Cape Verde Real Estate Index

How a foreign buyer buys a home in Cape Verde: tax number, your own lawyer, document checks, promissory contract, payment, deed and registration.

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27 February 2026 · 5 min read

Buying property in Cape Verde: the steps, in order

Buying Legal Guide

Last updated: October 2026.

This is the order a purchase usually runs in, from setting a budget to registering the home in your name. Each step says what to ask for and who issues it.

Can foreigners buy property in Cape Verde?

Yes. Cape Verdean law provides for foreign owners: the 2018 Green Card law gives a residence status to foreigners who have bought a built home or one under construction, and asks them to show they are its owner.[3] Your lawyer checks the specific property and how you will hold it.

1. Set your budget before you look

Budget for the price plus the costs of buying: transfer tax, notary and registry fees, your lawyer's fee and, if you borrow, the bank's charges. Before you sign anything, ask your lawyer for a written estimate of these costs for the property you choose.

The prices on this index are asking prices from public listings, dated and linked to the source.[1] The price you agree can be lower or higher. Compare similar homes in the same area: same type, size and stage of construction.

2. Get a tax number (NIF)

The NIF (número de identificação fiscal) is your Cape Verdean tax number. Get it early: the taxes on the purchase are paid under it.

The tax authority (DNRE) issues it free of charge, in person, at a tax office (Repartição de Finanças) or a Casa do Cidadão. A non-resident brings a copy of a valid passport and the registration form (Mod. 110).[2] If you cannot go in person, ask your lawyer whether they can apply for you.

3. Choose your own lawyer

Hire a lawyer (advogado) in Cape Verde who works for you and does not act for the seller, the developer or the agent. Your lawyer runs the checks in step 4 and reviews every contract before you sign. If you will be abroad on signing days, ask whether they can act for you under a power of attorney (procuração).

Agree the fee and the scope in writing: which checks, which documents, and whether the deed and the registration are included.

4. Check the property before you pay anything

Ask the seller for these documents, and have your lawyer get current copies from the offices that issue them:

  • Land registry certificate (certidão do registo predial), from the land registry (conservatória do registo predial). It shows who owns the property and any mortgage, lien or other charge registered against it.
  • Tax record (certidão matricial), from the tax office. It identifies the property for tax purposes and its registered holder. The Green Card law names these two certificates as the proof that a foreign owner holds the property free of charges.[3]
  • The seller's identity and authority to sell. If a company sells, its commercial registration and who may sign for it. If a representative signs, the power of attorney.
  • Debts tied to the property: unpaid property tax, water and electricity bills, and condominium charges.
  • For a new build or one under construction: the building licence and, once it is finished, the licence that allows it to be lived in, both from the municipality (câmara municipal). Your lawyer confirms which licences apply.
  • For an apartment: the condominium fees, the building rules and any works already approved.

Check that the address, area and description match across the listing, the registry certificate and the tax record. If they differ, resolve it before you sign.

5. Reserve, then sign the promissory contract

A seller may ask for a reservation payment to take the property off the market. Pay it only against a signed reservation document that states the amount, how long the reservation lasts and when the money is refunded.

The promissory contract (contrato-promessa de compra e venda) commits both sides to the sale. It sets the price, the deposit (sinal), the payment schedule, the date of the deed and what happens to the deposit if either side withdraws. For a home under construction, it also ties each payment to a stage of the works and says what happens if they run late. Your lawyer reviews it before you sign.

6. Pay through a bank and keep the proof

Pay by bank transfer to an account in the seller's or developer's name that your lawyer has confirmed. Before the first transfer, ask your bank what proof of a transfer from abroad it can issue, and keep every confirmation. The Green Card law asks applicants to show the purchase was paid with funds transferred from abroad to a bank in Cape Verde, so you need that proof if you may apply.[3]

Prices are often quoted in euros. The Cape Verdean escudo is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate of 1 EUR = 110.265 CVE.[4]

7. Sign the deed and register it

The purchase is formalised in the deed (escritura pública de compra e venda), signed before a notary (notário), who checks the identities and documents of both sides.

After the deed, the purchase is registered in your name at the land registry. Ask your lawyer for the new registry certificate once that is done: it is the document that shows you as the owner.

Two property taxes apply. The property transfer tax (ITI, imposto sobre a transmissão de imóveis) is charged on the purchase.[5] The property tax (IPI, imposto sobre a propriedade de imóveis) is charged every year on the home you own.[6] Both replaced the former IUP in 2026. Before the deed, ask your lawyer or the tax office for the amount due on your purchase.

8. After the purchase

  • Move the water and electricity contracts into your name with the local supplier.
  • Pay the IPI every year, by the deadline the tax office gives you.
  • If you plan to rent the home out, ask your lawyer which registrations, licences and tax obligations apply to that kind of letting before the first guest arrives.
  • If you live abroad, decide who pays the bills and looks after the home while you are away.

Source-linked listings

Sources

  1. Cape Verde Real Estate Index — live listings — Qojo. monitored asking-price listings from tracked public sources; not transaction prices, valuations, or independently verified records. Qojo (Qojo dataset; accessed 19 June 2026).
  2. Solicitar NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) — Direção Nacional de Receitas do Estado (DNRE), Ministério das Finanças de Cabo Verde. serviço oficial gratuito; passaporte aceite para o não residente; pontos de atendimento incluem Repartições de Finanças e Casa do Cidadão. Official document (Government; accessed 19 June 2026).
  3. 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. Historical document; confirm current amendments and applicability with a qualified adviser. Official document (Legislation; accessed 19 June 2026).
  4. Mercado cambial — perguntas e respostas frequentes — Banco de Cabo Verde. o escudo está indexado ao euro à taxa fixa de 1 EUR = 110,265 CVE. Official document (Government; accessed 19 June 2026).
  5. 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. Historical document; confirm current amendments and applicability with a qualified adviser. Official document (Legislation; accessed 19 June 2026).
  6. 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. Historical document; confirm current amendments and applicability with a qualified adviser. Official document (Legislation; accessed 19 June 2026).

This guide describes the usual steps. Laws and fees change, so confirm the rules for your purchase with your lawyer and the competent offices.