Cape
Verde Travel Information
Tips
for Traveling Abroad
Travel
Warnings, Public Announcements and Warden Messages
Registration
Entry
Requirements
Getting Here
Personal
Security
The Republic of Cape Verde consists of nine inhabited and several
uninhabited volcanic islands off the western coast of Africa. Most are
rugged and mountainous; three (Sal, Maio, and Boa Vista) are flat,
desert islands with sand beaches. The capital city of Praia is located
on the island of Santiago. Most international travelers enter Cape Verde
through the international airport located on the island of Sal, 110
miles northeast of the capital. While the tourist industry is bringing
ever-growing numbers of tourists, facilities on many islands remain
limited. Cape Verde enjoys a stable, democratic government. Portuguese
is the official language, although Crioulo is also spoken.
Tips
for Traveling Abroad
Before
traveling to Cape Verde or any other country, the U.S. Department of
State encourages all Americans to check its website on Tips
for Traveling Abroad. For
more specific information on Cape Verde visit the Department’s Consular
Information Sheet.
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Travel
Warnings, Public Announcements and Warden Messages
From
time to time, the Department of State receives unconfirmed reports that
prompt concern about the safety and security of U.S. Government
personnel, and private American citizen’s abroad. In addition, the
possibility remains that terrorists and other groups or individuals may
take actions against Americans and American interests. In the past,
these groups and individuals have not distinguished between U.S.
government and civilian targets. Security continues to be a prime
concern at U.S. government facilities worldwide, likewise, U.S. citizens
traveling or residing abroad are urged to review their own personal
security practices, to be attentive to their surroundings and to
exercise caution.
Prior
to traveling American’s are encouraged to read the Department’s
current Travel
Warnings. Travel Warnings are issued when the State
Department recommends that Americans avoid a certain country. The State
Department issues Public
Announcements to disseminate information quickly about
terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions that pose
significant risks or disruptions to Americans.
The
U.S. Embassy Praia has instituted a Warden System.
Wardens are volunteers who have agreed to disseminate information
and provide assistance to other Americans living in their area.
Periodically the Embassy will send out messages to our Wardens who will
then provide the information to Americans resident in their district.
If you would like to know the name and contact information for
the Warden covering your island or area of Cape Verde please contact the
U.S. Embassy, Praia at 261-56-16. For
the Warden system to work best, American’s living or traveling through
Cape Verde should register with the Embassy.
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Registration
Travel
registration is a free service provided by the U.S. Government to U.S.
citizens who are traveling to, or living in, a foreign country.
Registration allows you to record information about your upcoming trip
abroad that the Department of State can use to assist you in case of an
emergency. We strongly
recommend that all U.S. Citizens in Cape Verde register with the
Embassy. The
embassy is located at Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia; tel. (+238) 261-5616,
fax (+238) 261-1355. Please note that the U.S. Embassy is located
on the island of Santiago; currently only international flights from
Dakar, Senegal land on this island. The main international airport is on
the island of Sal, a 45-minute flight from Praia.
Registration
provides proof of citizenship in case of a lost or stolen passport and
allows the Consular Section to contact you in emergencies. A U.S.
passport is required for registration. The Privacy Act prevents the
Consular Section from divulging registered information without the
express consent of registrants. The Department of State has made
registering even easier with an Internet Travel
Registration Website. The
site is secure and all data collected via the Travel Registration
Website falls under the Privacy Act.
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Entry
Requirements
U.S.
citizens must have a passport and Cape Verdean visa to travel to Cape
Verde. The visa approval process may take several days. Below is a chart
that describes the two types of visas available to U.S. citizens
traveling to Cape Verde.
Visas
issued by a Cape Verdean Embassy or Consulate prior to arrival in Cape
Verde:
NOTE:
The U.S. Embassy Praia recommends that travelers apply for their visa
prior to traveling to Cape Verde. Americans
have been allowed to travel to Cape Verde without a visa.
However, visitors without a visa have to apply and purchase an
entry visa upon arrival at the airport.
The cost is 4900 CVE for a single entry, seven-day validity visa.
To extend one's stay beyond the seven-day validity, the visitor
needs to apply and pay for a regular single or multi-entry visa at the
immigration police.
For
further information on Cape Verde’s visa requirements, please contact
the Embassy of the Republic of Cape Verde, 3415 Massachusetts Avenue,
N.W., Washington D.C. 20007, tel. (202) 965-6820, email:
virtualcapeverde.net; or the Consulate General of Cape Verde, 535
Boylston Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, tel.
617-353-0014, email cgcvbost@aol.com. Overseas, inquiries should be made
to the nearest Cape Verdean Embassy or Consulate.
No
immunizations are required to travel to Cape Verde and preventive
medications for malaria are not necessary.
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Getting
Here
Traveling
to Cape Verde is easy but requires planning as flights to and from Cape
Verde arrive daily but from different cities and on different days of
the week. Cape Verde has two international airports: Amilcar Cabral on
Sal Island and Francisco Mendes Airport in Praia, Santiago Island.
As
of January 2002, Transportes
Aéreos de Cabo Verde (TACV), the official airline of Cape
Verde has daily flights to and from Cape Verde from many points
throughout the world. Cape Verde is also serviced by Transportes
Aéreos de Portugal (TAP), Air
Senegal, South
African Airways (SAA), and chartered Air Luxor and Condor
flights. Airlines increase the number of flights during peak season,
which is June through September.
From
the U.S.A.: TACV has a weekly flight from Boston’s Logan Airport to
Sal. Visitors from the United States can also travel to Cape Verde
through Europe on the airlines below or through Dakar, Senegal via SAA.
From
South America: TACV has a weekly flight from Fortaleza, Brazil. The
flight normally departs on Saturdays at 6 p.m.
From
Europe: TACV has daily flights from Lisbon, and weekly flights from
Paris, Amsterdam, Las Palmas, Madrid and Munich. Flight schedules vary,
so visitors from Europe or wishing to connect in Europe should begin
making flight reservations early. Condor and Volary Air offer chartered
flights from Frankfurt and Rome during peak season.
From
South Africa: SAA offers daily flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg.
These flights normally depart every evening at 8:00 p.m. and arrive in
Sal at 2:05 a.m.
From
West Africa: TACV and Air Senegal offer flights from Dakar, Banjul,
Nouakchott, Guinea Bissau, Ouagadougou and Abidjan. Flight schedules
vary according to season and demand.
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Personal
Security
Crime
rates in Cape Verde are relatively low. Petty thievery (especially in
market areas) and burglary are the most common problems. Violent crime
is rising, but it is low by regional standards. Visitors should avoid
crowds, political gatherings, and street demonstrations. In the event of
an emergency, visitors can contact the local police authorities by
dialing 132.
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Contact
For
Cape Verde tourism information please contact ACITE, the Capeverdean
Agency for Investment, Tourism and Export at tel. (238)- 262-2621 or
fax. (238)-262-2737 or your travel agent.
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