Healthcare in Cabo Verde, and what it costs without cover

Cabo Verde has a public system built around two central hospitals, Hospital Agostinho Neto in Praia and Hospital Baptista de Sousa in Mindelo, backed by regional health centres on the other islands.

Private clinics on the islands

It is not free, even for residents, and the US State Department describes public clinics as lacking basic resources and supplies. For day-to-day care, nomads use the private sector instead, which is concentrated on the islands tourists and remote workers actually live on: São Francisco de Assis in Praia, Clínica do Sal in Santa Maria, and tourist-focused clinics like Clinitur on Sal and Clinica Boa Esperança on Boa Vista.

Language and evacuation

English is the dividing line. In public health centres consultations run almost entirely in Portuguese or Cape Verdean Creole, while the private clinics aimed at visitors keep English-speaking and often multilingual staff, which is the practical reason to default to private care. Emergency numbers are 130 for medical, 132 for police and 131 for fire, but ambulance coverage is thin and slow, and travellers are often advised to reach a hospital by taxi rather than wait. Pharmacies are common in the main towns and stock most routine medicines, though supply can be patchy on smaller islands. The detail that defines insurance here is evacuation: a serious case is typically flown to mainland Europe, and the islands of Brava and Santo Antão no longer have working airports, so a medical emergency there can mean a sea crossing before a flight is even possible.

For short visits, US, British, Canadian and Australian travellers do not need a visa for stays of up to 30 days.

What everyone does need is the EASE pre-registration: you complete the online traveller form (at ease.gov.cv) at least five days before arrival and pay the airport security tax, the TASE, of 3,400 CVE, around 30 euros, either online or on arrival. From 1 July 2026, arriving without completed pre-registration means paying double at the border. Your passport must be valid for at least six months. Travel insurance is not a legal condition of tourist entry, though given the upfront-payment culture and evacuation distances it is strongly advised.

The Remote Working Program

Cabo Verde announced a Remote Working Program for non-residents earning from clients or employers abroad, and it is real enough that the immigration service lists the category. Getting from there to a submitted application is another matter. The programme's original domain now redirects to the tourist board, whose "apply" route is a Google form, and the immigration service's own application page still says the process is coming soon.

Be careful with the specifics that circulate about it. The document list published by the immigration service asks for a passport, a criminal record certificate, evidence of the relationship with your clients or employer, proof of income, accommodation and a medical certificate. It does not mention insurance at all. The requirement you will see quoted everywhere, travel and health cover including medical evacuation and repatriation of remains, could not be traced to any official Cape Verdean source, and the tourist board's page carries "Insurance" as an empty heading with nothing under it.

The same applies to the numbers. The income thresholds quoted as roughly 1,500 euros for an individual and 2,700 for a family, the 20 euro fee, and the six-months-renewable-once duration are all widely repeated and none could be confirmed; the immigration service's own fee line is 5,000 CVE. Treat all of it as unverified until you have it from the authority in writing.

• Off-island evacuation. Serious cases are flown to mainland Europe, and Brava and Santo Antão have no working airport, so evacuation cover is the single most important line in your policy here.
• Pay upfront, claim later. Hospitals and clinics generally want payment before treatment even if you are insured, so keep a card or cash buffer and save every receipt.
• Tap water. It is desalinated and fine for showering but not for drinking; stick to bottled water, and be extra careful after heavy rain when damaged pipes can cause contamination.
• Mosquito-borne illness. Cabo Verde was certified malaria-free by the WHO in January 2024, but dengue and Zika still circulate, with a dengue rise reported on Santiago and Fogo in late 2025, so use repellent.
• Petty crime in Praia. The capital sees more pickpocketing, bag-snatching and occasional muggings than the resort islands, especially at night and around the Sucupira market, so keep phones and cameras out of sight.