How do you convert a foreign driving licence in Cape Verde in 2026?

Under about 185 days, a valid foreign licence that matches your passport usually covers tourist and early Remote Working Programme driving. Past that window, practice expects a Cabo Verde licence. Conversion without a full theory and practical exam is often possible when your issuing country meets recognition rules and your foreign licence remains valid, but you still submit an application stack rather than hoping a rental desk “knows” your status.

Bring the foreign licence booklet, passport, photos, residence or Remote Working Programme evidence, and any sworn Portuguese translation the National Police or DGTR desk lists: Apply for a residence permit. Confirm live fees and appointment locations in Praia or your island capital before you book a ferry week. Portuguese paperwork still speeds the counter: Portuguese bureaucracy without Portuguese.

Start the conversion once lodging and status papers exist, not on the airport shuttle day: How to rent a home and Paperwork after moving. A NIF and local number help appointment callbacks: Get a tax number and Get a mobile phone. Inter-island life still mixes aluguers, taxis and ferries even after you convert: Utilities, internet, and transport. Keep bank KYC tidy if you buy a car later: Open a bank account.