Buying guide · living in Boa Vista
Residency in Cape Verde and retirees
For a holiday, a passport is enough. To stay for longer, or to move here when you retire, you need residency and a few well-made tax choices.
- Entry as a tourist
- no visa for up to 30 days (Italian citizens)
- Before you travel
- EASE registration + airport tax
- Green Card in Boa Vista
- purchase of at least €120,000
- Currency
- €1 = 110.265 escudos, fixed rate
For property buyers
The Green Card: residency for property investors
A permanent residence status for foreigners who buy a home in Cape Verde, also extended to their family. You apply at the Casa do Cidadão.
At least €120,000 in the more developed municipalities, including Boa Vista, Sal, Santiago and São Vicente; €80,000 elsewhere. Payment must be made with funds transferred from abroad.
Residency with no expiry date and tax relief on the purchase and on the property. For retirees, the law exempts pensions not earned in Cape Verde from Cape Verdean income tax.
The tax relief was written when the IUP still existed: with the new 2026 taxes (ITI and IPI), ask a lawyer to confirm how it applies.
Italian retirees
Retiring to Cape Verde with an Italian pension
Sunshine all year round, a lower cost of living, many people who speak Italian and direct flights from Italy. Many start with a few months a year and then decide.
There is no double taxation treaty between Italy and Cape Verde. For this reason an Italian pension is, in general, still taxed in Italy even if you move. Before deciding, have the figures worked out by an Italian pension advice office (patronato) or an accountant.
Cape Verde has a favourable regime for people becoming tax resident for the first time, now lasting 7 years, with applications by 31 March. It is worth assessing with your adviser.
The island has health facilities and private clinics. For anyone living here long-term, private health insurance is recommended.
If you move here
The main steps
- Residence permitYou apply to the foreigners’ service of the Directorate of Emigration and Borders (or through the Green Card, if you buy). Among other things, Italian applicants need their Italian criminal record certificate, translated and legalised, a medical certificate and proof of accommodation.
- NIF and bank accountYou will need the Cape Verdean tax number and a bank account anyway, for the home and for everyday life.
- AIRE registration (Italian citizens)If you move your residence abroad for more than 12 months, Italian law (Law 470/1988) requires Italian citizens to register with AIRE, the register of Italians living abroad, through the consulate within 90 days.
- Italian pension and healthcareItalian citizens must notify INPS and their local health authority (ASL) of the change of residence: both the pension payments and healthcare cover change.
For holidays
Italian citizens do not need a visa for stays of up to 30 days. However, you must register online with EASE and pay the airport security tax at least 5 days before departure.
Before you move
- Spend a few months in Boa Vista, ideally in different seasons
- Work out your pension and taxes with an accountant
- Choose a home with your lifestyle in mind: near the centre or somewhere quieter
Living in Boa Vista
Thinking of moving here?
Tell us about your plans: we will recommend the areas and homes that suit living here all year round.
General information updated October 2026 (Green Card: Law of 23 April 2018 and Portarias 61 and 62/2021). Rules on residency, visas and taxes change: always check with your consulate, a lawyer in Cape Verde and your accountant or pension adviser.