Reservation for accommodation in Sal, Cape Verde (for visa purposes)

Hi everyone,
I'm looking to take a 3-month break from my country Nigeria, from July to September 2023, to live and work remotely from Cape Verde under.

I'm about to start my application for a temporary visa, and one of the documents I need to attach to my application is a reservation for accommodation.

Is anyone here able to connect me with a property owner in Santa Maria (Sal, Cape Verde) for whose property I can take out a reservation for the period I plan to spend at Cape Verde?

Thanks in anticipation.
-@Mfon Eti-mfon

Hello Mfon,

Help me understand what temporary visa application you're referring to. You can only apply for a temporary residency visa after you arrive in Cape Verde. Outside of Cape Verde you can only apply for a tourism visa at a Cape Verde embassy or consulate. Please clarify what application process you're talking about and where are you making this application.

If you need a reservation in Sal, you might want to check AirBNB or Booking dot com. However, most apartments in Sal are owned by foreigners and are available for rent only through the private property management agencies employed by the property developers. You should use Google to find them by searching for "property management agency, Sal, Cape Verde".

Regards,

Angelo

@Mfon Eti-mfon Hello Mfon. I`m sorry I can not help you. I was in Cape Verde for 6 weeks late last year and early this year. I stayed at a wonderful property in Tarrafal on Santiago Island. I would have given you the lead if you were going to Santiago.

Goodluck with your search in Sal

Regards

Dayo

@Mfon Eti-mfon Hi

I spent 6 weeks in Cape Verde late last year. I was in a wonderful property in Taraffal on Santiago Island. I would have recommended them if you had been going to Santiago. I wish you all the best of luck in your search for accommodation  in Sal

Hi @CVAngelo

Thank you for your response.

So, the category of visa I'm applying for goes by a lot of names on the internet.

The most popular of these names is "The Digital Nomad Visa".However, on the website I've found for applying for the visa (https://www.remoteworkingcaboverde.com/en/form) it says "...Temporary Visa for 6 Months in Cabo Verde".

I'll do a search with the query string you suggested and hopefully I'll get in touch with an agency that can make a reservation for me.

I'll like it if I don't have to pay for the accommodation before my application is approved. At least, I shouldn't pay the full rate for the accommodation.

PS: I've been in touch with a few property owners from AirBnB and Booking, but nothing has come out of our discussion.

Hi @dayoakinbode

Thank you for your response.

I'm open to staying at places other than Sal if I can be convinced that they are safe and interesting... and work well for someone who has need for good internet connectivity to work.

I'll like to chat with you some more about this to hear about your experience there.

Hi @CVAngelo
Thank you for your response.

So, the category of visa I'm applying for goes by a lot of names on the internet. The most popular of these names is "The Digital Nomad Visa".

However, on the website I've found for applying for the visa (https://www.remoteworkingcaboverde.com/en/form) it says "...Temporary Visa for 6 Months in Cabo Verde".

I'll do a search with the query string you suggested and hopefully I'll get in touch with an agency that can make a reservation for me.

I'll like it if I don't have to pay for the accommodation before my application is approved. At least, I shouldn't pay the full rate for the accommodation.

PS: I've been in touch with a few property owners from AirBnB and [link under review], but nothing has come out of our discussion.
-@Mfon Eti-mfon

Hi Mfon,

It's interesting. They call it a remote work visa. It's just marketing. It doesn't actually exist in Cape Verde. It's a regular 6-month temporary residency visa. In fact, after you make your application, you still have to enter Cape Verde and go to the Immigration Department to obtain the visa.

I'm always curious why people apply for this when it has higher requirements than just entering CV on a tourism visa, then simply extending it. As a citizen of an ECOWAS country, your tourism visa is good for 90 days and it is free. You can extend it for 90 more days for $50. Plus you do not have to disclose anything about your business or your income. So simply have to prove you have a place to stay, that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay, and that you have a return ticket reserved (not actually purchased).

Why go through the hassle of a fake "remote work visa". The process for that is totally messed up here. The last clients of mine who applied for this came to Cape Verde but the visa has not even been approved. So they entered on a basic tourism visa. They left Cape Verde two months later. On their date of departure, they received an email indicating the remote work visa was approved and they should go the immigration department to complete their application process. Of course it was hilarious!

By the way, please be aware that Sal is the most expensive place you can stay in Cape Verde. The best place to live and work in Cape Verde is Praia. It's the capital. It is as safe or safer than any capital city in countries in Africa. It's by far safer than say Lagos, for example. And it is cheaper than Sal. You can find lots of accommodation here in Praia. Plus, you can get direct flights here.

Best regards,

Angelo

Hi Mfon,

It's interesting. They call it a remote work visa. It's just marketing. It doesn't actually exist in Cape Verde. It's a regular 6-month temporary residency visa. In fact, after you make your application, you still have to enter Cape Verde and go to the Immigration Department to obtain the visa.

I'm always curious why people apply for this when it has higher requirements than just entering CV on a tourism visa, then simply extending it. As a citizen of an ECOWAS country, your tourism visa is good for 90 days and it is free. You can extend it for 90 more days for $50. Plus you do not have to disclose anything about your business or your income. So simply have to prove you have a place to stay, that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay, and that you have a return ticket reserved (not actually purchased).

Why go through the hassle of a fake "remote work visa". The process for that is totally messed up here. The last clients of mine who applied for this came to Cape Verde but the visa has not even been approved. So they entered on a basic tourism visa. They left Cape Verde two months later. On their date of departure, they received an email indicating the remote work visa was approved and they should go the immigration department to complete their application process. Of course it was hilarious!

By the way, please be aware that Sal is the most expensive place you can stay in Cape Verde. The best place to live and work in Cape Verde is Praia. It's the capital. It is as safe or safer than any capital city in countries in Africa. It's by far safer than say Lagos, for example. And it is cheaper than Sal. You can find lots of accommodation here in Praia. Plus, you can get direct flights here.

Best regards,

Angelo
-@CVAngelo

Thank you CVAngelo for this detailed response.

The information you supplied about the true nature of the visa in question isn't found anywhere online that's immediately available to anyone who's doing their research after buying into the massive online promotion of the visa category.

We simply have no way of knowing it's some sort of sham, until we communicate with someone like you who lets us know it is a sham. Which is why we come to forums like this to ask questions.

Also, thank you for the assurances about Praia.

While I'm still super interested in staying at Sal, I now know know that I can also stay at Praia if Sal turns out to be too much for me -- I'll weigh my options and make a final decision later.

Your response has been super helpful, CVAngelo. I look forward to seeing Cape Verde in June.

Hi Mfon,

It's interesting. They call it a remote work visa. It's just marketing. It doesn't actually exist in Cape Verde. It's a regular 6-month temporary residency visa. In fact, after you make your application, you still have to enter Cape Verde and go to the Immigration Department to obtain the visa.

I'm always curious why people apply for this when it has higher requirements than just entering CV on a tourism visa, then simply extending it. As a citizen of an ECOWAS country, your tourism visa is good for 90 days and it is free. You can extend it for 90 more days for $50. Plus you do not have to disclose anything about your business or your income. So simply have to prove you have a place to stay, that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay, and that you have a return ticket reserved (not actually purchased).

Why go through the hassle of a fake "remote work visa". The process for that is totally messed up here. The last clients of mine who applied for this came to Cape Verde but the visa has not even been approved. So they entered on a basic tourism visa. They left Cape Verde two months later. On their date of departure, they received an email indicating the remote work visa was approved and they should go the immigration department to complete their application process. Of course it was hilarious!

By the way, please be aware that Sal is the most expensive place you can stay in Cape Verde. The best place to live and work in Cape Verde is Praia. It's the capital. It is as safe or safer than any capital city in countries in Africa. It's by far safer than say Lagos, for example. And it is cheaper than Sal. You can find lots of accommodation here in Praia. Plus, you can get direct flights here.

Best regards,

Angelo
-@CVAngelo

Thank you CVAngelo for this detailed response.

The information you supplied about the true nature of the visa in question isn't found anywhere online that's immediately available to anyone who's doing their research after buying into the massive online promotion of the visa category.

We simply have no way of knowing it's some sort of sham, until we communicate with someone like you who lets us know it is a sham. Which is why we come to forums like this to ask questions.

Also, thank you for the assurances about Praia.

While I'm still super interested in staying at Sal, I now know know that I can also stay at Praia if Sal turns out to be too much for me -- I'll weigh my options and make a final decision later.

Your response has been super helpful, CVAngelo. I look forward to seeing Cape Verde in June.
-@Mfon Eti-mfon

You're welcome, Mfon. Correct. None of the real info can be found online. There is no such visa in the immigration law. I only know the reality because I know the immigration law and I've been through the process twice (it's all hype and sleight of hand, but they failed to properly operationalize the process).

Keep us informed about how things work out for you.

Best of luck,

Angelo