Cuba (CU)

Cuba is a unique socialist island nation of 11 million people in the Caribbean — a country of vintage American cars, world-famous cigars, Havana salsa, colonial architecture, and extraordinary natural beauty.

Capital: Havana

Region: Americas

Language: Spanish

Currency: CUP ($)

Cost of living: Very affordable (index 20)

Emergency: 106

Education & Schools

Schools, universities, and language courses in Cuba.

👶 Childcare & Kindergarten

Círculo Infantil (State Nursery) Subsidised for Cuban families (5–40 CUP/month). Foreign children: contact the relevant municipality — fees vary and availability is limited.

Age: 45 days – 5 years

Subsidy available

Heavily subsidised by the Cuban state for Cuban citizens and registered residents. Foreign children may access spaces if their parents have legal residency and a letter from the relevant employer or institution.

Contact the local municipal Dirección de Educación with your Carnet de Extranjería, residency documentation, and child's birth certificate. Your employer or embassy may be able to facilitate placement.

⏱️ Demand far exceeds supply in Havana. Request placement via your employer or embassy as soon as you arrive — waiting lists are long. Diplomatic families should request priority placement through MINREX.

Private Nanny / Au Pair 3,000–8,000 CUP/month ($15–40 USD). Some nannies accepting foreign families charge in foreign currency: $100–300 USD/month.

Age: 0–12 years

Find through expat community networks (Expats in Havana Facebook group), casa particular hosts, or recommendations from embassy staff. All childcare agreements are private — no state registration required for nannies.

International School Nursery Programme Part of International School fees — approximately $500–1,000 USD/month

Age: 3–5 years

Apply directly to the International School of Havana (Miramar) or Colegio Canadiense. Very limited places — contact schools at least 6 months before intended start date.

🏫 Schools

State Primary School (Escuela Primaria) Free

Escuela Primaria

Ages: 6–11 years (Grades 1–6) · Language: Spanish only

Children can enrol in the local Cuban state primary school with legal residency documentation. Contact the municipal Dirección de Educación with Carnet de Extranjería, child's birth certificate (apostilled and translated into Spanish), and proof of residence. Children must have sufficient Spanish proficiency — consider private tutoring before starting.

Cuban primary education is of high quality by regional standards with strong emphasis on literacy, numeracy, and sciences. Class sizes are smaller than most Western state schools. However, the curriculum is infused with Cuban civic and political education. All instruction is in Spanish — children under 8 who do not yet speak Spanish will struggle significantly. Many expat families use private tutors to supplement Cuban state education.

State Secondary School (Secundaria Básica / Preuniversitario) Free

Secundaria Básica (ages 12–14) / Preuniversitario (ages 15–17)

Ages: 12–17 years · Language: Spanish only

Same as primary: apply at municipal Dirección de Educación with residency documents. For upper secondary (Preuniversitario), students take a national entrance examination. Foreign students may need to demonstrate equivalence of prior education through MES (Ministerio de Educación Superior).

Preuniversitario is the academic track leading to university entrance. Instituto Politécnico is the vocational/technical track. Both are free. The curriculum at this level is heavily academic with Cuban civic education. Spanish fluency at C1 level is effectively required to benefit from secondary education in Cuba.

International Schools

Two international schools serve the expat community in Havana. The International School of Havana (ISH, ishavana.org) in Miramar offers IB/British curriculum in English for ages 3–18; annual tuition approximately USD $3,780–11,556 (2024/25 verified rates; confirm current fees directly with ISH as they are reviewed annually); primarily serves diplomatic and NGO families; contact the school well in advance as waiting lists are common. Colegio Canadiense (Canadian School) in Havana offers Canadian bilingual (English/Spanish) curriculum; fees approximately $6,000–12,000 USD per year. Both schools have very limited enrolment. Outside Havana, no international schools exist — expat families in provincial cities must use Cuban state schools, arrange private tutoring, or homeschool.

University

Tuition fee

Free for Cuban residents and students under bilateral agreements. International (fee-paying) students from non-agreement countries: $3,000–8,000 USD/year depending on programme. Medicine (ELAM — Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina) is provided free to students from Latin America, Africa, and underserved communities under scholarship agreements.

Semester fee

For Cuban-resident students: free. International fee-paying students: $1,500–4,000 USD per semester depending on the programme. ELAM scholarship students: free including accommodation and food stipend.

Student visa

Visa de Estudiante — apply at the Cuban embassy in your home country with: acceptance letter from Cuban university, passport, health certificate, police clearance, and visa fee. Processing: 4–8 weeks. Valid for the academic year, renewable annually.

Health insurance

International students in Cuba use Servimed (paid foreigner healthcare). Asistur insurance covering medical care and emergency evacuation is strongly recommended and in practice required by most Cuban institutions for foreign students.

Application process

Contact the specific university directly. Universidad de La Habana (UH) is the flagship institution (uh.cu). Apply to the Facultad (Faculty) relevant to your discipline. Spanish language proficiency at B2+ is required. International students need a student visa (Visa de Estudiante) from a Cuban embassy in their home country before arrival.

🗣️ Language Courses

Spanish for Foreigners — Universidad de La Habana (ELE)

Provider: Universidad de La Habana (Facultad de Lenguas Extranjeras) · Duration: 1 semester (approximately 15 weeks) · Levels: A1–C1 (all levels)

$400–800 USD per semester

The most academically recognised Spanish language programme in Cuba. Contact the Facultad de Lenguas Extranjeras at ull.cu for enrolment.

DELE Exam Preparation — Instituto Cervantes Cuba

Provider: Instituto Cervantes Cuba (Vedado, Havana) · Duration: Flexible — short courses and exam preparation modules · Levels: A1–C2 (all levels)

$200–500 USD per term. DELE exam fee: $100–250 USD

Internationally recognised DELE certification administered in Cuba. Havana examination centre. Contact: havana.cervantes.es | Calle G No. 551 e/ 23 y 25, Vedado.

Private Spanish Tutoring (Clases Particulares)

Provider: Independent Cuban tutors · Duration: Flexible — as many sessions as needed · Levels: All levels; entirely customisable

200–600 CUP per hour ($1–3 USD equiv.) or $5–15 USD/hour for foreigner-rate tutors

The most effective and affordable option for rapid Spanish improvement. Find tutors through the Expats in Havana Facebook group, your casa particular host, or university noticeboards.

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