Cape Verde offers remote workers a six-month visa through its Remote Working Cabo Verde program, and the stay can be renewed once. This guide covers who can apply, the documents to prepare, the fees, and the steps to follow. The guide also covers a second route, a residence visa for remote work, which is not open for online applications yet. The information was checked on November 4, 2026.
Cape Verde Has Two Remote Work Routes
Cape Verde, also written Cabo Verde, runs two separate routes for remote workers. Each one has its own agency, fees, and status.
- Remote Working Cabo Verde: Run by the tourism board, Turismo de Cabo Verde. The program gives a temporary work and tourism visa for six months, renewable for another six, and it is open now.
- Residence visa for remote work: Run by the immigration service, the Direção de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (DEF). The government regulated it in Decree-Law 13/2025, published in May 2025. At the time of research, the apply button on the DEF page showed “Brevemente”, which means “soon” in Portuguese.
Most readers will use the first route because it is open. Many online guides mix the two routes together, which explains why fees and document lists differ from site to site. The 5,000 escudo fee quoted by some guides applies only to the residence visa.
Who Can Apply to the Remote Working Program
The tourism board describes the program as meant for self-employed people who can work remotely with the internet and electronic tools. Third-party guides add that remote employees of foreign companies also apply. Applicants can come alone or bring family.
- Type of work: Remote work for employers or clients outside Cape Verde.
- Eligible regions: Guides report that the program is open to citizens of Europe, North America, the Portuguese-speaking community (CPLP), and the ECOWAS region of West Africa. The public page does not list countries in plain text. The program team can confirm a passport before flights are booked.
- Passport: Valid for at least six months, according to the tourism board.
- Proof of income: The tourism board lists proof of income as a requirement. Guides report an average bank balance over the past six months of at least €1,500 (about $1,680) for one person.
- Health insurance: The tourism board lists insurance as a requirement. Guides say the cover should last for the whole stay.
- Family: The tourism board says family members can join. Guides report a higher balance of €2,700 (about $3,020) for a family. The guide to digital nomad visas with family and dependent provisions covers other countries.
Sources disagree on some details. One site lists a 12-month stay and an income of €2,500 per month, and another lists a $65 fee. The tourism board page shows a six-month visa and the fees in the cost section below, so those figures are the safer ones.
Nigerian and other ECOWAS passport holders appear to fall inside the eligible regions, based on those guides. The guide to best digital nomad visas for Nigerian and other non-Western passport holders compares more options. The balance rule is easy to compare with other countries in the guide to digital nomad visa income requirements by country.
Documents to Prepare
The tourism board links its document list through the registration form. Guides agree on the items below.
- Passport bio page, with at least six months of validity
- Proof of remote work, such as an employment contract or client contracts
- Bank statements covering the past six months
- Health insurance certificate for the full stay
- Criminal record certificate from your country
- Proof of accommodation in Cape Verde for the start of the stay
Police certificates can take longer to get than the other items, so they are a good place to start. The guide to getting a police clearance certificate explains the steps. A Cape Verde legal directory says the later residence permit stage asks for a translated and endorsed criminal record. The consulate can say whether a record needs an apostille, and the guide to getting documents apostilled covers that step.
Insurance rules like this one are easier to meet with a plan built for remote workers. The guide to the best health insurance plans for digital nomads lists options. The digital nomad visa documents checklist shows the items that repeat across countries.
The residence visa has its own list on the DEF page:
- Passport
- Criminal record from the country of origin
- Proof of your link to the company or entity you work for remotely
- Proof of income
- Proof of accommodation in Cape Verde
- Medical certificate
The DEF page does not give an income amount for the residence visa.
Costs
The official fees are small next to the cost of flights and housing. Both program fees apply to each person.
- Visa fee: €20 per person (about $22). Guides report that the fee is due again at renewal.
- Airport fee: €34 per person (about $38), paid once on arrival. Travelers can pre-register on the government’s EASE portal.
- Residence visa fee: 5,000 escudos, according to the DEF page. The escudo is pegged to the euro at 110.265, so the fee is about €45, or $51.
- Other costs: Health insurance, the criminal record certificate, any translations, and the first stretch of accommodation.
For one person, the two program fees add up to €54, about $60. As an example, a family of four would pay €216 in official fees. Dollar amounts use about 1.12 dollars per euro, the rate on October 26, 2026, and rates change. The guide to application fees compared across popular countries shows how these fees compare.
How to Apply to the Remote Working Program
The process starts online and ends at the border. The steps below follow the tourism board page and guides that describe the process.
- Register online. Open the tourism board’s Remote Working page and use the “Register now” form.
- Upload your documents. Add the items from the list above, including the bank statements and the insurance certificate.
- Wait for approval. Guides say approval arrives as letters from the tourism institute and the border agency. Guides give a processing time of about two weeks. Print the letters before travel.
- Pre-register and pay. The government’s EASE portal handles traveler pre-registration. Guides say the €20 visa fee and the €34 airport fee are due after approval.
- Show your documents at the border. The tourism board says travelers give border officers a set of documents on arrival to receive the visa stamp.
- Extend before the six months end. The tourism board says longer stays may need an extension on the ground. Guides say the renewal is filed inside Cape Verde and repeats the €20 fee.
If an application is refused, the guide to what to do if your digital nomad visa application is rejected explains the options.
Where the Residence Visa for Remote Work Stands
Lusa, the Portuguese news agency, reported on May 16, 2025, that Decree-Law 13/2025 regulates a residence visa for people who work remotely for clients outside the country. The DEF page lists the documents and the 5,000 escudo fee. Its apply and tracking buttons were marked “Brevemente” at the time of research.
A Cape Verde law firm says the decree allows requests through the digital platform, DEF counters, or regional police commands. The firm also says decisions usually take about two weeks.
Sources describe this route in different ways. A legal directory that checked official channels on October 5, 2026, says no visa carries the label “digital nomad”. The directory places remote workers under the general residence visa. It says this visa allows six months of stay and asks for proof of means, accommodation, and a medical certificate.
The online service is not open, so this guide gives no application steps for the residence visa. Readers who want this route can email DEF at def.secretaria@gov.cv before planning around it.
Entry Rules That Changed in 2026
Cape Verde changed its visa on arrival rules on January 1, 2026. The change affects who needs a visa before flying, including some readers who plan to join the program.
- Countries affected: VisasNews reports that nationals of 96 countries lost access to visas on arrival. The list includes India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, Colombia, Vietnam, and Turkey. The United States, the United Kingdom, EU member states, Canada, Brazil, Nigeria, and Ghana are not on the list.
- What those travelers need: A visa from a Cape Verde embassy or consulate before travel. The EASE portal warns that arriving without a valid visa risks refusal of entry.
- Exemptions: Airline crew, foreign residents of Cape Verde, and holders of some European residence permits, among others.
- Registration for all visitors: Visitors, including visa-exempt travelers, register on EASE and pay an airport security fee.
- November 2026 update: Lusa reports that Decree-Law 49/2026, published on November 3, 2026, allows online visa requests for 91 countries. A security review may include an interview, and visas on arrival remain unavailable. A local news site reports that the online platform is not yet announced as available. VisasNews counted 96 countries in January, and Lusa reports 91 in November.
The public pages do not say whether program participants from these countries follow the same pre-travel route. The program team can confirm this before flights are booked.
Validity, Renewal, and Long-Term Options
- Length of stay: Six months, renewable once for six more, so 12 months at most in the program.
- Renewal: Filed inside Cape Verde. Guides say the program team checks that you still meet the requirements. The guide to digital nomad visa renewal and extension rules explains how renewals work in general.
- Path to residence: The program page does not describe one. The legal directory Advogados.cv says permanent residence needs at least five years of temporary residence. The directory also says official channels show no shortened route for remote workers.
A stay beyond 12 months would need a residence permit through DEF.
Tax Note
The tourism board states that remote workers in Cape Verde are exempt from income tax. Guides say participants receive temporary residence and do not become Cape Verde tax residents. Home-country rules still apply, and days spent abroad can change tax residence there.
- How US citizens file taxes while working remotely abroad
- UK tax rules for digital nomads
- Canadian tax rules for digital nomads
The information here is general and not tax advice. A tax professional can review an individual case.
Who the Program Suits
The program works best for remote workers who want a short, low-fee base and have the documents ready.
A good fit if you:
- hold a passport from an eligible region and can show a six-month bank balance of around €1,500
- want an island base for six to twelve months
- plan to bring family, with the higher balance in mind
- earn income from clients or employers outside Cape Verde
Skip it if you:
- hold a passport outside the listed regions, until the program team confirms eligibility
- plan to stay beyond 12 months
- need a job with a Cape Verde employer
- come from a country on the pre-travel visa list and cannot reach an embassy soon
The Cape Verde digital nomad guide covers cost of living and island choices. The guide to the top countries with official digital nomad visa programs helps compare other options.
Official Pages to Check Before You Apply
- Remote Working Cabo Verde, Turismo de Cabo Verde
- Digital Nomads visa page, DEF e-Residencia
- EASE traveler pre-registration
Ready to Plan the Trip
Cape Verde gives eligible remote workers a six-month base with low official fees and an online start. Once the approval letters arrive, the next job is booking the trip. Search flights to Cape Verde on FlyBibe and compare routes and dates before the visa period begins. The search is filtered by wifi, visa rules, and cost, so the results fit a laptop lifestyle.
Immigration and tax rules change. Confirm current requirements with the Cape Verde tourism board, the immigration service (DEF), or a Cape Verde embassy before making plans. This guide reflects information checked on November 4, 2026, and is general information and not legal or tax advice.