Moving to Cape Verde
Visas and residency, citizenship, tax, company and banking, cost of living and the places to live in Cape Verde, in one place.
Western AfricaThinking about moving to Cape Verde?
Here's how long you can stay, the ways to live there for good, what you'd pay in tax and what everyday life costs, each figure from an official source.
In this guide, I'll show you:
- How long you can stay, by passport
- The visas and residency routes that let you live there
- How long citizenship takes
- How tax works, with the rates
- What it costs, and the internet and safety
- The basics: capital, currency and languages
Pick your passport at the top of the page, and the stay rule shows for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
Cape Verde at a glance
How long can you stay in Cape Verde?
It depends on the passport you hold.
Here's the rule for the most common ones:
US passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 30 days
UK passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 30 days
EU passport (German)- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 30 days
Canadian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 30 days
Australian passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 30 days
Indian passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- –
For any other passport, pick yours at the top, or see every country on the visa-free countries map.
Visas and residency in Cape Verde
Cape Verde has a visa for people who work remotely:
- Remote Working Cabo Verde – an income of Proof of income and means of subsistence, for 6 months
Compare them with every other country in the digital nomad visa finder.
Citizenship in Cape Verde
Naturalization takes about 5 years of residence.
Dual citizenship is allowed, so you can keep your passport.
Work out your own timeline with the second passport calculator.
Tax in Cape Verde
Cape Verde taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
See where it sits among every country on the territorial tax map.
The main rates:
- Lowest income tax band – 16%
- Top income tax rate – 28%
- Corporate tax – 25%
- VAT or sales tax – 15%
Where you're a tax resident usually comes down to days.
Count yours with the 183-day rule calculator.
Company and banking
Compare the banks and cards that work for people abroad in the bank account finder.
Move money for less with the money transfer comparison.
Many people who live abroad run a US LLC instead; check yours with the US LLC for non-residents checker.
Cost of living in Cape Verde
Everyday prices in Cape Verde are about 48% of US prices.
That's the World Bank's price level for 2025: its purchasing power conversion factor divided by the exchange rate.
It's cheaper than the US, though rent in the big cities can close the gap.
Convert what things cost with the currency converter.
Is Cape Verde safe?
The US State Department rates Cape Verde Level 1 ("Exercise normal precautions", updated 2025-12-18), the same level it gives Austria, Portugal, Japan and Australia. Level 1 is normal travel. Some advisories are stricter for parts of a country, so read the full advisory before you go.
For a second view, the UK has no warning against travel.
See every country's level on the travel advisory map.
Internet in Cape Verde
In M-Lab's open speed tests across Cape Verde over the last 12 months, half came in above 12 Mbps download.
The fastest quarter of lines came in above 36 Mbps, closer to a good fiber connection (5,012 tests).
Test your own line when you arrive with my internet speed test.
Cape Verde: the basics
| What | Cape Verde |
|---|---|
| Capital | Praia |
| Currency | Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) |
| Languages | Portuguese |
| Population | about 543,767 |
From GeoNames' country data (CC BY 4.0).
More tools for Cape Verde
- Passport index and compare passports
- Time zone overlap calculator for calls with home
- eSIM finder for data when you land
- Card fees abroad calculator before you spend
Cape Verde FAQs
Visa-free, for 30 days.
Pick another passport at the top of the page to see its rule.
It depends on your passport.
Pick yours at the top of the page to see the days, and whether you need a visa first.
Yes: Remote Working Cabo Verde.
It asks for an income of Proof of income and means of subsistence.
About 5 years of residence.
Yes.
Check that your own country allows it too.
Cape Verde taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
Check the details with a tax adviser before you move.
Everyday prices are about 48% of US prices, by the World Bank's price level for 2025.
Rent in the biggest cities can be higher than that suggests.
The US State Department rates it Level 1.
Levels 1 and 2 are everyday travel; read the full advisory for any regions it warns about.
Half of M-Lab's tests there came in above 12 Mbps download over the last 12 months.
The fastest quarter of lines passed 36 Mbps.
The Cape Verdean escudo (CVE).
The main language is Portuguese.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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