Cabo Verde citizenship 2026 — naturalisation, marriage & descent

For many long-term residents and Cape Verdean families abroad, citizenship is the point where everyday life, legal certainty and mobility converge. Cabo Verde recognises several lawful avenues — residence-based naturalisation, marriage to a citizen, birth and descent, adoption and limited special grants — within a transparent, document-driven system. Still building eligibility? Secure the right residence route first and keep your timeline clean: explore Cabo Verde residence 2026 — work, family & investment permits before you file for nationality.

Key terms

Naturalisation: acquisition of Cabo Verdean citizenship after years of lawful residence, good conduct and integration.

Citizenship by marriage: route for foreign spouses of Cabo Verdean citizens, subject to cohabitation and conduct checks.

Citizenship by descent (jus sanguinis): transmission of nationality through a Cabo Verdean parent; recognition can be registered even if born abroad.

Citizenship by birth (jus soli): nationality granted to most children born in Cabo Verde, with exceptions for certain diplomatic or transient cases.

Dual nationality: Cabo Verde permits holding another nationality alongside Cabo Verdean citizenship.

Naturalisation oath: ceremony confirming allegiance; citizenship is effective upon oath and registration.

Civil registry (Registo Civil): authority that records births, marriages, adoptions and citizenship entries.

Citizenship types

• Naturalisation (residence-based): The standard path for long-term residents who demonstrate continuous lawful stay, clean criminal record and integration. Applicants typically show language ability in Portuguese or Cape Verdean Creole, tax compliance and stable income. Permanent residents with uninterrupted timelines and local ties (employment, business, family, property) present the strongest cases.
• Marriage to a Cabo Verdean citizen: Foreign spouses may qualify after a period of marriage and proven cohabitation. Files must include the marriage certificate, joint address records and evidence of a genuine relationship (shared leases, bank statements). Authorities scrutinise recent overseas absences and inconsistencies in civil documents.
• Descent (by blood): Children of Cabo Verdean citizens are usually citizens by descent, regardless of birthplace. Adults asserting descent must link child → parent → Cabo Verdean citizen using long-form records. Name spellings across languages (Portuguese, English, French) should be harmonised before filing.
• Birth in Cabo Verde: Most children born on the territory acquire citizenship at birth, except limited diplomatic/transient scenarios. Prompt civil registration creates a clean identity trail for future ID and passport applications.
• Adoption: A minor adopted by a Cabo Verdean citizen may acquire citizenship once the adoption is final and registered. Ensure court decrees, updated birth registrations and cross-border documents are legalised and translated.
• Special grant / merit: Rarely, citizenship can be granted for exceptional service to Cabo Verde. These discretionary cases require robust evidence and public interest justification.

Routes & timelines

Step-by-step

1. Choose your route: naturalisation, marriage, descent, birth or adoption (special grant is exceptional).
2. Eligibility audit: confirm residence years, marital status and descent records; check for name/date consistency.
3. Collect civil proofs: long-form birth and marriage certificates, residence cards, police clearances, tax records, address continuity.
4. Legalise & translate: apostille/consular legalisation and certified Portuguese translations where required.
5. File application: submit to the competent civil registry/Ministry channel with fees and complete forms.
6. Compliance checks: background screening, interviews (especially for marriage), and verification of overseas records.
7. Decision & oath: on approval, take the naturalisation oath; citizenship is entered in the civil registry.
8. Post-approval: apply for Cabo Verdean passport; update banking, employment and tax profiles.

Documents

Core sets include passports, long-form civil certificates (birth, marriage, adoption as applicable), criminal record certificates from all countries of long residence, tax filings, residence cards and proof of address continuity. Marriage files require robust cohabitation evidence. Descent files must show an unbroken identity chain. To prevent refusals for untranslated records, use our legal & business translation support to match Portuguese formats (B).

Costs

Expect government fees for registration and certificates, translation/legalisation costs and optional legal assistance. For structured comparisons and planning templates, explore guides and tools in our Residency & Citizenship section (C). This helps you benchmark timeframes against other island jurisdictions.

Integration

Naturalisation is not merely a paper exercise. Cabo Verde values language ability (Portuguese or Creole), tax compliance, community ties and a stable life on the islands. Strong files show steady employment or active business, school/community involvement, and clean legal records. Marriage applicants with authentic cohabitation histories and shared responsibilities also perform well.

What changed in 2026

In 2026 authorities strengthened documentary consistency checks for marriage and descent cases and expanded digital verification with civil registry databases. Processing remains predictable for well-prepared files, but gaps (spelling variants, missing apostilles) trigger additional queries.

Did you know?

Dual nationality is permitted. Many applicants keep their original citizenship to manage property or family ties abroad while enjoying Cabo Verdean nationality for life on the islands.

Common mistakes

• Filing for naturalisation before completing enough lawful residence time.
• Using short-form civil certificates without parents’ data in descent claims.
• Weak cohabitation evidence in marriage cases (no shared leases, bills or bank records).
• Skipping apostille/consular legalisation or certified Portuguese translations.
• Name/date discrepancies across languages left uncorrected.
• Assuming birth abroad to a Cabo Verdean parent is self-executing without registration.

FAQ

Expert opinion

Winning Cabo Verde citizenship is about clarity: a clean identity chain, consistent addresses and taxes, and translations that leave no room for doubt. Naturalisation cases move fastest when residence timelines are uninterrupted and marriage/descent files when every link is documented in long-form records.

— Ines, Global Visa Consultant, VelesClub Int.

Next steps

Still building eligibility? Secure the right residence route first. Ready to apply? Receive a free consultation with VelesClub Int. and map your documents, translations and timeline. Start on our main platform or review detailed guides in the Residency & Citizenship section; then continue to the companion residence article to keep your path aligned.