Praia, Feb. 5, 2026 (Lusa) - Cabo Verde now requires prior visas for citizens of 91 countries, according to a risk assessment, following a resolution published in the Official Gazette and information provided by an official source to Lusa.
Among them is a single European country, Belarus.
The order of 23 January corrects a November version that listed 96 countries and supplements the law on the entry and stay of foreigners, updated in May 2025 (Decree-Law 13 of 2025).
The law stipulates that "the granting of visas online and on arrival to nationals of countries on the approved list is prohibited".
According to an official source, visas must now be applied for in person at an embassy or consulate before travel to "enhance security through direct interviews, preventing automatic online issuance".
In cases where there is no embassy in the country of origin, the applicant will have to resort to representations in other countries and await validation from the Cabo Verdean Directorate of Foreigners and Borders (DEF).
In other words, citizens of the 91 countries on the list will have to do the same as Cabo Verde's citizens do when they need a visa for a country without local representation in Cabo Verde, travelling, for example, to Dakar (Senegal), the nearest capital city, which is home to several diplomatic representations.
Among the most influential Asian economies, the list of 91 countries includes Indonesia.
Among African countries, Egypt, Algeria and Ethiopia are on the list.
Mexico is the only North American country on the list, alongside small territories in Central America and the Caribbean, while South America includes countries such as Colombia, Chile and Venezuela.
In addition to Belarus, the only European country, the list includes 31 Asian countries, 28 African countries, 11 from Central America, 10 from South America, nine countries from Oceania and one from North America, totalling 91.
Decree-Law 13 of 2025 provides that the DEF, in coordination with other entities, shall propose to the Government which countries are exempt or not exempt from prior visa requirements upon arrival, "based on a weighted assessment of the risks, taking into account the higher interests of the country, the prevention of irregular immigration, human trafficking, the maintenance of public order and the safeguarding of national security, namely the prevention and combating of international illegal phenomena, namely terrorism".
In addition to typical cases (crew members, personnel on mission, among others), nationals of the 91 countries listed only benefit from an exemption if they are residents of Cabo Verde, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom, San Marino, Switzerland, the Vatican, Brazil, Canada or the United States.
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