its citizens, and many Cubans living abroad complain of bureaucratic hurtles and exorbitant fees for maintaining ties and renewing travel documents with their home country.