New members of the Cape Verde forum, introduce yourselves here - 2019

Hi there my name is Pam lm currently living in Zimbabwe.l would like to relocate to Cape Verde can anyone give me some information on this

Hi Pam,

It could be quite a tough transition. First of all, since Zim is not a member of the West African States (ECOWAS), you will need a visa (but you can get one on arrival provided you meet the requirement). Second, the official language here is Portuguese. If you do not speak this language, you will have great difficulty in settling into life here...unless you go to the tourist island of Sal, but it's very expensive to live there. If you have some kind of professional degree, or if you are looking to start a business, you will certainly be able to integrate into Sal.

If you need more information or you would like to obtain the e-guide called "Living and Working in Cape Verde" which was written specifically to address English-speakers moving here, then contact me in private.

Regards,

Angelo

pamchabvs wrote:

Hi there my name is Pam lm currently living in Zimbabwe.l would like to relocate to Cape Verde can anyone give me some information on this

Thanks Angelo
whats your email address

Bom dia! I'm Richie and i'm planning on moving to Sao Vicente within the next year or 2.  I know that I need to learn Portuguese, but find it hard to find an online or even a Portugal Portuguese teacher here in New York.  Can I learn Brazil Portuguese and get along ok in Cape Verde? 

I have extended family in Sao Vicente and figured it best to live here.  Also, because I fell in LOVE with Mindelo. Any helpful tips would be great!  Like how much would it cost to live, finding a job(Im a funeral director/Embalmer), and housing.  I plan on selling my home next year and hope to buy housing in Mindelo.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

Richie

Hi Richie,

Good to see such enthusiasm. Mindelo is a nice little town. It's the party capital of Cape Verde.

You can certainly learn Brazilian Portuguese and it is almost the same as Portuguese of Portugal. In fact, much of the entertainment programming on TV in Cape Verde is from Brazil. If you speak Brazilian Portuguese, you will be perfectly understood by everyone. But you really should also learn the kriolu too if you are going to live here long term.

The cost of living in Mindelo is higher than that of the capital perhaps because it is much smaller, there is less availability of everything, and all of the food has to be shipped in from the islands of Santo Antão, San Nicolau, plus almost everything else is shipped in from Santiago. So lots of costs of shipping adds to the prices of everything. Now, if you can earn a monthly income of about €1.200, you can live like a king in Soncente. The minimum you should earn is €600 and you could live frugally but with not much disposable income for anything besides the essentials.

However, before you sell your house and settle in Mindelo, be sure to visit the islands of Santiago and Sal. Santiago is 3 times the population and several times the land area....there is a lot more economic activity on Santiago, prices here are lower (you can live really well on €1.000 per month) and there are more options for areas to rent/live. Sal is the tourism capital. There are lots more investment opportunities there because of the vast number of tourists (50% of all tourists go to Sal, but only 10% go to Santiago, and 6% go to Soncente). Sal is quite a bit more expensive than Mindelo. You'll need at least €1.600 to live an equivalent lifestyle. If you like a quiter pace without feeling too boxed in, also check out the island of Fogo. It's cheaper than Sao Vicente or Santiago.

One thing I would suggest is that before you sell your house, be sure you LIVE in Cape Verde for at least 3 months. You'll get a much better feel for what it is like to live day to day versus a brief holiday. The difference is VAST. Also, I lived in Mindelo for two years and had to leave because it was way too small for me. I got really bored and felt like I was living in a box. I moved to Praia, the capital on Santiago, and have been here for 10 years. There are also a lot of Expats from all over the world on Santiago. Plus large numbers of people from every other island have relocated here for the job opportunities. So for me its more "Cape Verdean" than any other island. I've been to all of them. But this is obviously a personal choice.

Good luck with your move.

Angelo

richierhue wrote:

Bom dia! I'm Richie and i'm planning on moving to Sao Vicente within the next year or 2.  I know that I need to learn Portuguese, but find it hard to find an online or even a Portugal Portuguese teacher here in New York.  Can I learn Brazil Portuguese and get along ok in Cape Verde? 

I have extended family in Sao Vicente and figured it best to live here.  Also, because I fell in LOVE with Mindelo. Any helpful tips would be great!  Like how much would it cost to live, finding a job(Im a funeral director/Embalmer), and housing.  I plan on selling my home next year and hope to buy housing in Mindelo.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

Richie

Thanks Angelo!  This was helpful.  I do want to travel to the other islands to get a feel for them, but for now because of family, I will stay in soncente.  I will not be working at first because of my profession.  My uncle took me to a funeral home last May, and their way of preparation of the body and funeral services are totally different.  More than likely I will be investing in vacation rental properties so I can get by till I find a more permanent island to live. 

I have not been able to get Cape Verde out of my mind since my last visit.  I've been going back and forth with the idea, and decided to start making preparations for me to move.  I love the simple life there, weather, and I feel that it is a good investment move.  my uncle has sent me some documentaries about investments in telecommunications, the airports, and other real estate.  Im just looking to get out of NYC and give it a shot. 

If you hear of any funeral homes hiring for a great embalmer, let me know! LOL! 

Thanks again for responding and I'm soo glad I found this forum.

Richie

Hi Richie,

You sound just like me 15 years ago when I decided to make the move. I think you'll be alright. And by the way, I wasn't trying to dissuade you from making Soncente your home. I just want to to make sure you are aware of all your options. And once you look at the business options as well - which I also did and I bought a bar-restaurant in Soncente as my initial sideline - I was sure that I ultimately make the choice of where to settle that worked best for me.

If you need any additional help, feel free to hit me up when you get here. Or take a look at my >>eGuide to living and working in CV<<.

Regards,

Angelo

richierhue wrote:

Thanks Angelo!  This was helpful.  I do want to travel to the other islands to get a feel for them, but for now because of family, I will stay in soncente.  I will not be working at first because of my profession.  My uncle took me to a funeral home last May, and their way of preparation of the body and funeral services are totally different.  More than likely I will be investing in vacation rental properties so I can get by till I find a more permanent island to live. 

I have not been able to get Cape Verde out of my mind since my last visit.  I've been going back and forth with the idea, and decided to start making preparations for me to move.  I love the simple life there, weather, and I feel that it is a good investment move.  my uncle has sent me some documentaries about investments in telecommunications, the airports, and other real estate.  Im just looking to get out of NYC and give it a shot. 

If you hear of any funeral homes hiring for a great embalmer, let me know! LOL! 

Thanks again for responding and I'm soo glad I found this forum.

Richie

Hello! I'm new to the thread. I'm from the United States and I'm looking to move to Cape Verde in a few months and marry a woman I met online. I read Angelo's thread about marrying a Cape Verdean. I'm still unclear on the documents I need. I called the to the consulate and they said I need background check. I'm trying to get all my documents together before I move over. I will also be applying for citizenship after marriage. I've heard different views on getting your citizenship and passport. Some people say it's right away and others say it takes one year after marriage? Any help guys?

Hi JJ,

Cape Verdeans desire to immigrate. If you meet a woman online that wants to get married, it is because she wishes for you to arrange for her to obtain her US immigrant visa (also known as a green card).

If you are interested in becoming a Cape Verdean national, it will take at least 6 months after you submit your application for citizenship. You are immediately "entitled" to become a citizen if you marry a Cape Verdean BUT it takes the bureaucrats 6 months minimum to process the application. That explains the discrepancy.

Angelo

JJfromUSA wrote:

Hello! I'm new to the thread. I'm from the United States and I'm looking to move to Cape Verde in a few months and marry a woman I met online. I read Angelo's thread about marrying a Cape Verdean. I'm still unclear on the documents I need. I called the to the consulate and they said I need background check. I'm trying to get all my documents together before I move over. I will also be applying for citizenship after marriage. I've heard different views on getting your citizenship and passport. Some people say it's right away and others say it takes one year after marriage? Any help guys?

Hello my name is Alfredo, Italian 32 years old.. Been living around the world for the past 7 years ( 6 years in Dubai, 1 year all around).

I have my own company in online marketing and i am impressed by the lovely weather in Cape Verde.

I think  i should avoid Boa and Sal and focus more on the other islands if i am loving for a top quality of life, low cost of living and stunning beaches.

Hopefully i can get some advices here?

Alfredo

Hi Alfred,

Yes, Cape Verde is certainly a potential location for you if you'll be running an online business. Some things you will need to consider:

1. Internet speeds leave a lot to be desired, in particular upload speeds. Also, we're not yet getting 100% reliable service. The networks drops off for a few seconds or even a minute from time to time. And there are occasions (rare) when the network is down for hours. Here is a screenshot of the business Wifi speed, and here is one of the 4G network speed.

2. Stunning beaches and low cost of living are not really coming together. LOL. The best beaches in the country are on Sal and Boavista. But those two islands have the highest cost of living because there are so many Europeans living and visiting those two islands in particular (so these islands are also where you will find most of the English speaking communities and the highest quality of life). For a lower cost of living and a couple of nice beaches, you might consider Mindelo (island of São Vicente) and Praia or Tarrafal (island of Santiago), except those islands have elevated levels of crime/petty theft, and the quality of life is not what you would consider high.

Hope this helps.

Angelo

Alfredobarulli wrote:

Hello my name is Alfredo, Italian 32 years old.. Been living around the world for the past 7 years ( 6 years in Dubai, 1 year all around).

I have my own company in online marketing and i am impressed by the lovely weather in Cape Verde.

I think  i should avoid Boa and Sal and focus more on the other islands if i am loving for a top quality of life, low cost of living and stunning beaches.

Hopefully i can get some advices here?

Alfredo

CVAngelo wrote:

Hi Alfred,

Yes, Cape Verde is certainly a potential location for you if you'll be running an online business. Some things you will need to consider:

1. Internet speeds leave a lot to be desired, in particular upload speeds. Also, we're not yet getting 100% reliable service. The networks drops off for a few seconds or even a minute from time to time. And there are occasions (rare) when the network is down for hours. Here is a screenshot of the business Wifi speed, and here is one of the 4G network speed.

2. Stunning beaches and low cost of living are not really coming together. LOL. The best beaches in the country are on Sal and Boavista. But those two islands have the highest cost of living because there are so many Europeans living and visiting those two islands in particular (so these islands are also where you will find most of the English speaking communities and the highest quality of life). For a lower cost of living and a couple of nice beaches, you might consider Mindelo (island of São Vicente) and Praia or Tarrafal (island of Santiago), except those islands have elevated levels of crime/petty theft, and the quality of life is not what you would consider high.

Hope this helps.

Angelo

Alfredobarulli wrote:

Hello my name is Alfredo, Italian 32 years old.. Been living around the world for the past 7 years ( 6 years in Dubai, 1 year all around).

I have my own company in online marketing and i am impressed by the lovely weather in Cape Verde.

I think  i should avoid Boa and Sal and focus more on the other islands if i am loving for a top quality of life, low cost of living and stunning beaches.

Hopefully i can get some advices here?

Alfredo

Thanks a lot Angelo, you have been very helpful and straightforward.  I am struggling to find long term rentals ( 1 bedroom apartment is enough for now).. where should i look for it?

Also could you tell me an average price for a 1br apartment in all the "beach" islands you mentioned above? So that i can really understand what "expensive" means.

By the way whatever if i find seems to be for short term.. with very high prices even on maio..

Alfredobarulli wrote:

Hello my name is Alfredo, Italian 32 years old.. Been living around the world for the past 7 years ( 6 years in Dubai, 1 year all around).

I have my own company in online marketing and i am impressed by the lovely weather in Cape Verde.

I think  i should avoid Boa and Sal and focus more on the other islands if i am loving for a top quality of life, low cost of living and stunning beaches.

Hopefully i can get some advices here?

Alfredo

Insularity everytimes comes with higher cost of goods.
Been a native portuguese speaker, its far from beeing the most spoken country on CV , spite of Portuguese heritages. Sames happens in São Tome e Principe

Hello Afred,

Long term rentals on Sal and Boa vista will be €400-450 per month for a 2-bedroom (T2). In Sal, there are a couple foreign-owned agencies that can set you up, but the demand is high so the availability might be low. I can connect you with a rental management agency in Sal.

In Mindelo and Praia, these long term rentals are not well organized. They are typically found by walking around in-person* and looking for ads stuck in the windows of the available apartments. Or you can call a real estate agent, as many of them will be the ones putting the posters in the windows. I can also put you in touch with some agents. A T2 in a decent neighborhood will be around €200-250. but the quality will not be what you will find in Sal or Boavista.

*in-person...try notto show up in-person yourself in Mindelo or Praia. Once it is observed that you are European, the price will be automatically increased. Instead, just take the numbers and call first to confirm availability and price, then show up.

Regards,

Angelo

Thanks Angelo.

How about Maio? What are your thoughts?

Beaches are stunning.. It looks very relaxing as place to be. And I guess it also cheap.

Many investment opportunities in residential complex... Hope wifi and works

paulopereirra wrote:

Alfredobarulli wrote:

Hello my name is Alfredo, Italian 32 years old.. Been living around the world for the past 7 years ( 6 years in Dubai, 1 year all around).

I have my own company in online marketing and i am impressed by the lovely weather in Cape Verde.

I think  i should avoid Boa and Sal and focus more on the other islands if i am loving for a top quality of life, low cost of living and stunning beaches.

Hopefully i can get some advices here?

Alfredo

Insularity everytimes comes with higher cost of goods.
Been a native portuguese speaker, its far from beeing the most spoken country on CV , spite of Portuguese heritages. Sames happens in São Tome e Principe

You mean for the European food? Because I feel like rent and cost of living is going to be lower than Europe mainland anyways...

You mean for example a yagourt ?
you will be surprised

paulopereirra wrote:

You mean for example a yagourt ?
you will be surprised

I don't know man.. the few people i know, live in Maio and they always tell me that it is exstremely cheap to live.. they say consider 300 euros per month for the rent (personally i am going to buy a property) and 300 euros per month for food... so living with 600 or 700 euros x month for me is cheap...

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=880394

Thanks!