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Cabo Verde Healthcare for Expats

Living in Cabo Verde: The Expat Reality Beyond the Brochure

Cabo Verde markets itself as an Atlantic paradise—a politically stable, tropical archipelago with favorable tax treatment and a welcoming culture. For retirees, investors, and digital nomads, the destination holds genuine appeal. However, the reality of daily expat life requires looking beyond the tourism brochures to understand practical considerations: cost of living, bureaucratic challenges, and the critical question of healthcare access. Here's what you really need to know before making the move.

Healthcare: The Critical Consideration

For most expats, healthcare quality is a make-or-break factor in relocation decisions. Cabo Verde's healthcare reality is nuanced.

National Health Performance: Strong Fundamentals

Cabo Verde has invested substantially in healthcare and shows impressive national indicators:

Key Health Outcomes:

  • Life expectancy: 74.1 years—higher than structural and aspirational peer countries
  • Infant mortality: The lowest rate per 1,000 live births compared to peers
  • Budget allocation (2023): 10% of national budget to healthcare
  • Spending efficiency: Public health spending performs adequately compared to structural peers

If all inefficiencies were eliminated, infant survival rates could increase, leading to a gain of approximately 7.7 years of life expectancy—suggesting the system functions reasonably well but has room for improvement.

The Public Healthcare System: Basic Safety Net

Coverage and Structure

Cabo Verde has a public healthcare system overseen by the Ministry of Health, providing medical services to citizens and residents. The National Institute of Social Security (INPS) maintains national health insurance—employed citizens and residents contribute to INPS, granting access to healthcare services and benefits.

The public system provides a basic package of health services, including emergency treatment.

Major Public Hospitals:

  • Hospital Agostinho Neto (Praia, Santiago): Better-equipped, principal urban facility
  • Hospital Baptista de Sousa (Mindelo, São Vicente): Serves northern islands

Critical Limitations

The harsh reality: The infrastructure is precarious—there is not a strong public health system.

  • Quality varies significantly between islands
  • Services outside tourism areas are generally underdeveloped
  • Boa Vista has particularly limited medical facilities despite being a major tourism destination
  • Specialized, high-quality care may not be available for serious conditions
  • Emergency patients may require air transport to other islands with specialized hospitals

Medical Evacuations: The Telling Statistic

Currently, about 500 patients per year are medically evacuated, mainly to Portugal, at a cost of 300 million CVE (€2.7 million) to the state.

This figure is critical: if the government must evacuate 500 people annually for care unavailable domestically, expats with serious conditions will face the same necessity.

The National Hospital Project: Future Improvement

To address these limitations, the government is investing in the National Hospital of Cabo Verde (HNCV) in Praia:

Project Details:

  • Budget: €65 million (7.2 billion CVE)
  • Capacity: 134 beds, including 12 intensive care beds
  • Cost allocation: 47% construction, 53% equipment and technician training
  • Primary objective: Reduce medical evacuations abroad
  • Management model: Public or mixed (public-private)

This major investment demonstrates commitment to improvement, but the facility is still under development—it won't help current expats.

Private Healthcare: The Expat Solution

Most expatriates and foreign residents opt for private health insurance to ensure access to the best available care.

Private Clinic Availability

Several private healthcare clinics operate in major urban centers: Praia, Mindelo, and Sal.

Example: Cardiomed Polyclinic

  • Established: 2005 in Praia; became polyclinic 2015
  • Services: Cardiology, orthopedics, gynecology, X-ray, CAT scans, surgical procedures, ambulance service
  • Expansion: New facility in Espargos (Sal) with €1.94 million investment, serving Sal, Boa Vista, and São Nicolau

Quality and Speed

Private clinics generally offer faster and more personalized medical care than public facilities.

Affordability

Private medical treatment is significantly cheaper than in Western countries. A private medical consultation in Praia can cost as little as €20-30.

However, private clinics on Sal and Boa Vista specializing in tourists may charge higher prices, anticipating insurance reimbursement.

Mandatory Insurance Requirements

Health Insurance is Essential

It is considered essential for digital nomads and recommended for all expats to have comprehensive travel and health insurance covering:

  • Medical emergencies
  • Hospitalization
  • Repatriation in case of severe illness or death

Critical point: Normal European health insurance does not cover treatment costs in Cabo Verde. You need specialized international or expat insurance.

Visa Requirements

Applicants for the residence visa for remote work must provide proof of valid health insurance for the duration of their stay.

Residency Medical Documentation

Applying for authorized temporary residency requires obtaining an Atestado Médico (Medical Certificate) from any medical clinic, confirming the applicant doesn't have communicable diseases. This typically costs approximately 1,000 CVE (about €9).

Emergency Services

In case of medical emergencies, dial 130.

Language: While some healthcare professionals in urban areas may speak English, learning basic Portuguese phrases is helpful for communicating with staff in remote areas.

The Healthcare Bottom Line

The healthcare landscape in Cabo Verde resembles a dual system:

  1. Public system: Provides a mandatory basic safety net with decent outcomes for routine care and common conditions
  2. Private clinics: Offer speed, quality, and personalized service at affordable prices for routine and moderate care
  3. Medical evacuation: Remains necessary for specialized, complex, or emergency conditions requiring advanced treatment

Comprehensive international health insurance is essential to bridge the gap in specialized services and mitigate the risk of needing medical repatriation.

Practical Recommendations for Prospective Expats

Healthcare Strategy:

  1. Purchase comprehensive international health insurance with repatriation coverage before arrival
  2. Verify your policy specifically covers Cabo Verde (many European policies don't)
  3. Budget €100-200/month for quality expat health insurance
  4. Locate in Praia, Mindelo, or Sal for best access to private care
  5. Avoid Boa Vista if you have chronic conditions or significant health concerns
  6. Identify your preferred private clinic upon arrival and register as a patient
  7. Keep updated prescriptions and medical records accessible
  8. Understand evacuation logistics: How would you get to Portugal in a medical emergency?

Overall Expat Readiness:

  1. Test the lifestyle first: Visit for 1-3 months before committing to full relocation
  2. Prepare for bureaucracy: Hire local assistance, budget extra time, maintain patience
  3. Learn Portuguese: At least basic phrases; essential for healthcare and daily life
  4. Choose your island carefully: Different islands offer vastly different infrastructure
  5. Maintain ties to home country: Keep banking, insurance, and healthcare options available
  6. Build local relationships: The morabeza culture rewards personal connections
  7. Accept the pace: Fighting against "island time" will only frustrate you

The Verdict: Is Cabo Verde Right for You?

Cabo Verde is ideal for:

  • Healthy individuals or couples without chronic conditions
  • Those seeking political stability and safety over cutting-edge infrastructure
  • Remote workers attracted by tax benefits and tropical lifestyle
  • Retirees comfortable with basic-to-moderate healthcare access
  • People who value personal relationships and cultural immersion
  • Those with patience for bureaucracy and administrative delays

Cabo Verde is challenging for:

  • Anyone with serious chronic conditions requiring specialized care
  • Those expecting Western-level healthcare infrastructure
  • People unwilling to invest in comprehensive international insurance
  • Families with school-age children (extremely limited international education)
  • Those frustrated by bureaucratic delays and slower pace
  • Anyone requiring frequent access to advanced medical specialists

The country's political stability, affordable cost of living (€600/month), safety, and favorable tax treatment are genuine advantages. The limited specialized healthcare, bureaucratic complexity, and developing infrastructure are genuine challenges.

Success as a Cabo Verde expat requires realistic expectations: embrace the tropical lifestyle and political stability, invest in comprehensive health insurance, prepare for administrative patience, and understand that you're choosing quality of life and safety over cutting-edge services. For the right person with the right preparation, Cabo Verde offers an attractive Atlantic haven. For those requiring advanced healthcare or expecting first-world efficiency, other destinations may prove more suitable.