Cuba company search: Camara de Comercio (camaracuba.cu)

TL;DR. https://www.camaracuba.cu is online, titled Inicio | Camara de Comercio de la Republica de Cuba, and its https://www.camaracuba.cu/directorio page carries a working search box (Buscar por nombre, siglas o actividad…) with province and cluster filters. That page is a chamber member directory, not a mercantile-register extract. http://www.mincex.gob.cu did not respond when last checked. No fees in Cuban pesos or US dollars appear on either site, and no free or immediate extract service is offered; confirm at source. Confirm FATF listing at fatf-gafi.org. US persons remain under OFAC CACR.

What is the official Cuba business registry?

Cuba does not have a single unified public company registry in the international commercial sense. Cuban business structures reflect the country’s socialist state economy, where the vast majority of economic activity is conducted through state-owned enterprises (SOEs) subordinated to various government ministries. Cuba’s corporate registry functions are distributed across several bodies:

Registro Mercantil (Mercantile Registry): Cuba maintains a Mercantile Registry for formally incorporated commercial entities, including joint ventures (Empresas Mixtas), wholly foreign-owned enterprises (EMFOE), and cooperative enterprises (Cooperativas). The Registry sits under the Ministry of Justice (Ministerio de Justicia, MINJUS). Access is administratively controlled and not publicly searchable online.

Camara de Comercio de la Republica de Cuba (CCIC): the chamber’s site is https://www.camaracuba.cu, titled Inicio | Camara de Comercio de la Republica de Cuba. Its /directorio page, titled Directorio de Empresas, carries a search box (Buscar por nombre, siglas o actividad…) with province and cluster filters. That page is a member directory, not a public mercantile-register extract.

Ministerio de Comercio Exterior e Inversion Extranjera (MINCEX): http://www.mincex.gob.cu did not respond when last checked, and the secure address for the same host has an expired certificate, so it does not load safely either. No MINCEX search screen or fee schedule could be read; confirm at source.

Zona Especial de Desarrollo Mariel (ZEDM): The Mariel Special Economic Zone has its own registry and administrative authority (OREZODE) for companies operating within the zone, which offers specific incentives for foreign investors.

What can you search?

The CCIC member directory is online and carries a working search form. The Mercantile Registry itself is not a public online search:

• CCIC /directorio is titled Directorio de Empresas and carries a search box (Buscar por nombre, siglas o actividad…) with province and cluster filters. It is a chamber member directory, not a statutory company-register extract.
• MINCEX at mincex.gob.cu did not respond, and its secure address has an expired certificate, so no search page could be read there.
• No complete, publicly searchable mercantile register could be found.

For verified information on a specific Cuban entity, the practical options are: the CCIC Directorio de Empresas for chamber members, direct contact with the CCIC, formal inquiry through diplomatic channels, or engagement with law firms and consultants specialising in Cuba’s regulatory environment. OFAC CACR and the SDN list exist as public facts (see below). This guide is information-only.

How much does it cost?

Figures of CUP 500 and USD 100-500 or more have been reported, but no tariff is published on either site, so the table above reads unknown rather than free; confirm at source. Cuba unified CUP and dropped CUC in January 2021 (Tarea Ordenamiento). Foreign-engagement pricing is typically non-USD because of US sanctions.

Do you need a local account or ID?

The CCIC /directorio search did not require a login. For any substantive engagement with Cuban commercial entities beyond that member directory, a formal relationship with a Cuban counterpart institution is typically required. The CCIC provides institutional access for foreign trade associations and accredited businesses. Individual access to the Mercantile Registry requires engagement through Cuban legal channels. Foreign individuals cannot directly access corporate registration records.

Is the website in English?

The CCIC homepage and /directorio page are in Spanish (Inicio; Directorio de Empresas), and the site declares Spanish as its language. MINCEX could not be read. Cuban official documents are in Spanish.

What’s the turnaround time?

Unknown. The Directorio de Empresas page is a member directory with a search form, not a timed extract service, and no turnaround for formal entity requests through Cuban channels is published; confirm at source.

Is there an API?

No. There is no public programmatic access to Cuban business registry data.

OFAC sanctions context (information-only)

Cuba is subject to complete US sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR, 31 CFR Part 515). These sanctions have been in place since 1963 and are among the most complete in the US sanctions framework. This section records those public facts. It does not prescribe an onboarding workflow or a counsel engagement.

• US persons (US citizens, US residents, US incorporated entities, US-incorporated branches of foreign companies, and anyone physically present in the US) are generally prohibited from engaging in financial transactions with Cuba, importing Cuban goods or services, exporting goods to Cuba, or facilitating third-country transactions involving Cuba, without a specific OFAC licence.
• Secondary sanctions risk is a documented concern for non-US financial institutions: transactions that involve the US financial system, USD clearing, or US persons/institutions can trigger OFAC liability even for non-US entities.
• USD transactions are broadly blocked. Cuba transactions almost universally use non-USD clearing channels (EUR, CAD, other currencies) because USD clearing touches the US financial system.
• The SDN List: OFAC maintains the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, on which many Cuban government officials, state enterprises, military entities, and their fronts appear. Engaging with SDN-listed Cuban entities is prohibited for virtually all persons regardless of nationality. The public search is at sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov. Buyers commonly verify counterparties against that list; confirm at source.
• EU and UK sanctions: The EU and UK do not maintain complete Cuba sanctions equivalent to the US CACR, but both maintain targeted sanctions against Cuban officials related to human rights violations. Consolidated lists are published by those authorities. Buyers typically verify EU/UK lists at source.

Practical context for compliance buyers (information-only): A non-US company whose Cuban counterparty has a connection to the US financial system, US investors, or US markets faces documented OFAC exposure under CACR. Whether a licence is available in any particular case is an OFAC question. For a general due-diligence framework, see the Global Business Due Diligence Guide.

For OFAC Cuba FAQs, see ofac.treas.gov.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• Sanctions and transparency constraints (information-only). Cuba’s state-dominated economy, limited corporate transparency, and US CACR sanctions are material facts for any counterparty review. Confirm current FATF listing at fatf-gafi.org.
• State enterprise dominance. The vast majority of Cuban businesses are SOEs (empresas estatales), subordinated to a ministry, army, or party body. The Cuban Armed Forces Business Group (GAESA) has historically controlled large swaths of the tourism, retail, and hospitality sectors. UN reports and US State Department advisories have identified GAESA entities on the SDN list; confirm at source.
• Private sector is growing but limited. Cuba’s private sector (trabajo por cuenta propia, cuentapropistas) was expanded in 2021 to include medium-sized private enterprises (MSMEs). This is a structural change, but private enterprises still operate within tight regulatory parameters and remain subject to the overall sanctions and transparency limitations of the Cuban economy.
• Mariel Special Economic Zone (ZEDM). The Mariel SEZ offers specific incentives for foreign investors and has a more streamlined registration authority (OREZODE). Some foreign companies access Cuba through the ZEDM framework. Even ZEDM entities remain subject to OFAC sanctions; the zone does not create any exemption from US sanctions laws.
• Correspondent banking difficulties. Even non-US banks with no US investor base may face de-risking pressure from US correspondent banks if Cuban-related transactions pass through US correspondent accounts. This is a practical operational constraint that affects trade finance, payments, and letters of credit involving Cuban entities.

Alternatives if you cannot access Cuban registries directly

• CCIC Directorio de Empresas (https://www.camaracuba.cu/directorio): online, with the search form described above. A member directory, not a compliance-grade mercantile extract.
• Cuba-specialist law firms and consultancies: Several law firms in Spain, Canada, Mexico, and the UK specialize in Cuban business due diligence and can navigate CCIC and MINCEX channels.
• US Treasury OFAC resources (ofac.treas.gov): For understanding the sanctions framework and available OFAC licences for specific categories of engagement.

Local data suppliers

No independent commercial credit bureau operates in Cuba. Cuba’s economy does not have a private credit reporting infrastructure. Commercial risk assessment for Cuban entities relies on sovereign risk ratings (Cuba is rated highly speculative by all major rating agencies), CCIC commercial references, and specialist adviser assessments.

FAQ

Can a US person search the Cuban business registry?

The Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) impose broad restrictions on US persons engaging in transactions with Cuba, including transactions related to business due diligence that involve Cuban government entities. The CCIC public website is reachable. Paying for information, contracting with Cuban entities, or facilitating Cuban commercial activity sits inside that OFAC framework. This guide does not run an OFAC analysis. Confirm current CACR and licence status at ofac.treasury.gov.

Is Cuba on the FATF grey list?

Confirm current status at fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/detail/Cuba.html. A grey-list position was stated in a May 2026 draft of this guide but is not restated here; confirm at source.

What is MINCEX?

MINCEX (Ministerio de Comercio Exterior e Inversión Extranjera) is Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment. It manages all foreign investment approvals under Law 118/2014, maintains the Portfolio of Foreign Investment Opportunities, and is the primary government interface for foreign companies seeking to invest in Cuba through joint ventures or wholly-owned structures in approved zones. mincex.gob.cu did not respond when last checked, and its secure address has an expired certificate.

What is GAESA?

GAESA (Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A.) is the business conglomerate of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR). It controls a large portion of Cuba’s tourism, retail, logistics, and import sectors. Multiple GAESA entities and officials are listed on OFAC’s SDN list; confirm at sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov.

What are the Cuban peso (CUP) and the old convertible peso (CUC)?

Cuba eliminated the dual-currency system (CUP and CUC) in January 2021 as part of the Tarea Ordenamiento economic reform package. The Cuban peso (CUP) is now the sole domestic currency. However, Cuba’s foreign exchange regime remains complex, with different exchange rates for different transaction categories. Foreign business transactions are typically denominated in euros or other non-USD currencies. The CUP is not freely convertible on international markets.

Last verified: 2026-09-04. Sources: camaracuba.cu, titled Inicio; its /directorio page, titled Directorio de Empresas, with a working search form; mincex.gob.cu, which did not respond and whose secure address has an expired certificate; US OFAC CACR (ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/topic/1636); the FATF Cuba country page (fatf-gafi.org); Cuban Foreign Investment Act (Law 118, 2014). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.