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Cabo Verde residency & citizenship

CVWest AfricaMedium confidenceupdated 2026-10-11 · checked 2026-10-12
Clear pathway
Years to citizenship
5
Passport
67 visa-free
Remote-work visa
Yes — Remote Working Cabo Verde (~€1,500/mo)
Tax, remote workers
0% on foreign income (Green Card)
1-bed rent / month
~€250–400 (Praia)

Monitoring

Recent changes
Corporate tax cut 21% → 20% for 2025. Green Card and Remote Working programmes operational.
Watching
Green Card thresholds/law revisions; Tech Park development; any CBI proposal (none active).

Overview

Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) is a ten-island Atlantic archipelago off West Africa, a stable parliamentary democracy and Portuguese-speaking CPLP member. It is the region's clearest residence pathway: a Green Card residence-by-investment scheme (real estate from €80,000), a Remote Working Cabo Verde digital-nomad permit, and naturalisation after 5 years of habitual residence with dual nationality permitted. No citizenship-by-investment programme exists. [1]

Residency Programs

Type Official Program Key Conditions Duration Detail
investment_residency Green Card (Residence by Investment) Real estate €80,000 (low-GDP areas) / €120,000 (high-GDP areas) Permanent, renew 5 yr #investment-residency
passive_income_residency Not available — — —
digital_nomad_visa Remote Working Cabo Verde Avg bank balance ~€1,500/mo over 6 months 6 mo + 6 mo #digital-nomad-visa
highly_skilled_employment Work visa (professional activity) Job offer 1 yr, renewable #employment-residency
startup_entrepreneur Not available (investment route) — — —
employment_residency Residence visa — professional activity Job offer; employer sponsorship 6 mo visa → permit #employment-residency
student_residency Student visa Enrolment >1 year Course duration —
family_reunification Family reunification Sponsor with valid permit Tied to principal —
retired_residency Not available (Green Card covers) — — —
citizenship_by_investment Not available — — —

Per-Program Detail

investment_residency

  • Official name: Green Card (Residence by Investment) — Law on the regime for foreign investors
  • Conditions: Real estate investment of €80,000 in municipalities with below-average GDP per capita, or €120,000 in above-average areas. Funds must be transferred from abroad via a licensed Cabo Verdean financial institution. No minimum physical-presence requirement. [2]
  • Duration / renewal: Permanent residence, renewable every 5 years while the property is held.
  • Path to citizenship: 5 years of habitual residence, then naturalisation (Portuguese language, good character, self-sufficiency). Dual nationality permitted. [3]
  • Official source: https://portalconsular.mnec.gov.cv/en/vistos
  • Community verdict: Works well (low threshold vs EU Golden Visas; low uptake, straightforward).

digital_nomad_visa

  • Official name: Remote Working Cabo Verde (Programa Nómadas Digitais)
  • Conditions: Average bank balance of ~€1,500/month over the last 6 months; health insurance; clean criminal record; proof of accommodation. [4]
  • Duration / renewal: 6-month temporary residence + work permit, renewable for another 6 months.
  • Path to citizenship: Time does not reliably count toward naturalisation; nomads typically convert to Green Card.
  • Official source: https://cabo-verde.cv/work-remote
  • Community verdict: Works well (cheap, easy, low threshold; but 6-month ceiling and limited island infrastructure).

employment_residency

  • Official name: Visto de residência — exercício de atividade profissional
  • Conditions: Binding job offer; transport permit; vaccination certificate; proof of accommodation; clean record. [5]
  • Duration / renewal: 6-month residence visa, extendable until the residence permit is decided; permit renewed annually.
  • Path to citizenship: 5 years habitual residence.
  • Official source: https://portalconsular.mnec.gov.cv/en/vistos
  • Community verdict: Mixed — small formal job market; most expats use Green Card or nomad route.

Citizenship

  • Naturalisation: 5 years of continuous/habitual legal residence, Portuguese language, good character, financial self-sufficiency. [6]
  • Dual citizenship: Permitted; no renunciation required.
  • No citizenship-by-investment programme.

Tax

  • Corporate tax: 20% (reduced from 21% for 2025). [7]
  • VAT: 15%.
  • Personal income: Progressive. Green Card holders are exempt on foreign-source income; no capital gains tax on real estate held >2 years; no inheritance or wealth tax. A 10% flat regime exists for qualifying foreign investors. [8]

IT / Digital Nomad

Cabo Verde was an early adopter of a nomad visa (Remote Working Cabo Verde, late 2020). Threshold ~€1,500/mo average balance. UTC-1 timezone suits European teams. Praia and Mindelo are the main hubs, with a planned "Cabo Verde Tech Park". Internet is adequate but not top-tier.

Yacht / Maritime

Atlantic island nation with marinas (Mindelo on São Vicente is a key stopover for transatlantic yachts). Cabo Verde operates a ship registry. Growing but modest yachting sector.

Notes for RU citizens

  • Visa required; Portuguese is the working language. Stable, safe, and visa-friendly relative to the region.
  • Green Card (€80,000–€120,000 real estate) is the main RU-relevant residence route; nomad visa also accessible.
  • EU banking/CBI screening not a factor (no CBI). No visa-free Russia with Cabo Verdean passport.

Community Pulse

Low but positive. The Green Card is cheap but little-known; the nomad visa is well-reviewed for simplicity but capped at 12 months total. Practitioners recommend it as a 5-year path to a second passport with dual nationality allowed, rather than a place to settle permanently.

Country Card

Cabo Verde is a stable, democratic Portuguese-speaking archipelago off West Africa, a CPLP member with close ties to the EU. Its economy is service-based (tourism, remittances, transport). It offers a low-cost, low-friction residence pathway — a real-estate Green Card from €80,000 and a digital-nomad permit — with citizenship after 5 years and dual nationality allowed.

Strong points

  • One of Africa's most stable democracies (FH 92/100 Free)
  • Green Card from €80,000 with no stay requirement; dual citizenship allowed
  • Citizenship after 5 years — shortest in the region with clear rules
  • 0% tax on foreign-source income for Green Card holders
  • Early, easy digital-nomad visa (~€1,500/mo balance)
  • Very sunny, mild climate (~3,000 h sunshine)

Known problems

  • Small economy; few formal jobs and limited infrastructure
  • Nomad visa capped at 12 months total
  • No citizenship-by-investment; naturalisation is discretionary
  • Island logistics (inter-island transport, cost of imports)
  • Limited banking and professional services depth

Country Snapshot

FieldValueSource
Population~593,000 (2023)World Bank ✓
Main religionRoman Catholicism (~85%)CIA World Factbook ✓
Main languagePortuguese (official); Cape Verdean CreoleCIA World Factbook ✓
Main city (capital or largest)PraiaWikipedia ✓
On the coast?Yes (10-island archipelago)~
Tourism impact in seasonHigh — ~25% of GDP; peak Nov–May~
GDP per capita (PPP)~$10,000 (2023)World Bank ✓
Median net monthly salary~€250–350Numbeo ~
Cost of living index~35 (NYC=100)Numbeo ~
Monthly rent, 1-bedroom apartment~€250–400 (Praia)Numbeo ~
Effective personal tax rate for remote workers0% on foreign income (Green Card)tax
Remote-work / self-employment residence available?Yes — Remote Working Cabo Verde (~€1,500/mo)digital nomad visa
Years to citizenship5citizenship
Maximum permitted absence during residenceGreen Card: none requiredinvestment residency
Passport strength after citizenship~62–67 visa-freeUglobal ✓
Rule of Law IndexNo reliable data (WJP)
Freedom House score92/100 — Free (2026)Freedom House ✓
Average annual sunshine hours~3,000 hWeather & Climate ✓
Average annual temperature~24 °CClimates to Travel ✓

Extended Snapshot

50/55 fields · ✓ official   ~ estimate or secondary source, may be outdated   ? unverified · fields without reliable data are hidden

Geography & size 7/7
Area4 030 km² (2024)World Bank ✓
Population density130 /km² (2024)World Bank ✓
Urban population78% (2025)World Bank ✓
Coastline965 kmen.wikipedia.org ~
Highest pointPico do Fogo, 2,829 men.wikipedia.org ~
Typearchipelagoen.wikipedia.org ~
Time zoneUTC-1 (CVT), 4h behind Moscowen.wikipedia.org ~
Climate 8/8
Avg precipitation228 mm/yr (2022)World Bank ✓
PM2.5 exposure20.2 µg/m³ (2023)World Bank ✓
Climate zoneBWh (hot desert), some islands Aw (tropical savanna)en.wikipedia.org ~
Temp winter / summerPraia: avg 22°C (Feb), 27°C (Sep)en.wikipedia.org ~
Rainy daysPraia: ~22 days/yearsunheron.com ~
Humidity~70% annual avgcaboverdeinfo.com ~
Natural hazardsDrought, volcanic activity, occasional hurricanesen.wikipedia.org ~
Air qualityAnnual mean PM2.5: ~8.5 μg/m³ (2024)iqair.com ~
Economy 10/12
GDP (nominal)$3.1B (2025)World Bank ✓
GDP growth6.3% (2025)World Bank ✓
Inflation (CPI)2.3% (2025)World Bank ✓
Unemployment11.9% (2025)World Bank ✓
Tourism receipts40% of exports (2020)World Bank ✓
Remittances11.7% of GDP (2025)World Bank ✓
Credit ratingS&P B+/B (stable), Fitch B (stable, 2025)spglobal.com ✓
CurrencyCVE, pegged to EUR (110.265 CVE = 1 EUR), ~5% depreciation vs USD 2020-2025en.wikipedia.org ~
Top industriesServices (commerce, transport, tourism, public) ~70%, agriculture ~9%, fishing ~1.5%en.wikipedia.org ~
Economic ComplexityECI rank: 120 (2023)atlas.hks.harvard.edu ~
Technology 9/10
Internet users75% of population (2024)World Bank ✓
Fixed broadband subs8.3 per 100 people (2024)World Bank ✓
High-tech exports1.2% of manufactured exports (2023)World Bank ✓
Global Innovation IndexNot ranked in GII 2024 top 133wipo.int ✓
E-Government (UN EGDI)0.5837, rank 112 (2024)publicadministration.un.org ✓
Median broadband speedFixed broadband: ~45 Mbps (2024 est.)speedtest.net ~
5G5G not yet commercially deployeddatahub.itu.int ✓
Online paymentsStripe not availablestripe.com ~
Startup ecosystemStartupBlink rank: 112 (2024)startupblink.com ~
Human development & health 3/3
Life expectancy76.2 years (2024)World Bank ✓
Hospital beds2.2 per 1000 (2022)World Bank ✓
HDI0.668, rank 135 of 193 (2023)hdr.undp.org ✓
Safety 2/2
Global Peace IndexNot ranked in GPI 2024en.wikipedia.org ~
US travel advisoryLevel 1: Exercise normal precautionstravel.state.gov ✓
Money & tax 3/5
FATF statusNot on FATF black or grey list (as of 2026-06-19)fatf-gafi.org ✓
Wealth / inheritance / CGTNo wealth tax; no inheritance tax; capital gains tax 0% on listed securitiestaxsummaries.pwc.com ~
CFC rulesNo CFC rulestaxsummaries.pwc.com ~
Business 2/2
Company setup~11 days, cost ~14.2% of GNI per capita (2020)archive.doingbusiness.org ~
Corporate tax22% standard ratetaxsummaries.pwc.com ~
Family & education 1/1
Top universityUniversity of Cape Verde (not in QS top 1000)timeshighereducation.com ~
Connectivity 1/1
Visa-free for RussiansVisa-free for stays up to 60 days (extendable to 90)gov.cv ✓
For Russian citizens 1/1
Sanctions positionHas not imposed sanctions on Russia; voted in favor of UN resolutions condemning invasiongadebate.un.org ✓
Quality of life 3/3
World Happiness rankRank 73 (2025 World Happiness Report)worldhappiness.report ✓
Expat friendlinessNot ranked in InterNations Expat Insider 2024internations.org ✓
Local language needEF EPI not ranked; Portuguese official, English limitedef.com ✓

  1. https://uglobal.com/immigration/cape-verde ↩

  2. https://uglobal.com/immigration/cape-verde ↩

  3. https://www.sebsauerborn.com/countries/cape-verde ↩

  4. https://cabo-verde.cv/cape-verde-digital-nomad-visa-your-guide-to-working-remotely ↩

  5. https://portalconsular.mnec.gov.cv/en/vistos ↩

  6. https://www.sebsauerborn.com/countries/cape-verde ↩

  7. https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-investment-climate-statements/cabo-verde ↩

  8. https://www.sebsauerborn.com/countries/cape-verde ↩

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