For a foreign national with a valid employment contract or promise of employment meeting Cabo Verde labour-law specifications.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde sits in Western Africa. Its immigration system runs 20 distinct routes — led by residence-based status, short stay & visit and family, each set out in official law. All 20 cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 20across 14 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 20 of 20cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Residence-based status3 of the 20 routes — see them under Residence-based status below
- Region
- Western Africa
- Capital
- Praia
- Population
- 527,326
- Official language
- Portuguese
- Currency
- CVE
- Time zone
- UTC-01:00
Immigration routes
All 20 routes, grouped by purpose — 20 of 20 cite an official government source directly.
Work
1 route
Investment
1 route
For a foreign investor or entrepreneur carrying out an authorised, registered or licensed investment or economically relevant activity.
Business & self-employment
1 route
For a foreign national who formed a company, has a services contract for a liberal profession, or can lawfully carry out independent activity.
Talent & merit
1 route
For teaching, research at a higher-education institution, or another highly qualified activity in Cabo Verde.
Study
1 route
For a foreign national admitted and enrolled at a recognised higher-education institution in Cabo Verde.
Family
2 routes
For a parent who actually exercises parental responsibility for and supports a minor resident in Cabo Verde or a Cabo Verdean minor.
For the spouse, minor or dependent child, or adopted minor of a foreign national holding a valid Cabo Verde residence permit.
Independent means
1 route
For a retired foreign national who intends to establish residence in Cabo Verde and meets the permanent-residence conditions.
Digital nomad
1 route
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Residence-based status
3 routes
For a foreign national who has held temporary residence in Cabo Verde for at least five years and meets the permanent-residence conditions.
For a person who did not leave Cabo Verde after a prior residence right expired, under the special statutory branch.
For specified children of residents and people born or raised long-term in Cabo Verde who fall within the statutory special branches.
Short stay & visit
3 routes
For a citizen of an ECOWAS member state to circulate in Cabo Verde without a visa or residence permit for up to ninety days.
For a temporary stay such as business or another qualifying non-residence purpose, with an ordinary or multiple-entry visa.
For a temporary tourism visit to Cabo Verde, using the tourism visa unless an exemption or free-circulation agreement applies.
Humanitarian protection
2 routes
For a person who is or was subject to wage or hours exploitation or particularly abusive working conditions and cooperates with authorities.
For a foreign national who is or was a victim of trafficking, migrant smuggling or facilitation of illegal immigration.
Ancestry & return
1 route
For a foreign national native of Cabo Verde after at least three years holding temporary residence and meeting the permanent conditions.
Medical treatment
1 route
For a person with an illness requiring prolonged medical care where return would create a risk to the person's health.
Transit
1 route
For a traveller who disembarks in Cabo Verde while in transit to another country and whose nationality requires a transit visa.
Official sources
- DEF e-ResidenciaGovernment
- TradeInvest InvestmentGovernment
- Inicio - e-ResidenciaGovernment
- Portal ConsularGovernment
- [NSO] Instituto Nacional de EstatisticaGovernment
See which Cape Verde routes you actually qualify for.
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