Work in Cuba for Russians vacancies 2021

Work permit in Havana

If you are entering the country as a freelance writer or journalist, you must apply for a work permit from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. You will need to have a job secured in Havana before applying for a work permit, as your employer must sponsor your application. It is possible to enter Havana as a student and stay on a student visa, but keep in mind that attendance is required and missed classes may result in visa cancellation.

Cuba has a progressive tax system, with residents paying between 15% and 50% tax depending on their income level. The tax is often deducted by your employer. Although, in some cases, you may have to file a tax return to ensure that you actually pay the full amount.

How does the employment procedure work?

One of the options for legal employment in Cuba is to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. First you need to compile a resume and post it on the ministry’s website. After that, all that remains is to wait for offers. However, it should be borne in mind that most of the jobs offered by the Cuban government are related to agricultural activities and are low-paying. Mostly we are talking about work on plantations.

If you receive a job offer that you are not happy with, you have the right to refuse only once. After the second refusal, you will be removed from the list of job applicants.

But there is another option - you can find a job yourself. This can be done in advance, before arriving in the country, or immediately upon arrival.

Which cities are the easiest to find work in?

The easiest way for visitors to settle down is in those settlements where there are airports. With knowledge of languages, you can become a guide, translator, taxi driver, waiter, or personal assistant. Most often, Russians settle in Havana and Varadero, less often in Sanfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.

For downshifters, the coast or the green rural hinterland are suitable - there fishing cooperatives and plantations await beginners for 16-18 CUC per month.

Consequences of illegal work

Whatever field of employment a tourist chooses, the main thing is to register according to the law. Visa, work permit and taxes must be in order. They are expelled from Cuba for such mistakes as:

• expired visa;
• violation of the laws of the republic;
• involvement in espionage;
• falsification of documents;
• participation in drug or pornography.

Failure to comply with the rules may result in deportation.

Illegal employment

In order to be eligible to engage in gainful employment in Cuba, you must have an official work permit. But you can get it only after they agree to hire you by submitting the relevant documents. Unfortunately, in Cuba it is not so easy to find an employer willing to hire a foreign specialist, unless he has skills that are in great demand in the country.

Since the process of legal employment is quite complex and lengthy, many foreigners come to Liberty Island on a tourist visa and remain there to work illegally.

Why can you be deported?

Illegal employment is the most common reason for the deportation of foreigners from Cuba. In addition, reasons for expulsion of immigrants may be:

• overstaying your work visa;
• failure to comply with the laws of the republic;
• failure to comply with visa entry conditions;
• involvement in espionage;
• falsification of documents.

Visa-free entry for Russians

Russians do not need a visa to Cuba if their stay does not last longer than 90 days. When going on vacation, you need to prepare a package of papers.

Required documents

There are very few of them:

• Valid passport;
• Round trip flights. They will confirm that the guest will not spend more time in the country than expected;
• Insurance policy. It is mandatory for everyone.

Previously, it was also necessary to fill out a migration card. Now for Russian citizens there is no need for this.

If a citizen is flying on vacation not from a travel company, he must present a document confirming the availability of sufficient funds. The amount is calculated based on daily spending of $50. The following are suitable documents confirming solvency:

• credit card statement;
• checks;
• bank documents.

On the island, Russians do not need to pay additional fees. However, when leaving the republic in 2021, each guest will have to pay 25 Cuban pesos (Cooks). This is a special airport tax.

Optional documents

Medical insurance. However, it is advisable to still formalize it. The document will allow you to save money in case of illness while staying in Cuba. This type of insurance is inexpensive.

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Business

The list of documents required for this type of entry document is similar to a visitor visa. The main difference concerns the international passport, which must be valid for another 6 months after returning to your homeland.

This is what a business visa to Cuba looks like

Also, for a business trip you will additionally need:

• Visa application;
• Business invitation. It describes the purpose and timing of the visit. The paper is signed and certified by the management of the receiving company;
• Signed and certified certificate of employment. It indicates a vacation for the purpose of a business trip.

The application form can be downloaded here.

Individual entrepreneurs present a copy of their tax return and business license, and pensioners present paper from the Pension Fund.

This type of Cuban visa can be issued in no more than 2 weeks. And this is in exceptional cases.

As a rule, verification of all documents and announcement of the decision takes 7 days.

The cost of a paper permitting entry for business purposes is equal to the price of a visitor visa. The validity period is also six months.

You can stay on the island for 30 days, increasing this time by a maximum of 2 months.

Famous Varadero beach in Cuba

Volunteer work

For those who do not care about earnings and who want to work on the island only for the purpose of gaining valuable experience and getting involved in doing useful things, volunteering in Cuba is available. Many students from different countries come here on their own or on exchange to work on plantations for free, and in return receive an acquaintance with the exotic Cuban culture. Most volunteer programs in Cuba require you to pay for tickets and visas at your own expense, but provide free housing and food on site. Many foreigners are put into actual labor camps.

Immigration to Cuba by volunteering

Participation in volunteer programs in itself is not a basis for obtaining permanent residence, but can be the first step towards it. If it is difficult for a foreign citizen to find an employer to obtain a work visa, he can first come to Liberty Island as a volunteer. Having settled in place, talked a little with Cubans and familiarized yourself with local peculiarities, you can try to find a place of work on your own. Having received an invitation to work, and then a work permit, you have the opportunity to obtain a residence permit.

Salaries in Cuba

The largest income is received by businessmen who own their own companies.

Salaried workers are in a slightly worse position. This is due to the fact that foreigners do not compete with local residents. The latter value their work little, so they are completely dependent on the employer. Because of this, the average salary in Cuba is about $12, with higher salaries for government employees:

• For those who work at various enterprises - about 20 dollars;
• For doctors and nurses - from 40 to 50 dollars;
• In private business – $60.

Officials receive much more, but their monthly income is much less than in many European or American countries.

Ordinary citizens are forced to work on plantations because it is the only labor available to them.

on a sugar cane plantation

Thus, despite the availability of vacancies, finding a suitable job in Cuba is quite difficult. The most acceptable options are volunteering, seasonal part-time work, and contract work.

Pros and cons of working in Cuba

Among the advantages of living and working in Cuba are:

• gaining interesting experience and getting to know an exotic country;
• the possibility of obtaining permanent residence;
• warm climate;
• the opportunity to work in a resort area and combine work and leisure;
• Cubans are friendly, cheerful and sociable people;
• stable political situation;
• low crime rate.

Despite some advantages, living and working in this country also has a number of disadvantages:

• low wages;
• great competition with local residents;
• most job offers are hard work on plantations;
• inability to open your own business on your own;
• limited choice of activities for entrepreneurs;
• poor quality internet;
• increased cost of services and goods for foreigners compared to prices for local residents.

How is business going in Cuba?

The small business sector in Cuba is in its infancy, but entrepreneurs from other countries believe that it is very promising. The main difficulty that encounters all businessmen on Cuban territory is paperwork.

In addition, the state has many restrictions for foreigners when starting their own business.

Before organizing a small or medium-sized business, a citizen of another state will have to agree on a partnership with a citizen of Cuba, because an enterprise can only be registered in the name of a person with Cuban citizenship.

Lack of Cuban citizenship

Cuban citizenship cannot be obtained by anyone who was not born on Liberty Island or does not have Cuban ancestors. But babies born into families of foreigners who temporarily live in Cuba automatically become citizens. And the island’s authorities will consider them theirs, even if they don’t need it.

All children born on the territory of Liberty Island are considered citizens of Cuba

Such Cubans, like all indigenous residents, will need special permission to enter and exit the island. To avoid problems with migration officials, the embassy issues a special certificate of absence of Cuban citizenship. This document must be taken on every trip to Cuba.

Ways to find a job

If you speak Spanish, it is not difficult to find a job that brings moderate income. In this regard, you can inquire at the Embassy of the Republic and get information about what specialists are required. Or chat with Russians settled on the island. But there are other ways.

Through the Internet

Looking for a job online is not the best option. The lion's share of job advertisements will lead the applicant to employment services located abroad, for example, www.careerjet.co.za, www.cu.computrabajo.com or. To process the information in these resources, you must speak English or Spanish.

Contacting an agency

You can reduce time and get results faster by contacting recruiting firms operating in Russia directly. Or to international job search services. The services are quite popular and help with obtaining visas and organizing travel.

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How to find a job

If you are interested in working for Russians in Cuba, then you should keep in mind that it is not easy for citizens of the CIS countries to find a vacant job here.

The level of economic development on Liberty Island is very low, and most of the available jobs involve hard physical work. In addition, the labor market is poorly developed, which prevents the employment of not only foreigners, but also local residents.

Independent search

If you set out to find a job in Cuba on your own, there are two ways to do this:

• find a suitable vacancy on the Internet;
• find a job on your own upon arrival in the country.

However, both search options are associated with some difficulties. Firstly, the Internet in Cuba is at a development stage, so there are very few sites advertising available vacancies. However, despite the fact that attempts to “promote” local Internet resources are still observed, most offers are posted on international sites.

Secondly, even after arriving in Cuba, finding a job by asking the locals is not easy. The fact is that most jobs are intended for Cuban citizens, and foreigners have a chance of employment only if there are no local applicants for a vacant position.

Review of Internet resources

You can find an interesting job offer in Cuba on one of the following job search sites:

https://www.careerjet.co.za/search/jobs?l=cuba is an international job board with an extensive database of vacancies in all countries of the world. Here you can select categories by type of work and region. About 150 offers were posted for the query “Cuba”.

https://www.cu.computrabajo.com/ – site for finding jobs and personnel in Latin American countries. You can upload your resume to the website or search for employers yourself - to do this, you need to enter the name of your profession and the region you are interested in. In addition, the site contains many articles with recommendations for finding a job. The Internet service operates in Spanish.

https://ninjacuba.com/ is a convenient site for finding work in Cuba. The resource is in English, but advertisements from employers are posted in Spanish. The site allows you to register and create your own profile so that employers can find you. You can also look for a job on your own. The site is more focused on remote work specialists, so register as a freelancer or a team/agency/company. In addition, various courses and scholarships are advertised on the website.

Search through recruitment agencies

There are many international organizations that provide recruitment services for work in Cuba and other countries of the world. Each of them has its own conditions. Some companies help you obtain visas.

Review of recruitment agencies

You can seek help in finding vacancies in Cuba from the following agencies:

Cubaprofessionals is a recruitment agency in Cuba. The agency is looking for professionals in the entertainment field: dancers, music groups, circus performers, singers, models, service personnel for hotels, cruise ships, etc. The company's website operates in English and Spanish.

https://www.expressglobalemployment.com/countries/caribbean/cuba/ is an international recruiting company that provides employment in more than 150 countries and helps in preparing work visas.

https://www.oneworld365.org/volunteer/cuba is an organization offering travel, work, teaching, volunteering and training programs around the world.

Jobs requiring qualifications

After relaxing on a Cuban beach, every tourist probably thinks about emigrating. I don't want to leave here. Local residents are also in no hurry to leave the country. They got used to life without money and adapted. Many goods can be obtained with cards, medical services and education are free. What more could you want? Do Cubans dream of a business suit, a white collar? With a salary of 15-20 dollars a month, it is probably difficult to put together start-up capital and open your own office. From this point of view, there is aggression towards business. But for foreigners, opening an office in Cuba is not a problem. Starting a business in this country is another matter. There is competition in Cuba, and not little at that. We need creative ideas. Only they will ensure the viability of the enterprise.

There is a tendency in the country towards monopoly of power structures. However, it is always possible to find a common language. The state policy is not aggressive, Cubans are polite, hospitable, friendly, non-conflict people.

Popular professions

Without knowledge of the Spanish language, vacancies for Russians in Cuba can only be offered on sugar cane plantations, in a local Orthodox church, in a Rosneft branch or in a Russian media office. You can also contact the Russian community and find out if they need teachers.

The most in-demand specialists on the island who speak Spanish and claim high, by local standards, pay are:

• university teachers;
• teachers and educators;
• auxiliary medical staff;
• car mechanics and locksmiths;
• musicians;
• drivers of cars and trucks.

Specialist doctors who have confirmed their qualifications are highly valued.

Work in education

Russians occupy a worthy place in the country's education system. They work not only as teachers of the Russian language, culture or literature, but also as professors at technical universities.

Medical workers

In public clinics, general practitioners and pediatricians receive twice as much as a nurse or orderly. Their salary is 64-69 convertible pesos. For support staff it is from 30 to 50 CUC. Dentists and surgeons provide additional paid services to foreign clients.

Driver

The driver earns quite well according to local standards - from 20 to 60 CUC. It all depends on his level of professionalism, the distance of transportation and whether he works for a private or public company.

It is possible to get a job in a taxi service, which is actively used by Western tourists arriving at airports. But here, in addition to driving experience, it is not so much Spanish as English that will be superfluous.

Construction work

Since 2012, when foreigners were allowed to buy real estate in Cuba, demand for luxury homes has formed. They are in the Miramar district of Havana - it's practically a city within a city. Interest in construction naturally increased. To meet the demands of foreign customers, both high qualifications and speed are needed. Payment here ranges from 20-30 convertible pesos for a general worker and up to 60-80 CUC for specialists: electricians, plumbers, digital household equipment adjusters.

Cook

The salaries of culinary specialists and pastry chefs are very different. In beach restaurants or city cafes it is 20-40 CUC. However, chefs in elite establishments for tourists earn almost as much as officials.

For a Russian graduate of a culinary college, provided he knows the language at least at the everyday level, working in a cafe can be a good career start. You can save on food and gain experience. In recent years, such establishments have often been opened by Russians.

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What jobs are open in Cuba?

The largest number of vacancies in Cuba is in the agricultural sector, where workers are constantly needed on sugar cane plantations.

Be prepared right away for the fact that wages in this area are low, but competition is high.

However, you should not exclude this option if you need the easiest way to get into the Cuban labor market, get acquainted with the culture, mentality of the population, and traditions of the country.

Workers are also hired to produce flour. This hard physical work will require considerable effort, since you will have to carry bags of flour and operate millstones.

Professions in demand

A significant proportion of foreign citizens turn to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for help when looking for a job.
Its employees are aware of the most current vacancies that are available in different regions of the country. Among the most popular:

• educators;
• catering industry employees (cooks, waiters and others);
• auto mechanics;
• translators from European languages;
• medical specialists;
• drivers of all types of transport.

Before searching for vacancies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs enters information about the applicant into the general database. Only after information about the candidate has been carefully studied will he be offered a position in a particular organization.

At the same time, proposals are being considered not only on the territory of Cuba, but also in neighboring states, which are, as a rule, undeveloped. And when a citizen refuses a vacancy twice, he is removed from the list of applicants.

Among the most promising options is the position of a sales representative for a company. This provides official work, a social package, decent wages and other advantages. But this type of work also has its downsides.

For example, high requirements for the candidate in terms of qualifications or level of education. You will need to study the features of the local market and Cuban marketing. To do this, you will have to completely immerse yourself in the direction of the organization’s work in order to attract new partners and investors to the company.

Reference! Cuban laws do not prohibit opening your own business in the country. Those who wish to move in this direction can familiarize themselves with information on this issue on official Internet resources - the websites of ministries and the embassy.

Salaries in Cuba

Income levels in Cuba are low. Locals earn between 16 and 30 CUC in regular jobs. 1 CUC ~ equals 64 rubles.

Government employees, medical workers, bank employees, university teachers, workers in the field of engineering technology, and lawyers can confidently say that they have the highest wages on Liberty Island (from 40 to 80 CUC).

The highest salaries are for workers at foreign enterprises, in oil companies, including Russian ones. Payment in such companies is not calculated according to Cuban standards.

The emerging stratum of entrepreneurs is also not complaining, despite the rather high tax of 35% .
In tourism, the construction of luxury housing for foreigners, and catering, you can even earn huge amounts of money by local standards.

The average salary in Cuba will be 29.60 CUC (1872.36 rubles).

In part, such a meager level is compensated by free medical services and education, cheap food, utilities and food cards, which are still in effect in the country.

Legal employment for immigrants

You can legally settle on the island and find a job if you have a visa or. Obtaining these documents is a simple and quick process. But you shouldn’t act outside the law. Illegal immigrants will be deported and will no longer be allowed to enter the country.

Applying for a work visa

The process begins by collecting the following documents with their copies:

• foreign and civil passports;
• questionnaire;
• two photos 35 x 45 mm;
• work permit in the republic;
• an official letter from the employer with an invitation;
• information about the proposed position, payment, responsibilities, deadlines.

They may be required to provide additional family or medical certificates.

Travel companions / Work / Accommodation / Cuba

It is quite difficult for citizens from the CIS to find a vacant position in Cuba, which is due to the priority right to employment of local residents. There is a high probability of signing a contract with any international company whose branch is located on Liberty Island or with a travel agency, however, even here, applicants often hear a refusal.

Russians can easily work:

• freelance writer;
• photographer - the profession carries great risks, since even with the slightest suspicion on the part of local intelligence services, you can end up in jail on suspicion of espionage. An example of this can be the famous Ukrainian program “The World Inside Out”, the host of which, together with his reporter, ended up in police custody, although they were simply taking pictures of the environment. Only the coordinated actions of diplomats made it possible to avoid a real prison sentence for them;
• journalist.

One of the ways of official employment is considered to be direct application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Initially, it is recommended to compose a resume and post it on the official portal of the Ministry, after which all that remains is to wait for a response from a potential employer.

It must be remembered that most of the available vacancies are related to employment in the agricultural sector, which is why you cannot count on a high level of income. In this case we are talking about employment on plantations.

When receiving an employment offer that, for various reasons, does not suit the applicant, the right to refuse is provided - only once. After repeated refusal, the migrant’s application will be automatically removed from the list of candidates for signing a contract with one of the local employers.

You can get registration as quickly as possible only by searching for an employer on the Ministry’s website, since in this case the employer immediately issues an invitation to work, bypassing bureaucratic checks by local intelligence services. If you try to find employment upon arrival, the process for obtaining a permit may take a long time.

A work visa is issued for the duration of the employment contract.

Help: having issued a visa, you can only work for a specific employer from whom you previously received an invitation. When trying to get a job at another company, it becomes necessary to obtain a new permit.

Due to the rather difficult nature of legal employment, most foreign citizens come to Cuba on a tourist visa, on which they remain to work unofficially.

The fact of illegal employment is considered the most common reason for the deportation of migrants to their homeland. In addition, the following may serve as grounds for expulsion:

• established fact of overstaying the visa granted;
• violation of local legislation;
• establishing the fact of violation of visa entry conditions;
• finding a migrant in the field of view of law enforcement agencies and local intelligence services (in particular, on suspicion of espionage);
• detection of falsification of documents.

In order to obtain a work visa for Russians (in particular, migrants from the CIS), the following package of documents is required:

• International passport + copies of all completed pages. If it has been changed previously, you need to attach an additional old one;
• internal passport of the Russian Federation + copies of all completed pages;
• completed visa application form;
• 2 photos of standard sizes – 3.5x4.5 cm;
• permission to conduct labor activities in the “original + copy” format;
• official invitation from a potential employer;
• information about the position held, salary level, job responsibilities, time of work.

In exceptional situations, it becomes necessary to provide additional documents, including:

1. certificate of absence of mental problems;
2. certificate of current state of health (issued by a commission that specifically ensures that visiting workers do not have any chronic or other diseases).

If necessary, the Consulate office will tell you what documents need to be additionally prepared and submitted as quickly as possible.

Before you dive headlong into searching for suitable vacancies, decide whether you need it. Only qualified employees can earn good money in Poland. But diplomas from Russian universities require nostrification. In principle, IT specialists and programmers can do without it - just demonstrate their skills. But engineers and doctors are required by law to confirm their qualifications in order to be employed. Be prepared to spend up to six months on this, and at least 2,500 zlotys.

Wherever you get a job (and no matter how recruiting agencies claim the opposite), you cannot do without language skills. Even if you don’t work with people, you will have to learn Polish at least to communicate with colleagues and the employer. At first, English will be enough - in Poland many people speak it well. But in the future, if you plan to work regularly and even settle in the country, you will have to learn Polish.

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You can legally settle on the island and find a job if you have a visa or residence permit in Cuba. Obtaining these documents is a simple and quick process. But you shouldn’t act outside the law. Illegal immigrants will be deported and will no longer be allowed to enter the country.

On the island this document is important. Only if you have one can you get a work visa. Some Russians do this: they don’t need a visa to enter the country for up to 1 month; they can arrive on the island, register with law enforcement agencies and spend time looking for work, obtaining and drawing up an employment contract, and then re-registering their status in the state.