Working in Cabo Verde as a French National: Visa, Contract, Contributions and Economy

France Diplomatie describes the path of a French employee: a 180-day temporary visa is issued first, then a residence authorisation is requested from the Directorate of Foreigners and Borders (DEF), a residence visa being handed over during the processing. The additional documents are a declaration of registration with the National Social Welfare Institute (INPS) and an authenticated French criminal record extract. International business and civil volunteers (VIE, VSI) have a 180-day temporary visa, renewed in 180-day periods with the DEF. The 30-day visa exemption applies only to tourism.

Entry also requires EASE pre-registration, at least five days before arrival, with an airport security tax of 3,400 escudos (€30.83) from which holders of a residence card in Cabo Verde are exempt. The exact fees and timescales of a work residence permit should be confirmed with the DEF and the employer. See the page on living in Cabo Verde for settling in.

CLEISS indicates that the statutory monthly minimum wage in the private sector is 15,000 escudos since 1 January 2024, or about €135 at the rate of €0.009 per escudo recorded by CLEISS; the amount in force today should be confirmed with the labour administration or the employer. The official pages consulted do not publish a pay scale by sector or pay levels: they are therefore not reproduced here.

An employee recruited locally signs a contract under Cape Verdean law, drafted in Portuguese, and is declared to the INPS. An expatriate recruited from France generally negotiates a more complete contract, with housing, children’s schooling and supplementary health cover. For the statuses, see seconded or expatriate.

According to CLEISS, employees’ contributions are calculated on the whole salary. The employee pays 8.5% in total: 3% for old age, invalidity and survivors, 4% for sickness-maternity, 0.5% for unemployment and 1% for management costs. The employer pays between 16.41% and 23.22%: 7% for old age, 4% for sickness-maternity, 1.5% for family benefits, 2.5% for unemployment, management costs of 1% for small companies or 2.8% for large companies, and an industrial accident contribution of 0.41% to 5.42% depending on the sector, managed by private insurers.

For the self-employed, the total is 19.91% or 24.92%: 10% for old age, invalidity and survivors, 8% for sickness-maternity, 1.5% for management costs and the industrial accident rate; they are not covered against unemployment and do not receive family benefits. The page on tax treaties on impots.gouv.fr lists no tax treaty between France and Cabo Verde: the domestic law of each country applies and the risk of double taxation should be checked before departure. The Cape Verdean income tax scale could not be read in an official text: it should be requested from the tax authority or the employer.

The general agreement of 15 January 1980, supplemented by the administrative arrangement of 18 December 1986, entered into force on 1 April 1983. It applies to nationals of both States who have worked or are working as employees, and to their dependants, and covers all branches except unemployment insurance. The rule is that employees come under the legislation of the State where they work, with exceptions for seconded workers, public administration staff, diplomatic and consular personnel, cooperation workers and employees of transport companies.

A seconded employee of a French company can be kept in the French scheme: according to CLEISS, they keep French health insurance with no additional contribution and care received in Cabo Verde is covered, either on paid invoices sent to their fund (form S 3125c), or by application to the Cape Verdean body with the secondment certificate. Sick leave is sent to the fund within 48 hours, and the fund pays the daily allowances. The CLEISS page does not specify a maximum secondment duration: it should be confirmed with the fund and Urssaf (the French social security contributions collector). A resident on a local contract or self-employed comes under the Cape Verdean scheme. See healthcare reimbursement in Cabo Verde.

The DG Trésor record (the French Treasury’s economic directorate) describes an economy highly exposed to tourism, which represents nearly 25% of GDP. The country suffered the health crisis, the effects of the war in Ukraine on the cost of imports and a prolonged drought, but tourism has recovered its pre-pandemic levels. The population numbers a little over 500,000 inhabitants.

The official pages consulted give no figures for jobs by sector and do not detail the labour market for a foreigner: employment prospects should be checked with the employer and the embassy, bearing in mind the weight of tourism in the economy. The ‘Economic indicators’ block above gives the recent trend in inflation and in the escudo exchange rate.

A self-employed person has been covered since October 2006 by the Cape Verdean scheme, except for unemployment and family benefits, with the contribution rates given above. They prepare their residence permit with the DEF and declare their activity to the INPS. A remote worker coming to work for a foreign employer should check the applicable visa: the 30-day tourist exemption does not authorise regular professional activity. See digital nomad insurance.

According to CLEISS, the Cape Verdean scheme provides sickness daily allowances at 70% of the average salary of the last four months from the fourth day for employees, a maternity, paternity and adoption allowance at 90%, and an old-age pension at 65 for men and 60 for women with at least fifteen years of contributions. The guide to health insurance in Cabo Verde presents the cover requirements.