Is health insurance mandatory in Cape Verde?

In most cases Cape Verde expects long-stay residents and visa applicants to show proof of health coverage. The specific bar (carrier, sum insured, residency-vs-travel cover) depends on your visa class — see "Visa & residency" below for the country's current stance.

What does health insurance cost in Cape Verde?

Premiums vary by age, plan and deductible far more than by country — most carriers price the underwriting risk, not the postal code. Use the "Typical local costs" table above to gauge what your insurance protects you from, then run a real quote on the matched providers.

Which health insurance works best for Cape Verde?

For Cape Verde specifically, we list the providers we've vetted in the "Recommended health insurance for Cape Verde" section. They're chosen on three things: do they actually pay claims in Cape Verde's hospitals, is the policy language honest about what's covered, and does the price match the policy.

Is a normal travel insurance policy enough for Cape Verde?

Only if you are staying a short time. From around three months you need international long-term cover that is permanent and includes ongoing treatment.

What does a hospital stay in Cape Verde cost?

In a private hospital, expect 300 to 400 (Sal private at Clinitur-tier; based on 70 EUR consult + ~130 EUR service + bed/meds) per day. The most expensive item is a medical flight back home, which runs 60,000 to 150,000 (jet medevac to Dakar, Las Palmas or Lisbon).

Does the cover still work when I leave Cape Verde to travel?

A real international long-term plan is not tied to one country. It covers you across borders. Check the wording for any limit on time spent in your home country.

Health insurance

Health insurance in Cape Verde

Comprehensive medical cover for people who live or stay long-term in Cape Verde — proper inpatient/outpatient benefits, not just emergency travel cover.

Cape Verde for digital nomads, perpetual travelers and expats: visa rules, real treatment costs in USD, and the long-term cover that actually works.

Get matched Full Cape Verde guide

What health insurance covers in Cape Verde

Health insurance is built for long-term residents, slow travelers spending 6+ months in one place, expats. The lines below are the base — exact terms are carrier-specific, so always check the policy document for the Cape Verde situation you care about.

What you get

Inpatient hospitalisation, surgery, and ICU
Outpatient GP visits, specialists, scans, labs
Prescription drugs
Maternity and chronic-condition cover (on better plans)
Mental-health and preventive care (plan-dependent)

What it won't do

Routine cover in your home country (usually excluded if you're a tax resident)
Cosmetic procedures
Pre-existing conditions on day-one of most plans (medical underwriting)

Typical local costs in Cape Verde

What insurance protects you from. Costs vary by region inside Cape Verdeand between public and private facilities — these are the numbers we've seen most often in 2026.

GP visit	22 to 55 (private GP Praia/Mindelo/Sal)
Hospital / day	300 to 400 (Sal private at Clinitur-tier; based on 70 EUR consult + ~130 EUR service + bed/meds)
Emergency room	27 to 80 (Sal tourist ER ~27 USD; higher Praia private clinics)
Dental	30 to 120 (routine private dental or basic filling)
Flight home (medical)	60,000 to 150,000 (jet medevac to Dakar, Las Palmas or Lisbon)

All prices in USD. Ranges reflect private-sector quotes; public-sector costs are lower but rarely available to short-term foreigners.

Healthcare in Cape Verde: what you're dealing with

Cape Verde has two sides to its healthcare system. Two-tier. Public hospitals (Hospital Universitario Dr Agostinho Neto in Praia ~350 beds; Hospital Dr Baptista de Sousa in Mindelo) handle most acute care but are under-resourced. Private (Clinica da Praia, Clinica Santa Clara, Medical Services Cape Verde on Sal) are expat standard, faster and cleaner but charge upfront. Complex surgery, ICU and serious trauma typically trigger evacuation to Dakar or Lisbon

Nomads and expats typically use private clinics in Santa Maria (Sal), Mindelo (Sao Vicente), Praia (Santiago), Sal Rei (Boa Vista). With an international long-term plan, you choose the clinic yourself and, where possible, the insurer pays the hospital directly so you do not have to cover a large bill on the spot.

Visa & residency requirements

Visa and residency rules in Cape Verde matter for two reasons: which permit lets you stay long enough, and whether private health cover is required as proof.

Visa-free up to 30 days for EU/Schengen (incl. Germany), UK, US, Canada and 61 nationalities; all visitors must complete EASE online pre-registration (5+ days before departure) and pay Airport Security Tax CVE 3,400 (~34 USD). Passport 6+ months; national ID cards not accepted. From 1 Jan 2026 nationals of 96 other countries must obtain entry visa (visa-on-arrival suspended). Longer stays via Remote Working Cabo Verde permit, residence visa or residence permit

These rules apply to: EU citizens, Schengen (incl. DE/AT/CH), UK, US, CA, CPLP and ECOWAS visa-exempt up to 30 days; all other nationalities (96 countries as of Jan 2026) need pre-arranged visa; Remote Working Cabo Verde for nomads from Europe, North America, CPLP and ECOWAS earning abroad. Visa rules change often and depend on your passport, so always confirm with the official immigration service before you apply.

What to watch out for in Cape Verde

The biggest real risks in Cape Verde are concrete and country-specific, not abstract.

Medical evacuation cost (limited in-country specialist and ICU capacity), dengue fever (ongoing outbreak Santiago/Fogo), road traffic accidents, petty theft and snatch-and-grab in Praia, water and surf hazards on Sal and Boa Vista, occasional Shigella sonnei outbreaks (Santa Maria, Boa Vista, 2026)

Risk level: Low to moderate (US Level 1 nationally, Level 2 for parts of Praia; petty theft in Praia neighborhoods Achada Grande Frente/Tras; dengue outbreak active on Santiago and Fogo through 2024-2026; isolated locally acquired malaria cases in Praia since 2025; limited specialist care drives medevac risk). Good cover pays for both the treatment and the transfer to a specialist clinic.

FAQ

Other insurance for Cape Verde

Different stages of nomad life need different cover. Here's the full set we've mapped for Cape Verde.

Get matched with health insurance for Cape Verde

Three minutes of honest questions, then we'll show you the health insurance options that actually fit your situation in Cape Verde.

Find my plan