What paperwork do you need after moving to Cape Verde in 2026?

Secure lodging evidence first: How to rent a home. Apply for a NIF so banks and contracts recognise you: Get a tax number (NIF). Register a CVMóvel or Unitel T+ line for OTPs and callbacks: Get a mobile phone. Open a regulated account with passport, NIF and address proof: Open a bank account.

Keep health-insurance certificates printable for programme and DEF checks: Choose health insurance. Confirm your residence or Remote Working Programme path and extension windows early: Apply for a residence permit. Portuguese at Casa do Cidadão and Finanças desks still matter: Portuguese bureaucracy without Portuguese.

If you drive past about 185 days, convert the foreign licence: Convert a driving licence. Pet imports need DGASP timing before or soon after arrival: Bring pets. Electra, internet and school contracts often want the same NIF and address stack you already built. Diary Remote Working Programme renewals (often six plus six months) before the stamp expires, not after.

Store scans of every receipt: NIF declaration, bank contract, SIM registration, insurance certificate, residence card. Island life makes reissuing papers slower when you are on a ferry to another island.