Citizens of 91 countries required to obtain a visa before entering Cabo Verde will once again be able to submit their applications online, following the third amendment to the archipelago’s foreign entry regulations, published on Wednesday, 4 November, in the Official Gazette.

Decree-Law No. 49/2026 establishes that visa applications and their approval may be processed through a digital platform, while retaining existing mechanisms for prior security and migration risk assessment.

“This amendment is used to improve the regime applicable to nationals of countries subject to the obligation to obtain a visa prior to arrival on national territory,” the document states.

Despite the reinstatement of online submission, Cape Verdean authorities may still request in-person interviews or apply other verification measures whenever deemed necessary.

According to the legislation, additional controls are intended to safeguard public order and national security, as well as to prevent irregular immigration, human trafficking, and transnational crime.

The amendment does not eliminate the prior visa requirement, and the prohibition on obtaining a visa upon arrival in the country remains in force.

In January of this year, Cabo Verde introduced a requirement for citizens of the 91 countries and territories concerned to obtain visas in person before travelling, based on a risk assessment. The measure was designed to strengthen security through direct interviews and to prevent the automatic online issuance of visas.

The list includes only one European country, Belarus, and among Asian economies, Indonesia. In Africa, it covers countries such as Egypt, Algeria, and Ethiopia.

In North America, Mexico is the only country included, while the list also encompasses small territories in Central America and the Caribbean. In South America, it includes countries such as Colombia, Chile, and Venezuela.

The regulations provide for some exceptions to the in-person visa requirement. In addition to specific cases such as crew members and persons on official missions, exemptions apply to citizens of the 91 countries who are residents of Cabo Verde, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom, San Marino, Switzerland, the Vatican, Brazil, Canada, or the United States.