Skip to content
Citizenship Hub

Cape Verde

Citizenship guide · CV

Citizenship by descent is available; naturalisation requires 5 years; dual citizenship is permitted.

✓ Good news

A digital-nomad visa is available a flexible way to start building a route in.

Capital
Praia
Mobility rank
№ 131 of 199
By descent
Yes
Naturalisation
5 years
Dual citizenship
Allowed
Application fee
Varies

Who can visit Cape Verde?

198 of 199 passports can enter Cape Verde visa-free, visa on arrival, by ETA, or with an e-visa.

Visa-free 60

Visa on arrival 138

0 passports require a visa to visit Cape Verde.

Am I eligible for Cape Verde citizenship?

Tap the option closest to your situation for an instant steer.

Why Cape Verde?

The Cape Verde passport offers visa-free, visa-on-arrival, ETA, or e-visa access to 108 destinations, ranking it #131 globally.

Citizenship by descent

Cape Verde applies jus sanguinis citizenship can be acquired by descent from a citizen parent.

Naturalisation

Naturalisation typically requires 5 years of residence.

Dual citizenship

Cape Verde generally permits dual citizenship.

Other routes

A digital-nomad / remote-work visa is available.

Fees & timeline

There is no standard published application fee costs vary, so check with official sources.

Tax considerations

  • Top personal income tax rate: 27.5%
  • Corporate income tax rate: 22%
  • Standard VAT/GST rate: 15%
  • Taxation basis: worldwide (residents are generally taxed on worldwide income)

Compiled from the Citizenship Hub law dataset (approximate). Verify with official government sources before relying on this information.

Documents checklist

The documents you'll typically need for each citizenship route in Cape Verde. Tick items off as you gather them your progress is saved on this device.

Citizenship by descent

Proving your lineage to a citizen parent or ancestor.

7 items

Country data

Overview, citizenship routes, economy, freedom, and tax at a glance.

Overview

Capital
Praia
Region
Africa
Area
4,033 km²
Demonym
Cape Verdian
Languages
Portuguese
Currency
Cape Verdean escudo (Esc)

Citizenship routes

Citizenship by descent
Yes
Descent depth
Parents only
Naturalisation period
5 years
Dual citizenship
Allowed
Digital nomad visa
Available
Official application fee
Varies

Economics & development

GDP per capita
$5,796 2025
Inflation
2.3% 2025
Life expectancy
76.2 years 2024
GDP growth
6.3% 2025
Human Development Index
0.661 #131

Freedom & quality of life

Freedom in the World
92 / 100 Free · 2024

Tax considerations

Personal income tax
27.5% top rate
Corporate tax
22%
VAT / GST
15%
Tax basis
Worldwide

Relocation & living

Internet penetration
74.7% 2024
Driving side
Right-hand

Where the Cape Verde passport can travel

Each dot is a destination colours show what you need to enter.

  • Visa-free
  • Visa on arrival
  • ETA
  • e-Visa
  • Visa required

Europe

1 visa-free · 2 e-visa · 42 required

Americas

6 visa-free · 2 on arrival · 1 ETA · 7 e-visa · 19 required

Asia

7 visa-free · 8 on arrival · 21 e-visa · 15 required

Africa

24 visa-free · 10 on arrival · 11 e-visa · 8 required

Oceania

1 visa-free · 4 on arrival · 3 e-visa · 6 required
  • Visa-free
  • Visa on arrival
  • ETA
  • e-Visa
  • Visa required
  • No admission

Alternative paths to Cape Verde citizenship

Beyond standard naturalisation, these routes may apply to you.

Digital nomad visa

A digital-nomad visa offers a flexible, lower-barrier way to establish a presence before committing to a full naturalisation path.

More citizenship guides

GH
Africa

Ghana

Citizenship by descent is available; naturalisation requires 5 years; dual citizenship is permitted.

Capital
Accra
By descent
Yes
Naturalisation
5 yrs
Dual citizenship
Allowed
Read the guide
GM
Africa

Gambia

Citizenship by descent is available; naturalisation requires 5 years; dual citizenship is permitted.

Capital
Banjul
By descent
Yes
Naturalisation
5 yrs
Dual citizenship
Allowed
Read the guide
SN
Africa

Senegal

Citizenship by descent is available; naturalisation requires 5 years; dual citizenship is permitted.

Capital
Dakar
By descent
Yes
Naturalisation
5 yrs
Dual citizenship
Allowed
Read the guide
BJ
Africa

Benin

Citizenship by descent is available; naturalisation requires 5 years; dual citizenship is permitted.

Capital
Porto-Novo
By descent
Yes
Naturalisation
5 yrs
Dual citizenship
Allowed
Read the guide

Latest Cape Verde immigration news

Recent headlines on Cape Verde immigration and citizenship, auto-fetched from Google News.

No recent headlines yet. Check back soon, or follow the official sources below.

Cape Verde immigration & citizenship sources

Official government portals and reference pages for Cape Verde citizenship and immigration rules.

Law

Jobs

General data sources & licenses
  • Visa-requirement matrix and passport mobility scores.

    Visa data derived from passportindex.org, via imorte/passport-index-data (MIT License).

  • Country metadata: names, capitals, regions, flags, currencies, languages, calling codes, borders, tld, lat/lng, UN/independence status.

    Country metadata from mledoze/countries (MIT License).

  • Natural Earth ↗ Public domain

    Country polygon geometry plus population, GDP (total), income group, economy, and continent classifications.

    Made with Natural Earth (public domain) naturalearthdata.com.

  • Raster basemap tiles for the interactive visa-access maps.

    Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0).

  • GDP per capita (current US$) and inflation (CPI annual %).

    GDP per capita and inflation from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0) data.worldbank.org.

  • Human Development Index (HDI) values and ranks.

    Human Development Index from the UNDP Human Development Report (CC BY 3.0 IGO).

  • Our World in Data ↗ CC BY 4.0 (third-party data subject to third-party licenses)

    Intermediate distribution of the Corruption Perceptions Index, V-Dem Human Rights Index, and V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index.

    Indices sourced via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0).

    Our World in Data states that third-party datasets remain subject to the original publisher’s license see the individual sources below.

  • Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) scores.

    Corruption Perceptions Index 2024, Transparency International (CC BY-ND 4.0).

    Restrictions: No derivatives

    CPI scores are reproduced as factual data points, unmodified.

  • Human Rights Index and Liberal Democracy Index.

    Human Rights Index and Liberal Democracy Index from V-Dem (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

    Restrictions: Non-commercial · Share-alike

    ⚠ Non-commercial license: confirm commercial use is permitted before monetising the site.

  • Freedom House ↗ © Freedom House all rights reserved

    Freedom in the World scores and status.

    Freedom in the World 2024, © Freedom House (used with attribution for informational purposes).

    Review Freedom House republication terms before commercial use.

  • Tax Foundation ↗ © Tax Foundation attribution requested

    Reference for personal income and corporate tax rates.

    Tax rates cross-checked against the Tax Foundation.

  • OECD Tax Database ↗ OECD see oecd.org terms

    Reference for personal income tax, corporate tax, and VAT/GST rates.

    Tax rates cross-checked against the OECD Tax Database.

  • KPMG Tax Rates Online ↗ © KPMG attribution requested

    Reference for personal income tax, corporate tax, and indirect tax rates.

    Tax rates cross-checked against KPMG Tax Rates Online.

  • Wikipedia ↗ CC BY-SA 4.0

    Reference for citizenship-law rules (descent, naturalisation, dual citizenship, fees).

    Citizenship-law facts compiled from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Law facts are human-curated approximations; always verify with official government sources.

Citizenship Hub is an independent resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of the organisations above. Informational only not legal, immigration, tax, investment, or travel advice. Requirements, scores, fees, and tax rates change frequently; always verify with the relevant official government source before acting.

Free eligibility check

Get matched with a specialist

Tell us where you're headed and a licensed advisor will reach out free, with no obligation.

By submitting you agree to be contacted by email about immigration services. No spam unsubscribe anytime.