Cape Verde is a Little Known Haven with Hidden Benefits
You probably never thought of making a move to Cape Verde. The former Portuguese colony is located 570km west of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s made up of 10 islands. The country is sunny year round and has very little rainfall.
It could be an almost perfect winter location for those seeking a sunny tax haven.
Cape Verde is safe, has beautiful beaches, friendly locals and a vibrant culture. Cape Verde is a 4 hour flight from Europe. The country has a great climate, with more than 300 days of sunshine every year. Temperatures are stable year round with an average of 23C/73F from January through June and 26C/79F between July and December.
Move to Cape Verde with the Global Nomad Visa
Cape Verde have a programme to attract digital nomads to move to the country to work remotely. It’s an ideal way to experience the country and figure out if it’s for you.
The global nomad visa is cheap and has some of the lowest income requirements around. You only have to show an average bank balance of €1500 over a 6 month period. You’ll be issued with a 6 month visa which can be extended for another 6 months. If you want to stay longer there are other options after that.
Requirements for the Global Nomad Visa
To move to Cape Verde on a global nomad visa you’ll need to be from Europe, North America, West Africa or a Portuguese speaking country. You’ll have to prove that your average bank balance was at least €1500 for the last 6 months. You’ll also need travel/health insurance which includes medical evacuation. Your passport must have at least 6 months validity. The whole process is done online.
Applications take 2 weeks to process and they advise getting your visa in place before travelling.
Tax Free and Cheap Living Costs
Cape Verde is not a traditional tax haven. But all remote workers on this visa are exempt from Cape Verde taxes on their foreign income for as long as they stay there.
Living costs are cheap with average costs of living around half of what they are in Europe. Apartment rentals should be around $500 per month.
Cape Verde is not part of CRS so it might be worth opening a local bank account when you’re there. The country has very few extradition treaties. It has no extradition with the US or the UK. No criminal record check is required for the nomad visa for Cape Verde.
Citizenship of Cape Verde
Citizenship of Cape Verde is available after 5 years of residence. You’d have to change your visa after the first year to get a longer term residency permit if you want to make your move to Cape Verde more permanent. Cape Verde also has other, faster routes to citizenship including instant citizenship by investment for major projects. We identify other methods to get a fast citizenship of Cape Verde is Second Passport Blueprint.
The Cape Verde passport allows visa free travel to only 37 countries. It does have visa free travel to Russia, which most western passports don’t have. That could make it a decent complement to an EU or US passport. It’s also a passport that’s likely to improve in the future.
Conclusion
If you’d like to escape the west for a place with sunshine, no taxes and a cheap cost of living, Cape Verde could be for you. It’s a liveable place for those who like to have a quiet life and hang out on the beach. Cape Verde has one of the easiest application processes to get a residency permit I’ve seen anywhere. You can apply for a visa online here.
