Sal, Boa Vista — Atlantic islands, FREEHOLD + residence permit from €80K, branded resorts
Ownership: FREEHOLD with no restrictions for foreigners + residence permit through investment
Market
Cabo Verde (the Cape Verde Islands) is an archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic off the coast of West Africa, a former Portuguese colony (independence in 1975). A stable democracy, safe, with an English- and Portuguese-speaking environment, and visa-free entry for 30 days for Russians. Foreigners buy FREEHOLD with no restrictions — the same rights as locals. The "Green Card" residence permit programme through real-estate investment: €80K in low-GDP zones (Sal, Boa Vista — the main tourist islands) or €120K in high-GDP zones (Praia, Mindelo). After 5 years of residence → citizenship. Main islands for purchase: Sal (Santa Maria — the main tourist cluster, prices €1500-€2500/m²), Boa Vista (Sal Rei, quieter and eco, €1200-€2000/m²), Santiago (Praia — the capital, business cluster, €1000-€1800/m²), São Vicente (Mindelo — the cultural capital, €700-€1400/m²). Branded resorts Melia, RIU, TUI Sensimar provide the resort audience. Yield of 6-10% on resort Airbnb.
Prices
Ownership
Foreigners buy FREEHOLD with no restrictions on apartments, villas, land and commercial properties — the same rights as citizens of Cabo Verde. The process runs through an advogado (lawyer-notary) following the Portuguese model: 4-8 weeks to complete. The key is an independent lawyer for title due diligence.
Source: Civil Code Cabo Verde, Law 36/V/97 on foreign ownership
Taxes
Residency
The Green Card is a residence permit programme through real-estate investment, one of the cheapest in the world. It covers the buyer, spouse and children under 18. After 5 years of legal residence (flexible requirements on 183 days/year) — citizenship. Visa-free travel for CV citizens — 90+ countries. Comparable to the Portugal Golden Visa, 6 times cheaper.
Source: Cabo Verde Tradeinvest, Law on residence permits
Rental yield
FAQ
Yes, with NO restrictions — FREEHOLD ownership with the same rights as citizens of Cabo Verde. You can buy any property (an apartment, a villa, development land, commercial). The process runs through an advogado (a Portuguese notary-lawyer) following the Portuguese model: 4-8 weeks to complete. The key is an independent lawyer (€500-1500) for title due diligence. English and Portuguese are the official languages of transactions.
The Green Card is a residence permit programme through real-estate investment (one of the cheapest in the world). Thresholds: €80K in low-GDP zones (Sal, Boa Vista — the main tourist islands), €120K in high-GDP zones (Praia, Mindelo). The residence permit covers the buyer + spouse + children < 18. After 5 years of residence (without a mandatory 183 days/year — a flexible requirement) — citizenship. Visa-free travel for CV citizens — 90+ countries. The programme is similar to the Portugal Golden Visa, but 6 times cheaper.
Sal — the main tourist cluster with direct flights from Europe (Lisboa, London, Manchester, Milano), resort complexes Melia, RIU, TUI Sensimar, prices €1500-€2500/m², yield 8-10% Airbnb. Boa Vista — second by tourism, quieter and eco, boutique projects, €1200-€2000/m², 7-9% Airbnb. Praia (the capital on Santiago) — business cluster, stable long-term rental, €1000-€1800/m², 5-7%. Mindelo (São Vicente) — the cultural capital, budget entry, €700-€1400/m². For mass-market Airbnb — Sal; for boutique — Boa Vista; for the residence-permit minimum — Mindelo.
On purchase: 3% IUP (Imposto Único sobre o Património — the single property tax). Notary + registration — 1-2%. Annual property tax (Imposto Único sobre o Património annual) — 0.3-0.4% of value (€500 per year for a €125K property). Rental income tax — 20% for non-residents with deductible expenses. Capital gain tax — 25% on sale < 5 years; NO tax when held > 5 years. EUR-pegged escudo (1 EUR = 110.265 CVE) — no currency fluctuations.
The main ones: 1) Remote location — the core rental market depends on European tourists (Sal, Boa Vista); a reduction in direct flights could hit yield; 2) Limited local population (~580K across 10 islands) — a low local rental audience; 3) Logistics — building materials are imported, renovation is more expensive; 4) Drought and water desalination — groceries are 20-30% more expensive than European ones; 5) A young Green Card programme (since 2017) — a short track record. Protection — choosing branded-resort projects with international management (Melia, RIU, Hilton) on Sal/Boa Vista + buying in mature clusters (Santa Maria, Sal Rei).
Sal (Santa Maria, the main cluster) — €1,500-2,500/m². Boa Vista (Sal Rei) — €1,200-2,000/m². Praia (the capital) — €1,000-1,800/m². Mindelo (São Vicente) — €700-1,400/m². The overall range across the archipelago — €700-2,500/m². Branded resorts Melia, RIU, TUI Sensimar provide the resort rental audience.
The programme is stable, but the thresholds may rise (a trend across Europe and Africa). Right now €80K is one of the cheapest residence permits in the world, with the comparable Portugal Golden Visa 6 times more expensive. The window of opportunity is open until the thresholds are raised. The main risk is exit liquidity: the market is small, and selling a premium property can take years.
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Personal selection
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