Work visa in Cabo Verde: from employment to permanent residence

Anyone who wants to work in Cabo Verde travels through the legal framework for the entry, stay, exit and expulsion of foreign nationals, Law No. 66/VIII/2014 of 17 July, regulated by Decree-Law No. 2/2015 of 6 January, with later amendments (including the second amendment of the regulation by Decree-Law No. 13/2025). There is no stand-alone “work visa”: work with a view to residing is handled inside the general framework, through the residence visa and the residence authorisation.

Entry and visa

The Consular Portal provides for five visa modalities: transit; official, diplomatic or courtesy; tourism; temporary (which covers short-term professional activity); and residence. To come and work while residing, the route is the residence visa, whose grounds include the “exercise of professional activity”. It allows a stay of 6 months, extendable until the final decision on the residence authorisation application, and requires, among other conditions: means of subsistence, adequate accommodation, a medical certificate and the international vaccination certificate, and no conviction for a crime punishable with imprisonment over one year.

Working legally

The High Authority for Immigration is clear: access to the labour market and setting up a business as a foreigner are conditioned on lawful stay. On the employment side:

• the work contract must be approved (homologado) by the Directorate General of Labour (DGT); without approval it has no validity before the competent authorities;
• for the first application for residence authorisation for employed professional activity, the DEF portal requires a valid work contract, deposited and endorsed by the DGT;
• the written contract must reference the worker’s residence title and contain the parties’ identification, the employer’s activity, the work and agreed remuneration, place and hours, payment terms and signatures.

The employment relationship itself (formation, performance and termination of the contract, wages, leave, dismissal) is governed by the Labour Code (Decree-Legislative No. 5/2007 of 16 October, with later amendments). Violations of workers’ rights are reported to the Labour Inspectorate.

From temporary to permanent residence

• Temporary residence: the “employed professional activity” category is for foreign nationals holding a work contract or a promise of one. Typical documents include a valid passport with a residence visa, a criminal record certificate translated and endorsed, accommodation, a medical certificate, vaccination, the municipal residence attestation, Social Security registration, the police registrations and the contract endorsed by the DGT.
• Renewal: the portal indicates an employer declaration (where there is no job change) and a Ministry of Finance declaration of tax and contributory regularisation.
• Permanent residence: the portal provides for a permanent residence authorisation for holders of a temporary residence authorisation for at least 5 years, upon proof of means of subsistence, the Cabo Verdean criminal record certificate, accommodation and the other documents listed.

Paths change: confirm with the official channels

Categories, documents and fees change over time; the regulation itself was amended in 2025. The official channels are the DEF e-Residencia portal (e-portaldef.gov.cv), the Consular Portal (portalconsular.mnec.gov.cv) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (om-mne.gov.cv). Always confirm the procedure in force before applying.

When to speak with a lawyer

Legal help is worthwhile for contract approval, choosing the correct residence category, renewals, and facing a refusal. The directory lists lawyers in this field.

This page is general information, not legal advice.