Cuba Updates Telecom & ICT Equipment Import, Homologation and Technical Authorization Rules 2026

Cuba's Ministry of Communications has overhauled its regulatory framework for telecommunications and information and communications technology (ICT) equipment imports, issuing two landmark resolutions that replace rules dating back to 2015 and 2019. The new framework creates a clear, tiered authorization system and, for the first time, formally regulates all unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) as part of the country's telecom import controls.

Background and regulatory context

Both resolutions were signed by Minister Mayra Arevich Marín on January 8, 2026, and published in the Extraordinary Official Gazette No. 66 on May 21, 2026. They are grounded in Decree-Law 35 on telecommunications and radio spectrum use, approved in April 2021.

Resolution 1/2026 repeals Resolution 272 of October 13, 2015, which had governed personal and non-commercial imports for over a decade. Resolution 2/2026 nullifies Resolutions 132/2019 and 110/2020, which governed commercial approval and technical authorization.

Cuba telecommunications import regulations: the two-tier system

The new framework under Resolution 1/2026 distinguishes between equipment that may enter the country freely (for personal, non-commercial use) and equipment that requires technical authorization from the Budgeted Technical Unit for Radio Spectrum Control (UTPCE).

No authorization needed

• Conventional cell phones

• Desktop computers

• Tablets & laptops

• Printers

• Hard drives & memory devices

• Wired alarms

• Domestic radio & TV receivers

  
  

Technical authorization required

• Routers & switches

• Wireless access points

• Amateur radio / walkie-talkies

• Radars

• Wireless microphone systems

• Satellite receivers

• Wireless video surveillance

  
  

Explicitly prohibited imports

• Mobile signal amplifiers (repeaters)

• Equipment used to access computer or telecom networks without authorization, regardless of technology or standard

  
  

Cryptographic devices — special review required

Any device equipped with cryptographic protection systems must undergo evaluation and formal approval by the Cryptography Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior before it can be imported, regardless of its other authorization status.

Commercial imports and homologation: Resolution 2/2026

For commercial importers, Resolution 2/2026 establishes a new approval and technical authorization (homologation) regime. All commercial imports of telecom and ICT equipment must now obtain prior approval from the UTPCE, at least 30 calendar days before the equipment arrives on Cuban soil.

If equipment arrives without the required authorization, Cuban Customs will hold it. The importer then has seven days to initiate the authorization application. If authorization is not presented within 30 days of detention, Customs will proceed according to applicable law.

Drone importation under Cuba ICT equipment homologation rules

A major provision of Resolution 2/2026 is the inclusion of all unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in the list of products requiring technical authorization, categorized by maximum takeoff weight (MTOW):

• ≤250 g Category I

• 250 g – 7 kg Category II

• 7 – 25 kg Category III

• 25 – 150 kg Category IV

  
  

Beyond import, the resolution mandates that the use, export, manufacture, and commercialization of drones all require technical authorization from the Ministry of Communications regarding frequency use and power levels.

Certification impact summary

• Certification cost — residents & national entities

  CUP 1,200 per certification of approval

• Certification cost — non-residents & foreign entities

  USD 50 per certification of approval

• Pre-arrival lead time required

  Minimum 30 days before equipment reaches Cuban territory

• Government processing window

  UTPCE has 10 business days to issue the authorization once applied for

• Non-compliance

  Equipment detained by Customs; 7-day application window; if not resolved in 30 days, legal forfeiture proceedings begin

• Scope of new homologation

  All commercial telecom & ICT equipment, plus all drone categories by MTOW replaces 2019 and 2020 frameworks

What this means for manufacturers

For international manufacturers and distributors targeting the Cuban market, these resolutions represent a significant tightening of market access controls. The requirement to submit applications at least 30 days before shipment arrival demands that compliance be integrated into the sales and logistics pipeline not treated as an afterthought at the port.

Equipment with embedded encryption or cryptographic modules faces an additional regulatory layer: approval from the Ministry of the Interior's Cryptography Directorate, which operates independently of the UTPCE process. Manufacturers of routers, enterprise networking gear, VPN appliances, and any device with built-in TLS or hardware security modules should anticipate a dual-track review.

The explicit prohibition on signal amplifiers (repeaters) effectively closes the market for that entire product category in Cuba, regardless of technical specifications or intended use. Drone manufacturers across all weight classes are now subject to authorization requirements for import, manufacture, use, and commercialization a comprehensive framework that did not previously exist.

The USD 50 flat certification fee for foreign entities is low by international standards, but the administrative timeline and the complexity of the dual authorization pathway (UTPCE + Cryptography Directorate where applicable) create real compliance costs that should be factored into market entry plans.

Timeline and required actions

• January 8, 2026

  Resolutions 1/2026 and 2/2026 signed by Minister Mayra Arevich Marín

• May 21, 2026

  Resolutions published in Extraordinary Official Gazette No. 66 — Resolution 1/2026 enters into force immediately upon publication

• July 20, 2026

  Resolution 2/2026 (commercial imports & homologation) takes effect — 60 days after publication. All commercial shipments arriving after this date must carry prior technical authorization

• Before July 20, 2026 (action required)

  Commercial importers must submit technical authorization applications to UTPCE for any shipments scheduled to arrive on or after the effective date

Required actions checklist

1. Audit your product portfolio against the Resolution 1/2026 classification lists — determine whether items fall into the "no authorization," "authorization required," or "prohibited" categories.

2. Identify all products with cryptographic modules (routers, VPN devices, encrypted storage) and initiate the Cryptography Directorate evaluation process separately from the UTPCE application.

3. If importing drones, confirm MTOW category and prepare a technical authorization file for the Ministry of Communications covering frequencies and power levels.

4. Submit technical authorization requests to UTPCE no later than 30 days before each planned shipment arrival date; factor in UTPCE's 10-business-day response window.

5. Update commercial contracts and logistics documentation to include authorization reference numbers before goods are dispatched.

6. Monitor the Gaceta Oficial for any implementing guidance or annexes issued before the July 20, 2026 effective date.