Spain visa requirements for Cape Verdean citizens

Consular section of the Embassy of Spain in Praia

In 2014 Cape Verde was the first African country to sign a short-stay visa facilitation agreement with the EU (in force since 1 December 2014, amended 19 October 2021). Compared with the general rules, for a Cape Verdean passport the Schengen visa fee is 75% of the standard one (Art. 5.1), and is waived for children under 12, students and accompanying teachers travelling to study, researchers, participants aged 25 or under in non-profit events, and spouses, children under 21 and parents of Cape Verdeans legally resident in the EU (Art. 5.2); children aged 12 to 18 pay 50%. Certain categories (public office holders, business people, family members of residents) are in principle issued a five-year multiple-entry visa (Art. 4). Holders of a Cape Verdean diplomatic or service passport need no visa (Art. 8). None of this removes the visa for ordinary tourism: it is still required and is filed at the Embassy of Spain in Praia.

Official application site →

Fee

€67.50

With a Cape Verdean passport the fee is 75% of the standard one, 67.50 euros, under the EU-Cape Verde visa facilitation agreement as amended in 2021 (Art. 5(1)). Article 5(2) exempts, among others, children under 12 and students.

Processing time

Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• Evidence of the purpose and conditions of your stay: a booking for your accommodation or, if you are staying at a private address, a letter of invitation that your host files with the Spanish National Police (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(c))
• A return or round-trip ticket, issued in your name, non-transferable and with a fixed date (Order PRE/1282/2007, Art. 2)

How much money you need to show

€122.10 per person per day, with a minimum of €1,098.90 per person even on a shorter trip

They are 10% and 90% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (€1,221 a month, Royal Decree 126/2026), under Order PRE/1282/2007, so they change when the minimum wage goes up. The daily figure is multiplied by the days of your stay and by the people travelling as your dependants. You show it with cash, certified or traveller's cheques, or a credit card together with a bank statement or an up-to-date passbook. Statements printed from online banking are not accepted.

What each Schengen country asks for →

Source: European Commission, Annex 25 to the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (reference amounts notified by each State), version of 8 June 2026, and Spain's Official State Gazette (Order PRE/1282/2007 and Royal Decree 126/2026). Checked on 1 November 2026.

Health insurance

Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).

Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →

Staying with a host instead of a hotel? Spain's letter of invitation →

When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓

How long you can stay

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.

Calculate your available Schengen days →

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →