Cabo Verde: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors
16 harbours
Cabo Verde: 16 harbours, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.
Formalities
outside the EU customs unionCurrency: Cape Verdean escudo
Clearing in: Not in the EU, Schengen or the EU customs union. By boat, entry is only possible via the ports of Sal (Palmeira), Praia and Mindelo (German Federal Foreign Office); the first landfall must be there. According to sailors' reports, go first to the border police (passport stamp, stay of up to 30 days), then to the Polícia Marítima of the port authority, which keeps the boat papers until clearing out and issues a document naming the next port for every passage to another island; the offices are staffed on weekdays. To clear out, visit the same offices in reverse order. Coming from the Canaries this means leaving the Schengen area: clear out there first.
Documents: Passport valid for at least three more months on entry (an identity card is not enough), boat papers, insurance, crew list. Germans need no visa for up to 30 days, a visa for 30 to 90 days (German Federal Foreign Office).
Fees: Anyone arriving by plane registers online with the Polícia Nacional up to five days in advance (EASE portal) and pays the security fee (Taxa de Segurança Aeroportuária, 3,400 escudos, more at the counter). Whether and how much a fee applies when entering by boat is not officially documented; sailors report a small fee at the border police. Berthing fees in Marina Mindelo.
Fairway: From August to October tropical storms and hurricanes are possible (German Federal Foreign Office). Otherwise the northeast trade wind blows, according to sailors' reports with acceleration zones and downdraughts between the high islands. The official marine forecast is Météo-France's high seas forecast for METAREA II, area Cape Verde. Cash above 1 million escudos may only be imported with confirmation from the national bank.
Nature: Santa Luzia nature reserve with the islets Branco and Raso (strict reserve), protected since 1990, classified by Decreto-Lei 3/2003; the marine protected area extends to the 200 m depth contour.
Emergency: 132 (police), 131 (fire brigade); at sea the coast guard (Guarda Costeira), VHF channel 16 and DSC.
Sources: German Federal Foreign Office: Cabo Verde, travel and safety advice (entry for sailors only via Sal, Praia and Mindelo; as of 29.09.2026), Polícia Nacional de Cabo Verde: EASE portal (pre-registration), Expresso das Ilhas: dossier on the Taxa de Segurança Aeroportuária, noonsite: Cape Verdes (ports of entry, fee at the border police according to sailors' reports), SV The Dream: clearing in at Mindelo (sailor's report, January 2023), WMO WWMIWS: high seas forecast METAREA II (Météo-France), Wikipedia: Santa Luzia nature reserve (Decreto-Lei 3/2003) (as of 2026-10-20)
Harbours by cruising area
Barlavento: Boa Vista (Sal Rei)
Barlavento: Sal (Palmeira, Santa Maria)
Barlavento: Santa Luzia and São Nicolau (Tarrafal, Preguiça)
Barlavento: Santo Antão (Porto Novo, Ponta do Sol, Tarrafal de Monte Trigo)
Barlavento: São Vicente (Mindelo)
Sotavento: Brava (Furna)
Sotavento: Fogo (Vale de Cavaleiros, Mosteiros)
Sotavento: Maio (Porto Inglês)
Sotavento: Santiago (Praia, Tarrafal, Pedra Badejo)
Frequently asked questions
Cabo Verde: Do I need to clear in?
Not in the EU, Schengen or the EU customs union. By boat, entry is only possible via the ports of Sal (Palmeira), Praia and Mindelo (German Federal Foreign Office); the first landfall must be there. According to sailors' reports, go first to the border police (passport stamp, stay of up to 30 days), then to the Polícia Marítima of the port authority, which keeps the boat papers until clearing out and issues a document naming the next port for every passage to another island; the offices are staffed on weekdays. To clear out, visit the same offices in reverse order. Coming from the Canaries this means leaving the Schengen area: clear out there first.
Cabo Verde: Which documents do I need on board?
Passport valid for at least three more months on entry (an identity card is not enough), boat papers, insurance, crew list. Germans need no visa for up to 30 days, a visa for 30 to 90 days (German Federal Foreign Office).
Cabo Verde: What fees apply?
Anyone arriving by plane registers online with the Polícia Nacional up to five days in advance (EASE portal) and pays the security fee (Taxa de Segurança Aeroportuária, 3,400 escudos, more at the counter). Whether and how much a fee applies when entering by boat is not officially documented; sailors report a small fee at the border police. Berthing fees in Marina Mindelo.
Cabo Verde: What is the emergency number at sea?
132 (police), 131 (fire brigade); at sea the coast guard (Guarda Costeira), VHF channel 16 and DSC.
Cabo Verde: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?
Sailseer covers 16 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning.