Cape Verde Real Estate Index

Cape Verde's Green Card is a renewable residence authorisation for foreign property investors. How the €80,000/€120,000 thresholds, the five- then ten-year renewal cycle, filing, and tax treatment actually work — checked against primary sources.

Back to blog

16 February 2026 · 8 min read

Cape Verde Green Card: How Residency Through Property Investment Works

Residency Investment Green Card

Last updated: February 2026. Legal position verified against primary sources (Boletim Oficial) on 19 June 2026.

Cape Verde's Green Card (Cartão Verde) is a residence authorisation for foreign nationals who invest in real estate on the islands. This guide explains the statutory framework — the renewal cycle, investment thresholds, where applications are filed, the decision process, and the tax treatment — and flags the points that must be confirmed with qualified Cape Verdean counsel.

This is editorial guidance, not legal advice. Residency, nationality, and tax rules are governed by Cape Verdean legislation and applied case by case. Confirm your position with qualified Cape Verdean counsel and the competent authorities before acting.

What the Green Card Is

The Green Card is a residence title for holders of a second residence in Cape Verde, established by Lei n.º 30/IX/2018 and its implementing regulation, Decreto-Regulamentar n.º 1/2020.[1][2] The statute was created to attract foreign investment in real estate and tourism.[1]

The title is subject to renewal. The Green Card is renewable every five years, and for ten years from the second renewal onward (Lei n.º 30/IX/2018, art. 8.º).[1] It is not a status that is permanent and never expiring, and it remains tied to the qualifying property investment.

Investment Thresholds

The minimum qualifying property investment depends on the economic classification of the municipality where you buy (Lei n.º 30/IX/2018, art. 3.º):[1]

Municipality classification Minimum qualifying investment
GDP per capita below the national average €80,000
GDP per capita equal to or above the national average €120,000

The classification is made at municipal level; island GDP is the fallback only where municipal GDP per capita cannot be calculated (Lei n.º 30/IX/2018, art. 3.º).[1] Which threshold applies to a specific municipality depends on the current official classification, so confirm the applicable figure for your target municipality with your lawyer rather than assuming it from the island or town. The investment must be in real estate located in Cape Verde; the property can be residential, touristic, or commercial.

Tax Treatment

The original Green Card framework provides specified tax benefits — exemption from the former IUP and from IRPS (Lei n.º 30/IX/2018, art. 6.º).[1] The 2026 ITI and IPI codes preserve benefits established under special legislation (Código do ITI, art. 6.º, n.º 3; Código do IPI, art. 11.º, n.º 2).[3][4] The codes preserve special-legislation benefits in general terms and do not name the Green Card statute, so whether and how a benefit applies to a particular acquisition should be confirmed with qualified Cape Verdean counsel and the competent tax authority. In practice the benefits at issue can include:

  • Transfer tax (ITI): potential relief on the transfer tax at purchase. The general ITI rate is 1%, with 3% in cases involving a qualifying privileged-tax regime (Código do ITI, art. 11.º).[3]
  • Annual property tax (IPI): a possible reduction in the annual property tax for a defined period, where granted by the competent municipal body. The general IPI rate is 0.1% (Código do IPI, art. 28.º).[4]
  • Inheritance: possible relief on transfer tax in mortis causa succession.

Do not assume that every benefit automatically disappeared under the 2026 reform, nor that every Green Card buyer automatically receives them. The availability and administrative application of a benefit in an individual transaction must be confirmed with qualified Cape Verdean counsel and the competent tax authority. See the 2026 tax reform guide for how the codes are structured.

Requirements and Application

Documentation typically requested includes:

  • A valid passport
  • Criminal record certificates (from your home country and any countries of recent residence)
  • A health certificate
  • An international vaccination certificate
  • Property purchase documentation proving the investment meets the threshold
  • Bank transfer confirmation showing the funds originated from abroad
  • Property registration certificates
  • Construction contract (if the investment is in a property under construction)

Under the implementing regulation, Casa do Cidadão is designated as the single counter (Balcão Único Green Card), and the Direção de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (DEF) is the competent authority for the decision and issuance (Decreto-Regulamentar n.º 1/2020, art. 3.º).[2] The DEF decides on a Green Card application within fifteen days, counted from receipt of the documents specified in the regulation (art. 14.º).[2] That statutory decision window is not the same as an end-to-end timeline: document preparation, routing, any deficiencies, and issuance can add time before and after the decision period runs.

Path to Citizenship

The Green Card does not automatically produce citizenship. A holder may potentially apply for naturalisation after satisfying the generally applicable statutory residence requirement and all other nationality-law conditions. Citizenship is neither automatic nor guaranteed by the Green Card.[5]

Under the nationality law, naturalisation requires legally residing in Cape Verde for at least five years, alongside the other cumulative statutory conditions (Lei n.º 33/X/2023, art. 13.º, n.º 1, al. a)).[5] "Legal residence" means genuine, documented residence — not merely owning property. Confirm the current conditions with Cape Verdean counsel.

Practical Considerations

  • This isn't just a paperwork exercise. The Green Card is tied to a real investment and is designed for people who will spend time in Cape Verde; authorities can assess whether the residence is genuine.
  • The property must be a real investment. It must meet the minimum threshold, be properly registered, and the funds must demonstrably come from abroad.
  • Tax implications in your home country. Becoming a tax resident of Cape Verde may affect your tax obligations at home, and Cape Verde's double-taxation treaty network is limited. Whether a treaty applies to your country of residence should be confirmed with a tax advisor in that country before committing.
  • Healthcare and services. Health-care provision varies by island, and many foreign residents maintain international health insurance and plan for travel for specialist care. Confirm current local provision for the specific island you are considering rather than assuming a single nationwide standard.
  • Cost of living. Day-to-day costs are generally lower than in much of Western Europe, though imported goods can be expensive and availability varies by island.

Finding Properties That Qualify

Not every listing meets a Green Card threshold — particularly at the €80,000 level, where options are more limited. You can filter tracked listings by price range and island to see which monitored asking prices fall within the qualifying bands.

Based on monitored asking-price listings. Not transaction prices or valuations. A listing's asking price is not the qualifying investment value; your lawyer confirms both the price that counts and the municipal classification that sets your threshold.[6]

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do I need to invest for Cape Verde residency?

The qualifying minimum is €80,000 where the municipality's GDP per capita is below the national average, or €120,000 where it is equal to or above the national average. Island GDP is used only as a fallback where municipal GDP cannot be calculated. The investment must be in Cape Verdean real estate, with funds demonstrably from abroad. Confirm the classification for your target municipality with a lawyer.

Does the Green Card need to be renewed?

Yes. The Green Card is renewed every five years initially, and from the second renewal onward the applicable period is ten years. It is not a permanent, never-expiring status, and it stays tied to the qualifying property investment.

Can I get Cape Verde citizenship through property investment?

Not automatically. Under the nationality law, naturalisation requires legally residing in Cape Verde for at least five years, plus further cumulative statutory conditions (Lei n.º 33/X/2023, art. 13.º, n.º 1, al. a)); only then may a holder apply. Citizenship is neither automatic nor guaranteed by the Green Card. Confirm the current conditions with Cape Verdean counsel.

What tax benefits does the Green Card provide?

The original framework includes specified tax benefits, and the 2026 ITI and IPI codes preserve remissions established under special legislation. Whether a specific benefit applies to your transaction must be confirmed with a qualified local lawyer and the competent tax authority. See the 2026 tax reform guide.

Related Guides

Sources

  1. Lei n.º 30/IX/2018 — estatuto diferenciado do titular de segunda residência (Green Card) — Assembleia Nacional de Cabo Verde. Boletim Oficial, I Série, n.º 23, 23 de abril de 2018, p. 539. arts. 3.º (limiares €80.000/€120.000, PIB per capita municipal, fallback por ilha), 6.º (isenção de IUP/IRPS), 8.º (renovação de 5 em 5 anos, e por 10 anos a partir da segunda renovação). Official document (Legislation; accessed 19 June 2026).
  2. Decreto-Regulamentar n.º 1/2020 — Balcão Único Green Card e tramitação do pedido — Conselho de Ministros de Cabo Verde. Boletim Oficial, I Série, n.º 2, 7 de janeiro de 2020. art. 3.º (Casa do Cidadão designada como Balcão Único Green Card), art. 14.º (a Direção de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras decide no prazo de quinze dias a contar da receção dos documentos do art. 6.º). Official document (Legislation; accessed 19 June 2026).
  3. Lei n.º 54/X/2025 — Código do Imposto sobre a Transmissão de Imóveis (ITI) — Assembleia Nacional de Cabo Verde. Boletim Oficial, I Série, n.º 46, 6 de junho de 2025. art. 11.º (taxa de 1%; taxa de 3% quando o alienante ou adquirente beneficiem de regime de tributação privilegiada, nos termos do Código Geral Tributário); art. 6.º, n.º 3 (mantêm-se aplicáveis os benefícios fiscais previstos em diplomas especiais); entrada em vigor a 1 de janeiro de 2026. Official document (Legislation; accessed 19 June 2026).
  4. Lei n.º 55/X/2025 — Código do Imposto sobre a Propriedade de Imóveis (IPI) — Assembleia Nacional de Cabo Verde. Boletim Oficial, I Série, n.º 46, 6 de junho de 2025. art. 28.º (taxa de 0,1%), art. 23.º (terrenos para construção: valor tributável = 10% do valor das edificações previstas, taxa de 0,15%), art. 24.º (agravamento de 25% para prédios urbanos devolutos/em ruínas/degradados e de 10% para fachadas exteriores principais por concluir); art. 11.º, n.º 2 do Código (mantêm-se em vigor os benefícios fiscais previstos em diplomas especiais); art. 5.º da Lei n.º 55/X/2025 (Remissões: as referências ao Regulamento do IUP passam a referir-se ao presente Código); entrada em vigor a 1 de janeiro de 2026. Official document (Legislation; accessed 19 June 2026).
  5. Lei n.º 33/X/2023 — condições de atribuição, aquisição, perda e reaquisição da nacionalidade cabo-verdiana — Assembleia Nacional de Cabo Verde. Boletim Oficial, I Série, n.º 89, 22 de agosto de 2023. art. 13.º, n.º 1, al. a) — a naturalização exige residir legalmente em território cabo-verdiano há pelo menos cinco anos, a par das demais condições cumulativas do art. 13.º. Official document (Legislation; accessed 19 June 2026).
  6. Cape Verde Real Estate Index — live listings — AREI. monitored asking-price listings from tracked public sources; not transaction prices, valuations, or independently verified records. AREI (AREI dataset; accessed 19 June 2026).

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or tax advice. Immigration, nationality, and tax rules may change and are applied case by case. Always consult qualified Cape Verdean counsel and a tax advisor in your home country before making decisions about residency or property investment.