Re: Canadian documents to get married in Cuba

I’ve been told that after the lawyer notarizes the birth certificate (long form) and divorce certificate (this is instead of the Affidavit of Single Status because I’ve been married before) that you then have to go and have it authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa.  From there you can then go to the Consulate or Embassy to have it translated and certified.  Now I’m confused because this is the second time I’ve heard someone talk about the paperwork and not mention the Dept of Foreign Affairs…. What are the actual steps??

First of all you do not need the long form of your birth certificate.  You do not have to get it Authenticated in Ottawa.  That is another money grabbing scam the Canadian government has.  As long as you have a lawyer certify the copies that you take to the Cuban Embassy you do not need to send to Ottawa.  That will save you about $200 and 2 weeks of waiting.  The Department of Foreign Affairs is useless in this case!!

this is great news for me but I’m still confused as to why lawyers & even the embassy website say you have to go to the dept of foreign affairs.  believe me, i don’t want to have to drive to ottawa from toronto just to do that and i don’t have time to wait and do it by mail and strangely enough when i had correspondance with the consulate here in toronto they never mentioned the dept of foreign affairs….  holy confusing when all one wants to do it get their papers done and go!! lol

THIS IS PART ONE OF THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE GATHERED REGARDING DOCUMENTS FOR MARRYING A CUBAN IN CUBA:  please note that there are probably going to be 4 consecutive posts…

I have spent the last month and a half, researching, sourcing out…trying to find information that was consistent, etc…and this is what I have come up with.  Do not try and find logical reasons/purpose for some of the steps required to marry a Cuban in Cuba…simply accept that this is what it is. 

If you simply cut and paste this address directly in your address bar…..while on the internet…..it will bring you to the exact information from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), these are the people in Cuba, that cover this area.
http://embacu.cubaminrex.cu/Default.aspx?tabid=1191

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THIS IS COPIED DIRECTLY FROM THEIR PAGE:
Embassy in Ottawa (Ottawa City and Hull)
Consulate in Toronto (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
Consulate in Montreal (Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador)
________________________________________
Embassy in Ottawa and Consulate in Toronto
Documents needed for getting married in Cuba
1. Birth Certificate –original or certificated copy- (Authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs)
2. Affidavit of single status –in case you have never been married before- or divorce certificate –original or certificated copy- (Authenticated by Department of Foreign Affairs)
If widowed, Certificate of Marriage and Certificate of Spouse Death.
These documents (including the Birth Certificate) must be legalized by a notary public and authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs. These documents (after being authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs) must be translated into Spanish (it can be done at our Embassy) since that one is the official language in Cuba. If they are not translated at our Embassy, a public notary should legalize the translation and the Department of Foreign Affairs should authenticate it as well before being sent to us (The Spanish version should be typewritten and without corrections or erasures, as an official document). The documents you send to us and their translations must be legalized by our Embassy for the Cuban authorities.
If the documents are not from Canada, they must be authenticated at the Embassy or Consulate in Canada of the Country they are originally from.
If you have been asked to get documents legalized by the Cuban Consulate (for any legal proceeding in Cuba) and one or more of those documents had been issued by foreign authorities (out of Canada), you must obtain a letter/certificate from the Embassy or Consulate of the country where the document was produced.
It is important that the document produced by your Embassy or Consulate has:
. Signature, name and position of the authorizing Consular or   Diplomatic official.
. Seal of the Consulate or Embassy
If you did not get any document from your Embassy/Consulate, you will have to send the document to the country of origin to be duly legalized by the national authorities and by the Consulate of Cuba in that country.
We kindly remind you that all the documents must be duly notarized and officially translated into Spanish to be legalized.
The fee is $160.00 CND per document, (originals and translations separately) payable in cash, money order or certified check to the Cuban Embassy. Once legalized, the documents can be picked up personally or sent back to you in the way you wish (by a collect Courier or by ordinary mail service).
If you decide not to do it personally coming to our Embassy then you can also do it by regular mail and pay the applicable fee for non-in-person procedures. You should send a photocopy of your passport, the documents you need to be legalized, a money order or certified check for the amount of the services plus CD$32.00 for the non-in-person procedure fee, and a prepaid envelope so we can send it back to you together with the receipt.
IMPORTANT: The Birth Certificate and the Certificate of Marital Status, Divorce, etc. are different documents and they should be submitted as separate documents. No document can be accepted in Cuba without the translation into Spanish. In case of a couple, if they are going to Cuba to get married there, the documents are personal; that is to say, a Birth Certificate and a Certificate of Marital Status separately (two sets of documents for each person).
You can use the translation services of our Embassy (charges of $32.00 CAD per page). The name of the law firm in Cuba that can assist you with all the process is “Consultoria Juridica” (Calle 16 No. 314 e/ 3ra. y 5ta., Miramar, Playa, La Habana / Tel. (537) 33-2490 & 33-2697).
________________________________________
Consulate in Montreal (Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador)
Documents needed for getting married in Cuba
1. Birth Certificate –original legalized by a Notary Public -
2. Affidavit/ Declaration of single status –in case you have never been married before- or Divorce Certificate –original legalized by a Notary Public -
If widowed, Certificate of Marriage and Certificate of Spouse Death- both documents legalized by a Notary Public -
These documents (after being legalized by a Notary Public) must be translated into Spanish (it can be done at our Consulate) since this one is the official language in Cuba. If they are not translated at our Consulate, a Notary Public, recognized by our Consulate, should authenticate the translation before being sent to us (The Spanish version should be typewritten and without corrections or erasures, as an official document). The original documents you send to us, the legalization made by a Notary Public of the original documents, and their translations must be legalized by our Consulate for the Cuban authorities.
In the case of Quebec and the Maritimes Provinces you must include a letter certifying that your notary is recognized and authorized by the Chamber of Notaries of Quebec or by the Lieutenant Governor. Then you must have them legalised at our Consulate.
If the documents are not from Canada, they must be authenticated at the Embassy or Consulate in Canada of the Country they are originally from.
If you have been asked to get documents legalized by the Cuban Consulate (for any legal proceeding in Cuba) and one or more of those documents had been issued by foreign authorities (out of Canada), you must obtain a letter/certificate from the Embassy or Consulate of the country where the document was produced.
It is important that the document produced by your Embassy or Consulate has:
. Signature, name and position of the authorizing Consular or   Diplomatic official.
. Seal of the Consulate or Embassy
If you did not get any document from your Embassy/Consulate, you will have to send the document to the country of origin to be duly legalized by the national authorities and by the Consulate of Cuba in that country.
We kindly remind you that all the documents must be duly notarized and officially translated into Spanish to be legalized.
The price is 160.00 dollars cad for each page to be legalised (the original certificate, the Public Notary legalization and the translation).
If you decide not to do it personally coming to our Consulate then you can also do it by regular mail and pay the applicable fee for non-in-person procedures. You should send a photocopy of your passport, the documents you need to be legalized, a money order or certified check for the amount of the services plus CD$32.00 for the non-in-person procedure fee, and a prepaid envelope so we can send all the documents back to you together with the receipt. You can add another 32 dollars cad for rush service.
Once legalized, the documents can be picked up personally or sent back to you in the way you wish (by a collect Courier or by ordinary mail service).
You can use the translation services of our Consulate (charges of $32.00 CAD per page). The name of the law firm in Cuba that can assist you with all the process is “Consultoria Juridica” (Calle 16 No. 314 e/ 3ra. y 5ta., Miramar, Playa, La Habana / Tel. (537) 33-2490 & 33-2697).
Important: The Consulate General of Cuba in Montreal only accepts originals documents and all payments must be done in money orders or certified checks payables to General Consulate of Cuba.

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If you would prefer to find it yourself go to :  http://embacubacanada.net
At the top of the page are the categories…choose EMBASSY AND CONSULATES….from there choose….CONSULAR AFFAIRS…from there (at the very bottom)….choose …GETTING MARRIED IN CUBA.  This is the most accurate information that I found on the internet. When you are at this page…on the top left hand side is a drop down bar..that says ‘inicio..and to the right (of it) says Ir…this is to change the page into English/French/Spanish.  Choose your language and hit the ‘Ir’..which means (to go) in Spanish…    SEE FOLLOWING POSTS FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION…

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VERY IMPORANT FACTORS:

1.  Trying to call (either) the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa, or (either) of the Consulates in Toronto or Montreal is very nearly impossible. I tried every single day-for over 5 weeks, calling several times a day…and got a human being on the phone, only once, only after 5 weeks of trying, (and not at the Consulate that has my province under their jurisdiction).

2.  Some of the information on the MINREX page, are contradicted by the telephone messages at the Embassy and/or Consulates?  I don’t know why, they just are.

3.  Any email address that I have found on the internet, or told by someone at the Consulate…or whatever. Never got through and was always bounced back?

4.  I faxed the Consulates and never heard back.

5.  I know that information (that you will find on the internet) clearly indicates that you can send (either) the Original OR a Certified Copy.  However, there have been times when the Cubans officials have not accepted any Certified Copies, and insisted upon having the Originals.  I would strongly advise that you error on the side of caution, and always provide them with the Originals, and keep the Certified copies for your own records.  I know this sounds silly, but, it has happened on many, many occasions, and I am simply trying to share with you ALL the information that I have gathered, (over the past few months), regarding this process, in hopes of saving you some time, potential disappointment, and sure-fired frustration.

6.  Having your documents authenticated by the Canadian Dept. of Foreign Affairs, is not option…IT MUST BE DONE.  The Cuban officials WILL NOT ACCEPT/APPROVE YOUR DOCUMENTS WITHOUT THIS AUTHENTICATION.

7.  If you have NEVER BEEN MARRIED, then a long form Birth certificate AND AN AFFIVADVIT OF SINGLE STATUS is required.  IF YOU ARE DIVORCED, you will need (both) your DIVORCE CERTIFICATE and/and/and/and/and/and an AFFIVADIT OF SINGLE STATUS, as well as your birth certificate.  Do not be fooled, or mislead, or try to take shortcuts, you will need to have all 3 documents.

8.  A Divorce Certificate is a specific document, and not usually included in your divorce ‘papers’.  Make sure you specifically have a “Divorce Certificate”.

 
9.  I STRONLY ADVISE everyone to get their documents translated right at one of the Embassy or Consulates.  First, it is a reasonable fee, compared to finding independent translation service.  Secondly, (and this is very important):  You know it will be translated by Cubans, the way the Cubans like to see it done, etc.  Depending of who you talk to, or where you have sourced out your information, it is $32 or $48 per document.  It allows you to take one step, (instead of two steps), when trying to have the documents translated, and then ‘legalized’ by the Cuban officials in Canada.

10.  You must have the originals (or Certified copies) ALL legalized by one of the Embassy, or Consulates.  BOTH THE English (Original versions) AND the translated (Spanish) must be ‘legalized’ by the Cuban Embassy or Cuban Consulate(s) in Canada. (For example:  if you are divorced, you will need to pay $960.00 JUST for the documents to be ‘legalized’.  The cost per document is $160.00, and (I say again) that BOTH THE ENGLISH AND THE TRANSLATED (Spanish) versions must be legalized.  If you have never been married, your cost to legalize your documents will be $640.00, (4 documents ……the English (Original versions) AS WELL AS the translated ones.

11.  IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL WOMEN:  If you married name is on your Divorce Certificate, or if there are 2 different names on different documents, you must also include: An Affidavit, stating that the person on the birth certificate, is one and the same, as the person on the birth certificate.  Even though we know in Canada, that a woman can change her name to her husband’s (when she is married)…and even though, we know in Canada, that a woman does not have to change her name legally, if (after she is divorced) she chooses to revert to her maiden name…some Cubans don’t ‘get this’.  In the Cuban culture, women do not take on their husband’s name, after marriage.  I know of some people (whose names were different on their documents) who were able to submit them (as such), and the Cuban Embassy/Consulates allowed them to proceed.  However, I have also seen the Cuban officials refuse to accept this, unless, there was An Affidavit, stating that the name on the birth certificate and the name on the Divorce certificate are the very same person. It does not matter that we disagree with this, or that we see it as unnecessary, or that it is not really even required (from our perspective).  The bottom line is they are the only game in town, and they set the rules.  If you want your papers ‘marriage ready’ to marry your Cuban fiancé in Cuba…YOU MUST FOLLOW THEIR RULES!!!

12.  There is only one Dept. of Foreign Affairs, and it is in Ottawa.

If you know of someone (that you can trust your life) with, here is what I would suggest.  Hire/contract this individual to bring your papers in for you, IN PERSON.  Have them go (In Person) to the Dept. of Foreign Affairs:
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
1-800-267-8376
The hours for their ‘walk in’ service are very limited (PLEASE NOTE):
Monday – Friday
(10:30 am -  noon)  AND (3 pm -  4 pm)
As stated in the info from the Dept. of Foreign Affairs, there is no cost for this service, if there are under 10 documents to authenticate.  Be there before 10:30am, to insure that your name is put on the list of ‘walk ins’, and then you can wait for the documents, and leave with them in your hot little hand (or the hands of the person you have contracted to do so).
Once the documents have been authenticated, by Foreign Affairs…have your “person in Ottawa”…go directly to the Cuba Embassy in Ottawa, and drop off the authenticated documents to be translated and legalized. MAKE SURE THAT THEY REQUEST TO PICK UP THE DOCUMENTS, once they are ready.

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COSTS INVOLVED:
1.  Obtaining your long birth certificate (or, the new security enhanced version), if applicable in your province.  I am in Alberta, and when I went to order my ‘long version’ birth certificate, I was told they no longer produced them, and all birth certificates were now these fancy security enhanced ones. (These fees will depend on which province you are in).  I obtained by birth certificate for $40/my Divorce certificate for $10, and paid my lawyer $50 to draw up An Affidavit of Single Status for me.
2.  No costs involved for getting the documents authenticated, IF you are utilizing their walk-in service.  If you are mailing, or sending via courier, add these costs.  IF TIME IS NOT AN ISSUE, go ahead and proceed with the mail in, or courier idea…just take into account, that (on their web page) is states that it takes 25 working days to process..and another 5 working days for mail/courier. So that is (at the very least) 30 working days. It’s a government office, they tale every single holiday off.  If there were only to be one holiday day taken, then you are looking at 1 ½ months…just for the Foreign Affairs portion.
3.  Translation and legalization at (either) the Cuban Embassy, or Consulates.  Living in Alberta, I fall under the Toronto Consulate.  However, as it was virtually impossible to ever reach a human being at the Toronto Consulate, I talked the Embassy in Ottawa into processing my documents. Ottawa’s fees for translation are $32 per page(3 X $32 = $96.00), and the legalization fees are:  $160.00 per documents (both in English and in Spanish).  I had my birth certificate/my divorce certificate and my Affidavit of Single status…6 documents (6 @ $160.00 = $960.00).  My money order, payable to the Cuba Consulate General was for $ 1056.00
4.  Courier and/or mail costs
5.  Although it doesn’t sate this anywhere, I would strongly advise that you also send in a copy of your passport, just the pages, where you photo is. 

I did not/do not have ‘a person in Ottawa’ that I could ask to do this for me. Given the insanely impossible task of actually speaking with anyone in any of the Embassy/Consulates….I chose to hire a woman (married to a Cuban) that offers this as a service.  I did not feel confident/comfortable just mailing off, or even sending via courier all of my documents, and hoping that everything was done properly.  I was not willing to have it take (anywhere) from 1 ½ months to (God only knows) 3 months??

This woman walked my documents into Foreign Affairs, waited while they authenticated, then, went directly to the Embassy and handed the documents to a human being, and will be picking up the translated/legalized documents in (about) a week.  Here is her information, should you want to go this route:
Borders and Beyond
Kathryn Martinez Lopez
(613)  440-3384
Email: 
Her fee is $475.00.  For the peace of mind it gave me…(the fact that she knows the Consulate (personally) at the Embassy…that she knows exactly how they operate and what is expected, etc.)…in was my ‘insurance’ and well worth her fee.

Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs: (this I copied directly from their webpage):
http://international.gc.ca/about-a_propos/authentication-authentification_documents.aspx#4

General Information and Fees
•  We authenticate only Canadians documents. We only authenticate signatures on documents - we do not review or approve the content of documents. However, it may not be possible to authenticate a particular document if the content of a document is such that it is expected to mislead as to purpose, or may be used for fraudulent purposes. You will be advised if this is the case.
•  You must include a covering letter indicating your mailing address and outlining your specific requirements.
•  Photocopies of original documents can be authenticated. However, they must be certified true copies, signed and sealed by a Canadian lawyer, solicitor, notary or commissioner of oaths. If the photocopies you send are not properly certified, signed and sealed, they will be returned to you without being authenticated.
•  You can submit your documents in person. If you have 10 documents or less, we can process them while you wait. If you have more than 10 documents, they must be left in our office for authentication and it will take approximately 25 working days to process them.
•  We will return your documents by regular mail which can take up to 5 working days. If you want your documents to be returned by courier, you must provide us with a prepaid envelope from the courier of your choice.
•  There are no fees for our services.
Processing times and status check:
•  Processing time is approximately 25 working days (5 weeks) from the date we receive your documents.  Please add an additional 5 business days for documents sent by regular mail. The processing time will be longer if we have questions and/or require clarification from you about your request.
•  Due to the high volume of documents sent by mail, we advise you to use a courier service for sending and receiving your documents. This will allow you to track your documents and minimize the risk of losing your documents. Please note, there is no tracking system in place for documents sent by regular mail.
•  If you would like us to return your documents by courier service, please provide the name of the courier service and include a prepaid envelope with your request. Please note that all courier deliveries must be prepaid.
•  The Authentication Office can only provide the status of your documents after your documents have been processed.
•  If your documents are to be sent to an Embassy in Ottawa, you do not need to include a courier envelope. The Authentication Office will deliver the documents on your behalf. If your documents are to be sent to a Consulate outside of Ottawa, you will need to include a pre-paid envelope for the delivery. Otherwise your documents will be sent regular mail.
•  Please note that you must first contact the Embassy before you contact us for a status check of your documents.
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I hope this saves you some time and trouble.  Good luck!

Dear dmuir:

You also need an “Affidavit of Single Status”, whether you have been married before or not.  If divorced, you need your birth certificate/Divorce certificate AND an “Affidavit of Single Status”.  If never married, you need your birth certificate AND an “Affidavit of Single Status”...all of which need to be authenticated by the Cdn. Dept. of Foreign Affairs, BEFORE(you even start to deal with the Cuban Embassy or Consulates)....then all translated…(I would recommend either the Cuban Embassy or Consulates-their costs are $32 or $$48/per page)and then, each of those documents (all the Original versions and all of the Spanish versions), need to be legalized by the Cuban Embassy/Consulates, at a cost of $160.00 per document (BOTH THE ORIGINAL AND TRANSLATED VERSIONS).  Our Cuban fiances need: their birth certificates/Cuban ID card AND a “Fe de Solteria”, which can be obtained at one of the gov’t offices in Cuba.  The Registry office…the Cuban will (most probably) know this.  My fiance has never been married before, and so, I am not sure, if those that are divorced need (something more than ) their Fe de Solteria, or if this is sufficient?  You made no mention of having your documents authenticated by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs (in Canada)?  I went to 2 different “Consultoria Juridica” offices in Havana, and both lawyers told me that getting your documents authenticated by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs, (prior to their translations and legalization process at the Cuban Embassy/Consulates) IN Canada, was an absolute must.  My documents have already been authenticated by the Dept. of F.A. in Ottawa, and are currently being translated and legalized at the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa.  In speaking with the Consulate at the Cuban Embassy, this authentication process through the ZDept. of Foreign Affairs, was AGAIN a requirement, BEFORE they would translate and legalize.  Also, I( was told by both lawyers, that we will be given 2 marriage certificates, immediately after our marriage ceremony…and we would not have to wait for anything, or pay anything extra..that it was included in the 625CUC fee…(the fee for amrrying a Cuban National, if you are not Cuban).  This fee is IF you are marrrying right in their office, it is extra if you want them to marry you somewhere else, otherwise, (if right at the Consultoria Juridica), the total fee was 625cuc, plus 100 stamps, paid for in National Pesos.

All great info for people. Thanks for posting.

I edited a couple posts to take out the wide horizontal lines.

okay so that is all the same info i was always finding so i will stick to that rather than skip the dept of foreign affairs.  in regards to the divorce certificate & affidavit of single status, you only require both if your divorce took place over 2 yrs ago.  anybody know if it’s possible to to wait at the consulate/embassy while the papers are translated and certified??  what’s the quickest time anyone has been able to get all this done in?  obviously cuba is not a place where spur of the moment weddings can take place.

No, you cannot wait for the documents, while they are being translated and legalized at the Embassy or Consulate.  The quickest turnaround I have heard of is one week…IF you drop it off…in person…and IF…you pick it up in person. I wouldn’t (however) count on a week’s turnaround..I am pretty certain the usual, is a couple of weeks. By the by…there is no cost to have your documents authenticated by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs.  There might be some minimal charge IF you are requesting it by mail, but, in person, there is no cost whatsover.  I know—I know, there seems to be conflicting info on the Foreign Affairs authentication…all I know is that the 2 lawyers (who worked at the Consoltoria Juridica) in Havana both were ADAMANT about having the docs. authenticated at the Dept. of Foreign Affairs, and BOTH said that they would NOT approve the documents, to proceed with a marriage in Cuba…without this authentication.  Just passing on what I was told.

Has anyone had their documents legalized by the Consulate in Toronto without having gone to the Dept. of Foreign Affairs?  A few months ago when I first contacted the Consulate by email they responded by saying I only needed the documents legalized and notarized by a Public Notary and then the Consulate would translate and legalize for me and I could have a the rush service (p/u within 3dys for add.$$).  Now just last week I had someone go to the Consulate for me (cuz I was in Cuba trying to get this done without coming back) and they gave a print out of what is required and nowhere does it mention authentication by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs.  Needless to say I’m very worried now because I went there today for the rush services and was told the lady had called in sick -BUT problem is I leave for Cuba again on Wed. to prepare for wedding (& I just came home yesterday specifically to get this done!!!).  And I’ve been trying to call all afternoon and no answer and no room on machine to leave message -but they say call between 3 & 5pm…  Anyone help??

Dear Kaliwags:
Please look at my post of May 2, 2009.  There is the name and info of a woman that does all of the documents for you.  I used her and would highly recommend her. It was about a one week turnaround.  We did everything in Ottawa, as I could never, never, never get ahold of anyone in the Toronto Consulate.  Yes, there is different information regarding the whole authentication at Foreign Affairs.  That being said, when I was in Havana (in March), I spoke to 2 different lawyers and both said the documents needed to be auth. through the Dept of Foreign Affairs? I know that I would not try and bring my documents down to Cuba, if they hadn’t been authen. by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs.  But, yes, you are right, the Toronto Consulate never seems to mention it, yet, the Embassy in Ottawa has it as an absolute prerequisite, BEFORE they will translate and legalize your documents. I would hate to see your documents not be approved and you not be able to get married.  That’s all I know.  But, definitely give Kathryn (the woman noted in my May 2 post) a call, and see what she says.  She’s married to a Cuban, is an Immigration consultant and has done this countless time.  I hope this helps.  I am heading back to Havana June 15 to get married.  I hope everything goes well for you.

I can now say with certainty that for the Consulate in Toronto you do not need to have your papers authenticated by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa.  I did my papers no problem and we were married beginning of June!!  I’m now looking for help on the next steps in order to get him here asap… I know that I need the minrex stamp on the certificate for Canada and I’m hoping to do that plus anything he needs all at the same time in Havana (I’m going back in about 1mth). can anyone tell me what we have to do? It’s soooo hard getting time off work to go back and forth so i need to cram everything into my 1 week if possible!

please be aware of what you could be getting yourself into if you marry a cuban…. my girlfriend got married in cuba last summer and her cuban husband came up here in the spring….5 weeks later he bailed on her to the US…...apparently this is something that is quite common…..she ended spending about $50000.00 on this whole ordeal….

I have married my Cuban husband in March and I agree with Kaliwags as I did not need to go through the Foreign Affairs office.  Everything was done at the Cuban consulate in Etobicoke.  All documents were valid in Cuba and I have my marriage certificate registered with both the Cuban and Canadian offices.  Remember everyone is out for your money.