How can a U.S. company hire employees in Cuba?

A U.S. company has three routes: incorporate a local entity and run payroll itself, employ through an Employer of Record that already holds Cuba employment infrastructure, or engage a staffing partner that recruits and employs the worker. Most companies start through an EOR or staffing arrangement because 2–4 weeks for a vetted structure, case by case is achievable without incorporation, then move to their own entity once the market becomes permanent. SILA covers all three routes under one agreement.

Can SILA recruit and employ the worker?

Yes. SILA recruits, screens and presents the shortlist, then legally employs, pays and administers the person in Cuba under the same agreement. You can also bring your own selected candidate and use SILA only as the employer of record. One accountable operating team owns both sides, so there is no handoff between a recruiter and an employment vendor.

Is PEO, EOR, staffing or contractor engagement better in Cuba?

In Cuba the operating model follows the feasibility review rather than a default preference. Where employment is workable, EOR or staffing applies. Where it is not, a contractor engagement or a nearby market is the cleaner route, and SILA tells you which before you commit.

What does it cost to hire in Cuba?

Cost in Cuba is structure-dependent. SILA runs a feasibility review covering employment structure, banking and payment routes first, then returns the landed cost per seat for the structure that is actually available, alongside the closest alternative market.

Can SILA provide payroll, equipment and local HR support?

Yes. Local payroll, statutory filings, benefits administration, equipment procurement or provisioning, workspace where it is needed, and in-country HR support for the worker are all delivered by SILA in Cuba. You receive one consolidated USD invoice regardless of how many markets the team spans, and one point of contact for people issues.

How do we transfer existing workers from another provider?

Transfers are routine. SILA reviews the current contracts, accrued benefits, severance provisioning and notice terms, then moves each worker across on terms that preserve their continuity, seniority and take-home pay. Common triggers are a provider consolidating software engineering, creative and design, research and analytics across several countries, a price increase, or an owner who cannot name the legal employer in Cuba.

Can a US company hire someone in Cuba?

No, not directly. US persons and companies are subject to OFAC sanctions that restrict most transactions with Cuba, including employment and payments. Some activities may be authorized under specific licenses. We work with counsel to structure compliant engagements where a path exists, and we are transparent when the answer is no.

Who can hire Cuban talent compliantly?

Canadian, Latin American and certain other non-US investors have more flexibility, engaging Cuban professionals through licensed local entities or cooperatives under the applicable foreign-investment framework. Each structure requires country-specific legal and payment review.

What roles make sense in Cuba?

Spanish-language creative, research, translation, engineering and professional-services roles where the work can be delivered remotely and the engagement structure is viable. It is not a fit for high-volume, fast-turnaround staffing that assumes a standard payroll model.

EOR, payroll and staffing in Cuba

Hire, Employ and Pay Teams in Cuba

Cuba has a well-educated, Spanish-speaking workforce, particularly in medicine, engineering, research, creative fields and language services. It is not a standard EOR market: US persons and US-origin technology face OFAC restrictions that make direct employment and USD payments impractical, while Canadian, Latin American and certain other investors can engage Cuban professionals through licensed local entities and specific payment channels. We advise on structure rather than promise a one-size-fits-all EOR onboarding.

Get My Cuba Hiring Plan Review Cuba feasibility

No fee until someone starts.

Employer burden: Structure-dependent; no standard employer-payroll benchmark; Statutory employer cost on top of gross salary. It is already inside every landed price SILA quotes you.
Onboarding time: 2–4 weeks for a vetted structure, case by case; From your selection to a compliantly employed person working in Cuba, on SILA's paperwork.
Currency: USD/EUR/CAD depending on permitted payment channel; Payroll runs in local currency. Your invoice is USD-equivalent at the rate on the verification date, so SILA absorbs the local payroll mechanics.
Timezone: CST, same as US Central; Your team works your business day, in your meetings, not on an overnight handoff.

Start here

Tell SILA what has to happen in Cuba.

Pick the outcome you need. SILA returns the recommended market, workforce model and landed cost, then you choose whether we execute it in Cuba.

Select your route

Your route

Hire LATAM talent

See one representative hiring case, then tell us the role and engagement you need. We compare the right markets, salary band, monthly or hourly economics and shortlist route.

Build My LATAM Plan

Talk to a Workforce Specialist How hiring talent in Latin America works

Deeper on this route: Nearshore staffing · Recruitment services · RPO · Hire nearshore developers

Where this goes

Hiring in Cuba is the fastest start. It is rarely where teams stop.

Most companies arrive with one country and one urgent hire. Twelve months later they are running several markets, a full team and their own entity. You can do all of that on the agreement you sign today, at your pace, without changing partners.

Immediately

Add the next countries without a new contract

The same agreement extends to any market in the region. New country, same team, same invoice, no procurement cycle.

See country coverage →

Next 6 months

Let SILA run the team, not just the paperwork

Move from headcount to outcomes: recruiting, management, delivery and reporting on a managed team or SOW, priced to the result.

Managed teams and SOW →

When it makes sense

Own the operation, keep the same people

We stand up your entity, transfer the team and stay as your local representation. Nothing gets rebuilt and nobody gets re-hired.

Build your LATAM operation →

Map my full LATAM route free

See the whole path costed before you commit to the first step.

Feasibility first

Confirm the workable route in Cuba

Cuba is handled case by case. We run a fast feasibility review covering sanctions, security, banking and employment structure, then tell you plainly whether we can deliver and what the cleanest alternative market would be.

Build My LATAM Plan

How we deliver in Cuba

Case-by-case, feasibility first

Cuba is handled case by case. We run a fast feasibility review covering sanctions, security, banking and employment structure, then tell you plainly whether we can deliver and what the cleanest alternative market would be.

Last verified 2026-08-21. Current pricing and the final employer route are confirmed before engagement.

What you are legally required to provide in Cuba

Licensed engagement structure

Most international hiring flows through approved Cuban entities or cooperatives under the applicable foreign-investment framework.

Sanctions screening

US persons and companies must navigate OFAC restrictions; non-US buyers have more flexibility but still require legal review.

Payment routing

Banking channels are limited; payments route through licensed intermediaries in CAD, EUR or permitted USD structures.

IP and confidentiality

Explicit assignment of work product and NDAs are essential; default protections should not be assumed.

Tax and social contributions

Local entity or cooperative handles Cuban statutory obligations; the buyer's obligation depends on the chosen structure.

Roles our clients hire most in Cuba

▸Software engineering
▸Creative and design
▸Research and analytics
▸Translation and content
▸Specialized professional services

Strong Spanish; technical English present but less common

Where Cuba hiring goes wrong

US persons and US-origin technology face OFAC restrictions that limit direct employment and payment.
Banking and payment channels require specialized, licensed routing.
Local employment law is distinct; most international engagements are structured as service contracts or through licensed local entities.

Send me the Cuba cost and compliance brief

Employer burden, statutory benefits, onboarding timeline and blended seat cost for Cuba. One page, no call required.

Get a costed Cuba hiring plan

Tell us the roles and the timeline. A SILA specialist returns landed cost per hire, a confirmed start date and the right employment model for Cuba.

Ready to move on Cuba? Start with the costed plan, or send the exact requirement.

Build My Cuba Hiring Plan Request a Written Quote

Cuba hiring questions, answered

Plan the rest of the Cuba build

Sources and last verification: Cuba

Last verified 2026-08-21. Every launch-ready statutory assumption resolves to the institution that administers the contribution or the labour code that creates the entitlement. Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti remain SILA feasibility-review markets: their employer cost is confirmed during the feasibility review, not published as a standard payroll benchmark.

cuba-01
Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social
Engagement framework reviewed during SILA feasibility review.

Machine-readable registry: latam-workforce-source-registry-2026.json