If you’re a digital nomad looking to move to a tropical island paradise, you might be interested in applying for the Cape Verde digital nomad visa. Cape Verde is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, featuring a mixture of Portuguese and African cultures. The country boasts a warm tropical climate, beautiful beaches, and volcanic islands, which makes for an ideal destination for digital nomads looking to live in an island paradise.
Nomad Girl has had feedback from its readers that have tried to apply for the Cape Verde Digital Nomad Visa and have not been able to. Some even question if these Digital Nomad visas have ever been given. Nomad Girl has contacted the relevant authorities for a response. We will amend this article soon to reflect the current situation.
Cape Verde consists of ten islands, giving you plenty to explore when living there as a digital nomad. Nine of these islands are inhabited, with each island offering a unique charm that lures digital nomads. Most digital nomads in Cape Verde are in Praia, the capital city, and the largest city in the country.
Praia is a thriving city, as more and more foreign investors are taking advantage of the opportunity to invest in the country’s freight and tourism industry. The Remote Working Cabo Verde program was introduced to attract more foreigners to live and invest in Cape Verde. Under this program, those who can work remotely can apply for the Cape Verde digital nomad visa, allowing them to live in the country for up to six months. They also have the option to renew once the visa expires. If you are interested to learn more about this program, here’s everything you need to know.
About the Cape Verde Digital Nomad Visa
To invite digital nomads to move to the country, Cape Verde launched their Remote Working Program in December 2020. In line with this program, they established the Cape Verde digital nomad visa, which serves as a temporary residence permit, allowing digital nomads to live in the country for six months while working remotely. Digital nomads who wish to stay longer will have the option to extend after the six months validity is over.
The Cape Verde digital nomad visa is suitable for self-employed workers or anyone who can work remotely using the Internet and other electronic communication tools and doesn’t need to report to the office for work. The Cape Verde Remote Working Program allows digital nomads to bring their families to the gorgeous islands. The Cape Verde digital nomad visa is a fantastic opportunity for digital nomads to fully explore the stunning set of islands and immerse themselves in the culture while working remotely.
Cape Verde Digital Nomad Visa Eligibility
Unfortunately, the Cape Verde digital nomad visa is not available for all nationalities. You will only be eligible for the visa if you came from:
- North America
- Europe
- Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP)
- Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO)
Digital nomads who came from other countries not mentioned above need to apply for a tourist visa to enter the country. However, you can only stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days.
Documents to Submit When Applying for the Cape Verde Digital Nomad Visa
If you qualify for the Cape Verde digital nomad visa and are interested to apply, here are the documents you need to prepare:
- Passport copy – you need to submit a copy of the bio page of your passport.
- Passport size photo – you need to submit a passport size photo that’s recently taken. The dimension should be 51 x 51 mm.
- Proof of means of subsistence- you need to show proof that you can afford to live in Cape Verde for six months. For this, you need to upload a bank account statement for the past six months or a copy of the last three months’ salary receipts. The income requirement has to be:
- €1,500 monthly average bank balance in the past six months for an individual applicant.
- €2,700 monthly average bank balance in the past six months if you are bringing your family.
- Health insurance – you need health insurance to cover your medication expenses if you get sick while living in Cape Verde.
- Criminal background check – you need to submit a police record, which you can obtain from your local police department.
- Proof of accommodation – you need to submit proof of accommodation such as a hotel booking, rental, or lease agreement.
- Additional documents if you’re bringing your family – if you are taking your spouse or kids to Cape Verde and live there as a digital nomad, you need to submit proof of relationship, such as marriage or birth certificate.
You will be required to submit additional documents to receive the visa stamp after your digital nomad visa is approved. Here are the requirements:
- Valid passport – the passport should remain valid for at least six months.
- Copy of approval letter – the approval letter will be given to you by the Instituto de Turismo de Cabo Verde once your digital nomad visa is approved. You need to submit this to receive the visa stamp.
- Copy of visa approval – the approval declaration will be given to you by the Direcção de Fronteiras e Estrangeiros.
- Payment for visa fee and airport fee.
Once you get the visa stamp on your passport, you can now live in Cape Verde as a digital nomad visa.
Applying for the Cape Verde Digital Nomad Visa
Here are the steps to apply for the digital nomad visa of Cape Verde:
- Prepare all the requirements – Refer to the list of documents above and ensure you have all these documents ready before you start with the application.
- Apply for the visa online – You can apply for the Cape Verde digital nomad visa online. Here’s a link to the online application form. Fill out the form completely and attach the required documents. Double-check to make sure all details you entered are correct.
- Receive the application approval – It should take around two weeks for the Cape Verde digital nomad visa to be processed. Once approved, they will send you the receive application approval, which indicates they have received your application and it’s currently in process. The email will also state the steps to take next to obtain the visa.
- Prepare your travel documents – Before traveling to Cape Verde, make sure you have all the documents for the passport stamp ready. The border authorities will require you to submit these before they stamp your passport for the visa.
- Travel to Cape Verde – Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a visa to enter Cape Verde since you will only get your digital nomad visa once you arrive. Make sure to bring all the documents to Cape Verde. Once you get there, you need to pay the visa fee of €20 and the airport fee of €34. You need to pay these fees upon arrival.
- Receive the visa stamp – You will be given 30 days after arrival to obtain the visa stamp. To arrange for the delivery of your visa, you can send an email to the Cape Verde Remote Working Program. There will be a five-day turnaround time for this.
Paying Taxes in Cape Verde as a Digital Nomad
The Cape Verde digital nomad visa will give you temporary residency in Cape Verde but not a tax residency. Therefore, digital nomads are exempt from paying taxes while living in Cape Verde. In addition, you will not pay any import taxes once you arrive in Cape Verde. However, digital nomads must continue paying taxes in their home country while living in Cape Verde.
Living as a Digital Nomad in Cape Verde
Cape Verde is one of those countries that have been luring digital nomads over recent years. The West African country consists of a cluster of ten islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Verde is an archipelago of ten islands, nine of which are inhabited. Each island offers unique charm and character, which digital nomads can discover while living in the country.
Most digital nomads in Cape Verde live in the island of Sal, one of the inhabited islands in the archipelago. Covering an area of 219.8 square km, Sal is a small island about 30 km long and12 km wide. The island is flat, but there are some mountains in the capital.
On average, living as a digital nomad in Sal will not require a massive budget, which is why many digital nomads prefer to live here. The average cost of living for a digital nomad in Sal is $2,373 per month, and you can rent a studio in the city centre for only $500 per month.
Cape Verde has impressive Wi-Fi and mobile network coverage, and digital nomads will not have to worry about working online while living in the country. In addition, it offers many fun stuffs to do when you’re not working.
As an archipelago, there are many gorgeous islands you can explore. There are beaches from where you can swim, snorkel, and enjoy other water sports. During your work break, you can chill on the beach, stroll around charming towns like Santa Maria on the island of Sal, or hike a volcano.
FAQs on the Cape Verde Digital Nomad Visa
How Much Will the Cape Verde Digital Nomad Visa Cost?
You will pay two fees to get the Cape Verde digital nomad visa. The first is the visa fee, which costs €20, and you will pay upon arrival. Aside from the visa fee, you will have to pay the €34 airport fee.
How Long is the Processing Time for the Cape Verde Digital Nomad Visa?
It will take approximately two weeks to process the Cape Verde digital nomad visa.
How Long Can You Stay in Cape Verde with the Digital Nomad Visa?
The Cape Verde digital nomad visa is only valid for six months, but you have the option to renew the visa if you wish to stay longer.
More Countries with digital nomad visas
Cape Verde is one of the few countries in Africa offering a digital nomad visa, the others are Seychelles, Mauritius and Namibia. Outside Africa there are a lot more countries with digital nomad visas check out the full list.
