Features
TYPE
LENGTH
FEE
MIN ANNUAL INCOME
LOCAL TAX
INTERNET
COST OF LIVING
CABO VERDE
Remote Working Program
No income tax for up to a year and 350 days of sunshine!
The Cape Verde archipelago, a former Portuguese colony, of 10 islands lies 570 kilometers west of the African continent on the Atlantic Ocean. It is blessed with year-round sun, and on some islands, there is hardly any rainfall, which results in 350 days of sunshine. Cabo Verde and its Remote Working Program is a 6-month visa that you can renew for up to 1 year. It is a hidden gem only a short flight from Europe.
PROS
- Zero Income tax on this dreamlike island only 4-hour flight from Europe.
- Work remotely for an employer outside of Cabo Verde, no local registration or payroll.
- One of the lowest required minimum income levels!
- Low visa fees make it a very accessible option.
CONS
- Generally speaking, the internet might be an issue but new co-working spaces with strong connections are on the rise!
- Not enough data on health care, safety, CoL & pollution so scores are estimated.
Specification: CABO VERDE
Remote Working Program
Taxes
Local Taxes
Remote workers in Cabo Verde are exempt from local income tax. Visa gives you a temporary residency but not tax residency so it doesn’t affect your taxes or tax residency. This, as confirmed with the Cabo Verde visa team, means no income or any other taxes e.g. capital gains tax, for up to 1 year. There won’t be also any Import Taxes when arriving in Cabo Verde.
Home Country Taxes
Visa holders are expected to pay their taxes and other standard contributions like social security, pension contributions, where their regular tax residency is.
Other Benefits
Employers of remote workers are not required to register or have a local payroll. What that means is that it’s safer for the employer to let their employees work remotely from Cabo Verde, which in turn makes it easier for aspiring digital nomads to negotiate remote work arrangements with their employers.
However, it’s worth remembering that nomad visas don’t erase all of the risks for employers (such as permanent establishment, the duty of care, etc). These can only be assessed by your employer’s legal/tax teams.
Requirements
Applicants must come from Europe, North America, Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO). They need to complete and submit the following documents electronically:
- Passport size photo of the candidate(s)
- Passport of the candidate(s), passport to be valid for at least 6 months;
- Proof of the principal applicant’s relationship with the family group members;
- Proof of income and means of subsistence. This can be a bank statement for the last 6 months or copy of the last 3 monthly payslips:
- Individual: min average bank balance of €1,500 (US$ 1,750) each month,
- Family: min average bank balance of €2,700 (US$ 3,750) each month,
- Health Insurance – Individual or family package, which includes evacuation and body transportation in the case of death.
During the application process, you need to confirm that you expect to earn an income of min €12,000 in the next 6 months, and are able to support yourself & dependents. That’s about US$ 27,000 annually but you only need to confirm you expect to earn half of that for the 6m there.
The approval process takes about 2 weeks. It is not recommended to travel before being approved. After arrival, approved applicants are required to submit to the border authorities, in person, all of the above documents plus:
- Criminal certificate record issued by applicant’s nationality or residence country authorities (this soon might not be needed);
- Confirmation of the Accommodation Booking. In case of local accommodation renting, a site visit will be made and a fee of €15,00 is applicable;
- Copy of the application approval letter issued by Direcção Geral do Turismo e Transportes.
Apply
1
Gather All the Documents
2
Fill out Online Application
3
Receive Application Approval
4
Arrive & Provide Additional Info at the Border
5
Pay Fees & Get Your Visa Stamp
Fees
The fees are in total US$ 65 per person and include:
- The application fee of €20 per person is paid after arrival, in person.
- The “Airport Fee” upon arrival of €34 per person.
How
All the details of the program, including How to Apply are available on the government website:
Remote Working Program
Facilities
Medical
As part of the visa process, you are required to hold valid travel insurance. Visa holders are able to use the facilities but will need to pay for them out of pocket or via health insurance.
Schools
Theoretically, it would be possible for kids of Remote Workers to attend the local schools, however, there aren’t many international schools. So it might be feasible but can be tricky. You can always home-school your children following the homeschooling program from back home.
Traveling
Cabo Verde is located north of the equator and west of Senegal in West Africa but it’s only about 4 hrs flight from Europe. There are 7 airports, of which 4 operate international flights. São Vicente for example has direct flights from Lisbon, Paris, and Amsterdam several times per week. It’s also possible to get connection flights in Praia and Sal.
There isn’t also a minimum length that you need to stay in Cabo Verde for the visa to be valid. That said, while in Cabo Verde you can only take one trip out of the country during the length of your visa. This does not change the visa expiration date.
Assistance
No contact details to a dedicated team.
Country Info
Internet
Generally speaking, broadband speeds are fairly low with an average Download Speed of about 8 Mbps, which should be enough for everyday browsing, but your work might require a faster connection. That wouldn’t be that bad if it wasn’t for the fact that only about 62% of the population has access to the Internet. This means that you should double-check with your specific accommodations before arriving or finding a co-working space with a better connection.
Cost of Living
There is not enough data to clearly state what the CoL is in Cabe Verde, but the data that exists shows that on average prices are almost half of what they are on average in Western Europe or the US. That said, most things that nomads are used to might need to be imported and will be more expensive.
According to our ☕ Cappuccino Index, which uses Numbeo’s average price for a regular cappuccino, the price of a cappuccino in Cabo Verde is $1.32 which is much lower than the average prices in the US $4.30 or the UK $3.83.
FAQs
What time zone is Cabo Verde in?
Cape Verde Time (CVT) is a time zone used by the Atlantic island nation of Cape Verde. The zone is one hour behind UTC (UTC-01:00). Which makes it a perfect place if you are working mainly with the US or Western Europe.
Is Cabo Verde safe?
Cape Verde remains a peaceful and safe place with a very low incidence of crime. Of course, as everywhere, theft is an issue in most tourist areas. The number of petty theft cases in Cabo Verde has increased in recent years.
One part that we would advise to avoid is Praia, which can be fairly dangerous (daylight robbery, don’t go out during night). São Vicente island, Santo Antão, Boavista and Maio are very safe.
Videos
Source: Remote Working Cabo VerdeDisclaimer: Our aim is to provide an overview of Digital Nomad Visas & Taxes that should not be considered as a legal opinion or tax advice. You should always seek expert advice. If you want to receive a legal opinion or tax advice please contact us and we will refer you to a legal practitioner.
Learn about the data sources & how is the score calculated. Last updated November 20, 2022.
