Cape Verde Currency and Money Guide
- Country Cape Verde
- Guide Budget
- Reviewed 20 August 2026
- Length 2 min read
Credit Alvaro Ludgero Andrade (VOA), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Last reviewed 20 August 2026
There is no separate money page in the UK government's advice for Cape Verde: that address returns the general advisory. So rather than invent one, this guide covers the two financial facts the FCDO does state, and both of them are about what happens if something goes wrong.
Your GHIC does not work here, and that matters more than usual
The FCDO says twice, on two different pages, that Global Health Insurance Cards are not accepted in Cape Verde. It goes on to say that appropriate travel insurance is therefore essential.
That warning lands harder because of what it sits next to. Medical facilities in Cape Verde are described as basic and limited, with some medicines in short supply or unavailable. The largest hospitals are in Praia on Santiago and Mindelo on Sao Vicente, and facilities are described as particularly limited on Boa Vista, which is one of the islands most visitors actually go to.
Insurance that covers medical evacuation, and not merely treatment, is the practical conclusion.
Paying for things
The Banco de Cabo Verde is the country's central bank and publishes daily exchange rates, which is the place to check a rate rather than a hotel board.
The one payment the government requires of you before you arrive is the airport security fee, paid with the traveler entry form on the official platform. See the visa guide: it is a fixed cost, it is not optional, and after 1 July 2026 it doubles for anyone who cannot show proof of pre-registration.
On personal safety around money the FCDO advice is ordinary: do not carry large amounts of cash or wear expensive jewelry.