Cabo Verde visa for South African citizens
Cabo Verde visa for South African citizensWhat South African citizens need to enter Cabo Verde, with the official source for every fact.
Visa-freeMaximum stay: 30 days
Verified Oct 7, 2026 · Source: gov.cv (opens in a new tab)How to apply
No visa application is needed for a short visit.
What entry costs
- EASE travel pre-registration + airport security tax (TSA)3400 CVE
- Total3400 CVE
Compulsory government charges only. Service fees and anything optional are excluded, which is what makes the figure comparable.
Yellow fever certificate
Arriving from South Africa, no yellow fever certificate is required: WHO does not list South Africa as a transmission risk. It can still be demanded if you have been in a risk country shortly before arriving.
Driving on a South Africa license
Cabo Verde and South Africa are both party to the 1968 Vienna Convention, so an International Driving Permit issued in South Africa is one Cabo Verde is bound to recognize.
Whether a permit is required alongside your national license is set by national road law, which we have not checked for this pair.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)Other entry requirements
- Passport validity — Cabo Verde's foreigners law (Lei n.º 66/VIII/2014, Article 7(3)) says travel documents must be valid for longer than the authorised stay, except on the re-entry of a foreigner legally resident in Cabo Verde. The Embassy of Cabo Verde in Washington asks visa applicants for a passport valid for at least six months beyond the period of stay, and the UK government tells British nationals their passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date they arrive.
- Proof of funds — Required
- Staying past your permitted stay — Fine: 10,000 to 50,000 CVE. Penalties in Cabo Verde, compared with every country
- Registering your presence after arrival — Required. Registration rules in Cabo Verde, compared with every country
- EASE travel pre-registration + airport security tax (TSA) — The Embassy of Cabo Verde in Washington says all foreign citizens planning to travel to Cabo Verde must pre-register on the EASE platform (ease.gov.cv) 5 days before departure to pay the airport security tax (TSA). The UK government's travel advice adds that from 1 July 2026 travellers who have not completed the pre-registration, or cannot show proof, pay double the TSA fee at border control; we found no Cabo Verdean text that states this.
- Onward or return ticket — Required of visa applicants only — not of South African citizens.
No official source states a rule on: travel insurance.
Full wording and sources of these rules: All Cabo Verde entry requirements
The other way round
Cape Verdean citizens travelling to South Africa: Visa-free. Up to 30 days.
Nationalities treated exactly the same
Cabo Verde applies these rules — the same regime, the same allowance, the same charges — to South African citizens and to holders of these passports:
MoroccoCompare this across every country
Each of these tables states one rule for all 199 destinations, with the government source behind every row. Cabo Verde has a row in each.
- What staying past your permitted stay costs, country by country
- Compulsory government charges beyond the visa, country by country
- Registering your presence after arrival, country by country
- Digital arrival cards and entry declarations
- How long your passport must be valid, country by country
- Vaccination certificates required at the border
- Which International Driving Permit each country recognizes
- What a tourist visa costs, country by country
- How much money you must be able to show at the border
- Where you must show a return or onward ticket
- How much cash you can carry before you must declare it
All Cabo Verde entry requirements · Everywhere South African citizens can travel
Frequently asked questions
Do South African citizens need a visa for Cabo Verde?
No. South African citizens can enter Cabo Verde without a visa for up to 30 days.
How long can South African citizens stay in Cabo Verde?
Up to 30 days per entry.
How much does entering Cabo Verde cost South African citizens?
Compulsory government charges come to 3400 CVE.
Sources & verification
- Boletim Oficial de Cabo Verde, I Série n.º 43 (17 July 2014) — Lei n.º 66/VIII/2014 on the entry, stay and exit of foreigners (opens in a new tab)
Lei n.º 66/VIII/2014, Article 33(1)(a): a tourist visa requires a transport ticket for entering and leaving Cabo Verde
- Embassy of Cabo Verde in Washington — visa and airport tax information (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Government of Cabo Verde (EASE) — travellers pre-registration form, Pre-registration Summary step (opens in a new tab)
- Imprensa Nacional de Cabo Verde, Boletim Oficial I Série nº 51 (8 May 2023) — Lei n.º 27/X/2023 with republication of Lei n.º 66/VIII/2014 (entry, stay, exit and expulsion of foreigners) (opens in a new tab)
Lei n.º 66/VIII/2014, art. 105.º as republished by Lei n.º 27/X/2023 (art. 102.º in the 2014 original)
- Portal Único (gov.cv) — Visa-free countries for Cape Verde (opens in a new tab)
- UN Treaty Collection — Convention on Road Traffic (Vienna, 1968), status of parties (opens in a new tab)
Convention on Road Traffic, Vienna, 8 November 1968 (UNTS vol. 1042, p. 17)
- WHO — International Travel and Health country list: vaccination requirements (Cabo Verde) (opens in a new tab)
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source