If you were counting on getting your Cape Verde entry stamp at the airport, that option is now gone — and arriving without the right paperwork could get you sent straight back home.
The Atlantic island nation of Cape Verde has suspended its visa-on-arrival programme for citizens of 96 countries, replacing it with a mandatory consular visa requirement that must be obtained before departure.
The policy shift was introduced under Decree-Law No. 13/2025 and Decree No. 244/GMAI/2025, and also scraps the country’s digital EASE entry platform, which had previously allowed travellers to secure clearance online or at designated airports upon arrival.
Cape Verde’s Directorate of Foreigners and Borders (DEF) explained that while the old system offered convenience, it lacked sufficiently rigorous verification procedures.
Automated approvals are now replaced with formal visa screening through Cape Verde’s diplomatic missions, including mandatory in-person interviews before visas are issued.
The government said the policy is designed to enhance national security, tighten immigration controls, and reduce irregular migration — a stated priority that aligns with a wave of stricter border policies being adopted across the world in 2025.
Under the new rules, travellers from affected countries who arrive in Cape Verde without a valid visa endorsed in their passports face a stark set of consequences: denied entry, deportation, or being required to pay their own return fare.
There is no grace period and no on-arrival alternative.
96 Countries Affected Across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe
The scope of the suspension is wide. Twenty-eight African countries are affected, including Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Tunisia, and South Africa’s neighbours Lesotho and Eswatini.
Nigeria is not on the list, but many of its continental neighbours are.
Thirty-one countries across Asia and the Middle East fall under the new rules, among them India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, and Vietnam.
The Americas and Caribbean account for 22 affected nations, including Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Ten countries in Europe and Oceania complete the list, including Belarus and several Pacific island states such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga.
What Affected Travellers Must Do Before Booking Flights
The practical implications of the change are significant.
Any citizen of an affected country planning to visit Cape Verde must now contact a Cape Verde embassy or consulate in their home country — or in the nearest country that hosts one — to apply for a visa well in advance of travel.
The application process includes an in-person interview, meaning last-minute or spontaneous trips to the archipelago are no longer straightforward for the 96 affected nationalities.
The DEF has made clear that airlines may also face consequences for transporting passengers without valid visas, as carriers are typically held responsible under international aviation norms for the cost of returning refused passengers.
Tourism operators, travel agencies, and airlines serving routes to Cape Verde from Africa, Asia, and the Americas are expected to revise their booking and advisory procedures to reflect the new requirements.
For visitors who previously used Cape Verde as a convenient Atlantic stopover or short-notice beach destination, the new visa process adds a layer of planning that was not required before.
Cape Verde has long positioned itself as one of Africa’s most open and tourism-friendly destinations. This policy reversal signals a deliberate recalibration of that identity — trading accessibility for tighter control at its borders.
