Cape Verde

Entry requirements

Citizens of Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Hong Kong, Liberia, Macau, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Timor-Leste and Togo do not require a visa to enter Cape Verde.

]] The official currency of Cape Verde is the escudo, denoted by the symbol "" (a cifrão, a symbol similar to the dollar sign, but with two vertical strokes instead of one) after the amount. Its ISO code is CVE. The currency is fixed against the euro at 110 per euro.

Most road and sidewalk surfaces in Cabo Verde are made of large, rough, irregular, uneven and sharp cobblestones, which are often spaced wide apart and may protrude several centimetres from the ground. These surfaces are generally unsuitable for wheeled luggage, baby strollers, folding bicycles or anything with wheels smaller than those of a car or standard bicycle.

The official language is Portuguese, used in all official publications and announcements as well as in business, media and schools, but the local language is Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu kabuverdianu), a Portuguese-based creole language with 90-95% of the words from Portuguese and the rest mainly from West African languages. It is divided into 9 dialects spoken on various parts of the country. Even though Kriolu is comprehensible to a skilled Portuguese-speaker, almost all people can also speak P…

Pickpocketing and purse snatching are quite common in Cape Verde, especially in the main cities (Praia, Mindelo) and on the islands popular with tourists (Boa Vista, Sal). Thieves should be particularly watched out for in large crowds, such as at markets, festivals or other celebrations. Theft and robbery are often committed by street children and youth gangs. Violent crime, much of it drug-related, has also increased. It is best to avoid travelling alone at night. There are also cases of robberies against tourists on beaches.

In the resorts, the tap water is usually desalinated and safe to drink. In other areas, bottled water is cheap and commonly available.

The telephone system is effective and improving. The country also has one Internet service provider.

Mobile connectivity

There is mobile phone coverage in all cities and most towns. As of July 2022, 4G coverage is common in some populated areas such as Santiago and Fogo. Check with your provider as to the roaming costs. Alternatively, local prepaid SIM cards branded CVMovel and Unitel T+ (Tmais) are available widespread. As of July 2022, these can be charged with around $1000 for approxi…

People are polite and friendly: they will try to sell you something and if you refuse, they will invent stories about the hardship of their families. It is good to buy something, but important to bargain.

The national holiday is 5 July, Independence Day.