Cape Verde entry requirements, by passport
Cape Verde visa requirements at a glance: 109 of the 198 passports VisaRadar tracks can enter Cape Verde without arranging a visa beforehand: visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an electronic travel authorisation. The other 89 must obtain a visa before they travel.
Which passport do you hold?
We'll take you straight to the entry requirements for Cape Verde for your nationality.
What we've verified for Cape Verde
Beyond the yes/no matrix, we've checked these against an official primary source (last checked 23 August 2026). The specifics depend on your nationality: open your passport's row in the table for the detail that applies to you.
- Entry fee: 3,400 CVE
- Required documents (3)
- Required vaccinations
- Health-insurance rules
- Customs limits (cash, alcohol, tobacco)
- Overstay penalties
- Stay and transit rules
Sources: gov.cv (Government single portal: list of visa-exempt countries with their maximum stay and how to extend it, list of countries requiring a visa and the pre-registration deadline); ease.gov.cv (official pre-registration portal: prior visa required since 1 January 2026 and its list of 91 countries); portalconsular.mnec.gov.cv (Consular Portal: who must pre-register and pay the TSA, and Decreto-Lei 2/2015); files.zetesft.com/images/desdobraveisPT.pdf (official EASE leaflet linked from passageiro.aac.cv: CVE 3,400 TSA on international flights and exemptions); embcv-usa.gov.cv (PDF from the Cape Verde Embassy in the US: CVE 3,400 TSA and that embassy's visa fees); aai.gov.cv (Alta Autoridade para a Imigração: FAQ on pre-registration and the surcharge, extending a stay, the CVE 10,000 to 50,000 overstay fine, administrative expulsion and grounds for refusal of entry); bcv.cv (Bank of Cape Verde, "Informação aos viajantes": foreign currency and escudo limits) and caboverde-airports.cv (cash limits, green and red customs channels); mf.gov.cv/web/dnre (Directorate-General of Customs: baggage allowance for wine, spirits and tobacco) (checked 29 September 2026).
Cape Verde requires every visitor, whether visa-exempt or not, to pre-register through the EASE portal: as of January 1, 2026, it also stopped issuing visas on arrival for 96 nationalities, who must now apply before traveling. Citizens of the European Union, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland are visa-exempt for up to 30 days, but must still complete the EASE registration before traveling.
This table summarises the exact entry mechanism for every passport we track. The difference between entering visa-free, with an electronic authorisation, with an e-Visa, or with a traditional visa is explained in visa, e-Visa, and electronic authorisation: what's the difference. How we verify every row before publishing it is on methodology.
Base entry rules refreshed 2 November 2026. Published: 23 August 2026.
| Passport | Requirement | Max. stay |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free | ||
| Albania | Visa on arrival | — |
| Andorra | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Angola | Visa-free | — |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Visa on arrival | — |
| Argentina | Visa on arrival | — |
| Australia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Austria | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Bahamas | Visa on arrival | — |
| Barbados | Visa on arrival | — |
| Belgium | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Belize | Visa on arrival | — |
| Benin | Visa-free | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa on arrival | — |
| Brazil | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Bulgaria | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Burkina Faso | Visa-free | — |
| Cameroon | Visa on arrival | — |
| Canada | Visa-free | 30 days |
| China | Visa on arrival | — |
| Croatia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Cuba | Visa on arrival | — |
| Cyprus | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Czech Republic | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Denmark | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Equatorial Guinea | Visa on arrival | — |
| Estonia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Fiji | Visa on arrival | — |
| Finland | Visa-free | 30 days |
| France | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Gambia | Visa-free | — |
| Georgia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Germany | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Ghana | Visa-free | — |
| Greece | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Grenada | Visa on arrival | — |
| Guinea | Visa-free | — |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa-free | — |
| Hong Kong | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Hungary | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Iceland | Visa-free | 30 days |
| India | Visa on arrival | — |
| Ireland | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Israel | Visa on arrival | — |
| Italy | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Ivory Coast | Visa-free | — |
| Japan | Visa on arrival | — |
| Kenya | Visa on arrival | — |
| Kosovo | Visa on arrival | — |
| Kuwait | Visa on arrival | — |
| Latvia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Liberia | Visa-free | — |
| Liechtenstein | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Lithuania | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Luxembourg | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Macao | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Malaysia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Maldives | Visa on arrival | — |
| Mali | Visa-free | — |
| Malta | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Marshall Islands | Visa on arrival | — |
| Mauritius | Visa on arrival | — |
| Micronesia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Moldova | Visa on arrival | — |
| Monaco | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Montenegro | Visa on arrival | — |
| Morocco | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Mozambique | Visa on arrival | — |
| Netherlands | Visa-free | 30 days |
| New Zealand | Visa on arrival | — |
| Niger | Visa-free | — |
| Nigeria | Visa-free | — |
| North Macedonia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Norway | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Poland | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Portugal | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Qatar | Visa on arrival | — |
| Romania | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Russia | Visa-free | 60 days |
| Rwanda | Visa on arrival | — |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa on arrival | — |
| Saint Lucia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa on arrival | — |
| San Marino | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Visa on arrival | — |
| Saudi Arabia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Senegal | Visa-free | — |
| Serbia | Visa on arrival | — |
| Seychelles | Visa on arrival | — |
| Sierra Leone | Visa-free | — |
| Singapore | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Slovakia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Slovenia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Solomon Islands | Visa on arrival | — |
| South Africa | Visa on arrival | — |
| South Korea | Visa on arrival | — |
| Spain | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Sweden | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Switzerland | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Taiwan | Visa on arrival | — |
| Thailand | Visa on arrival | — |
| Timor-Leste | Visa on arrival | — |
| Togo | Visa-free | — |
| Turkey | Visa on arrival | — |
| Ukraine | Visa on arrival | — |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa on arrival | — |
| United Kingdom | Visa-free | 30 days |
| United States | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Uruguay | Visa on arrival | — |
| Vatican | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Visa required | ||
| Afghanistan | Visa required | — |
| Algeria | Visa required | — |
| Armenia | Visa required | — |
| Azerbaijan | Visa required | — |
| Bahrain | Visa required | — |
| Bangladesh | Visa required | — |
| Belarus | Visa required | — |
| Bhutan | Visa required | — |
| Bolivia | Visa required | — |
| Botswana | Visa required | — |
| Brunei | Visa required | — |
| Burundi | Visa required | — |
| Cambodia | Visa required | — |
| Central African Republic | Visa required | — |
| Chad | Visa required | — |
| Chile | Visa required | — |
| Colombia | Visa required | — |
| Comoros | Visa required | — |
| Costa Rica | Visa required | — |
| Djibouti | Visa required | — |
| Dominica | Visa required | — |
| Dominican Republic | Visa required | — |
| DR Congo | Visa required | — |
| Ecuador | Visa required | — |
| Egypt | Visa required | — |
| El Salvador | Visa required | — |
| Eritrea | Visa required | — |
| Eswatini | Visa required | — |
| Ethiopia | Visa required | — |
| Gabon | Visa required | — |
| Guatemala | Visa required | — |
| Guyana | Visa required | — |
| Haiti | Visa required | — |
| Honduras | Visa required | — |
| Indonesia | Visa required | — |
| Iran | Visa required | — |
| Iraq | Visa required | — |
| Jamaica | Visa required | — |
| Jordan | Visa required | — |
| Kazakhstan | Visa required | — |
| Kiribati | Visa required | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | Visa required | — |
| Laos | Visa required | — |
| Lebanon | Visa required | — |
| Lesotho | Visa required | — |
| Libya | Visa required | — |
| Madagascar | Visa required | — |
| Malawi | Visa required | — |
| Mauritania | Visa required | — |
| Mexico | Visa required | — |
| Mongolia | Visa required | — |
| Myanmar | Visa required | — |
| Namibia | Visa required | — |
| Nauru | Visa required | — |
| Nepal | Visa required | — |
| Nicaragua | Visa required | — |
| North Korea | Visa required | — |
| Oman | Visa required | — |
| Pakistan | Visa required | — |
| Palau | Visa required | — |
| Palestine | Visa required | — |
| Panama | Visa required | — |
| Papua New Guinea | Visa required | — |
| Paraguay | Visa required | — |
| Peru | Visa required | — |
| Philippines | Visa required | — |
| Republic of the Congo | Visa required | — |
| Samoa | Visa required | — |
| Somalia | Visa required | — |
| South Sudan | Visa required | — |
| Sri Lanka | Visa required | — |
| Sudan | Visa required | — |
| Suriname | Visa required | — |
| Syria | Visa required | — |
| Tajikistan | Visa required | — |
| Tanzania | Visa required | — |
| Tonga | Visa required | — |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Visa required | — |
| Tunisia | Visa required | — |
| Turkmenistan | Visa required | — |
| Tuvalu | Visa required | — |
| Uganda | Visa required | — |
| Uzbekistan | Visa required | — |
| Vanuatu | Visa required | — |
| Venezuela | Visa required | — |
| Vietnam | Visa required | — |
| Yemen | Visa required | — |
| Zambia | Visa required | — |
| Zimbabwe | Visa required | — |
Cape Verde rules for every passport
Vaccinations, customs limits and penalties are the same for every traveller.
Vaccinations
- Yellow fever, only if arriving from or having transited through a country with risk of transmission (International Health Regulations)
Customs limits
- Cash
- Anyone entering with foreign currency worth more than CVE 1,000,000 must declare it at the border. Non-residents may freely leave with foreign currency worth up to CVE 1,000,000; above that, they must prove they brought it in (with the declaration stamped by customs) or bought it from an authorised bank or exchange office. Taking Cape Verdean escudos out is limited to CVE 20,000 per person per trip, unless the Bank of Cape Verde gives prior authorisation.
- Alcohol
- Baggage allowance: 2 litres of wine and 1 litre of spirits per traveller, according to the Directorate-General of Customs.
- Tobacco
- 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco, or a mix of them not exceeding 250 g, according to the Directorate-General of Customs.
Overstay penalties
Staying beyond the authorised period is an administrative offence punishable by a fine of CVE 10,000 to 50,000, according to the Alta Autoridade para a Imigração (AAI), and it is also grounds for administrative expulsion, whose costs are paid by the person expelled.
Grounds for refusal
- Not cumulatively meeting the legal entry requirements: the required documentation, a valid visa appropriate to the purpose of travel, sufficient means of subsistence, and not being subject to an express entry ban.
- Constituting a danger or serious threat to public order, security or public health.
- Being under 16 and travelling without the person exercising parental authority, unless you present that person’s written authorisation with the signature certified by a notary or by Cape Verde’s consular services, and there is someone in the country responsible for your stay.
- Being a minor whose holder of parental responsibility (or the person they are entrusted to) has not been admitted to Cape Verde: save in duly justified exceptional cases, the minor is not authorised to enter either.
- Since 1 January 2026, being a national of one of the countries that now need a prior visa: without it, entry is refused, and so are transit and airport stopovers.
Travel insurance
Each destination decides whether to require insurance, and some check it at the border. If yours does, make sure the policy covers the whole trip.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
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Do you need a different visa for Praia, Sal, or Mindelo?
No. Cape Verde sets the requirements, so entering through Praia asks for the same as entering through Sal or Mindelo. If you're arriving overland or through a small border post, check that separately: some countries apply their own rules to specific crossings.
What does change is where you file the application when a visa is needed, and that depends on the country you live in rather than the city you're travelling to.
What draws travellers to Cape Verde
Cape Verde is an Atlantic archipelago of ten volcanic islands off Senegal, with a Portuguese and African soul. You choose the trip by island. Sal and Boa Vista are beach and wind: white sand, world-class kitesurfing and turtle nesting between July and October. Santo Antão is the hiking island, of volcanic ridges, green valleys and farm terraces. São Vicente brings Mindelo and its music (the morna of Cesária Évora). And Santiago holds Cidade Velha, the first European colonial settlement in the tropics (1462) and the country's only World Heritage site. A week is enough to combine a beach island with Santo Antão. It can be visited year-round: the climate is dry and mild, windier from December to March and gently warm the rest of the year.
Sources for this section: Cape Verde Ministry of Tourism and Transport and official portals; UNESCO World Heritage List (whc.unesco.org, Cidade Velha); UK FCDO travel advice for Cape Verde. Accessed 31 August 2026.
Things to see and do in Cape Verde
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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Where can Cape Verde passport holders travel visa-free? →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.