VisaCabo Verde visitors should keep EASE proof to avoid the double airport-security charge
Current guidance links a five-day registration lead to the airport-security fee, while visa eligibility and the permitted stay remain separate checks.
Official source date: 2026-10-30
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The surcharge makes proof of registration important
Visitors flying to Cabo Verde should complete EASE pre-registration in advance and retain the confirmation for arrival. The United Kingdom’s current entry guidance says passengers who have not completed registration, or cannot show proof, must pay double the airport security fee at border control under a measure applying from 1 July 2026. This is a current travel-preparation guide, not an announcement that the surcharge first begins in October.
The same guidance directs registration at least five days before arrival and tells travellers using a tour operator to check whether it handles the process. Delegating registration should therefore include obtaining the resulting confirmation. A booking receipt from the tour company is not necessarily the EASE confirmation an officer expects. Check that the registration covers the actual traveller and journey before departure.
Visa-free entry does not generally remove pre-registration
Cabo Verde’s High Authority for Immigration explains in its FAQ that visa-exempt travellers, including citizens covered by regional free-movement arrangements, still need pre-registration. It describes a five-day planning lead and warns of a border surcharge if the online step is missed. The authority also states that pre-registration does not confer automatic entry.
The same FAQ distinguishes visitor allowances: it describes up to 90 days for ECOWAS citizens and up to 30 days for EU citizens, with further permission required for a longer stay. These are different nationality routes, not one allowance applicable to everyone. A traveller should use the authority’s guidance to identify their own category, then separately confirm any applicable pre-registration or fee exemption. Paying a security charge cannot extend the allowed visit.
Use EASE’s official registration link and check passport data
The official EASE landing page links its Travellers Pre-registration service and a separate travel-agency channel. The registration service asks for the traveller’s names according to the passport, birth information and nationality before moving to additional personal and travel details. Use the link from EASE rather than an unrelated commercial form whose service charge may be mistaken for a government fee.
The portal warns that registration does not guarantee admission and provides a dedicated support contact for registration questions. If the confirmation is missing or the journey details are wrong, use that support route before travel. The resources reviewed do not establish that an airline reservation automatically creates a valid EASE record, nor that a single family member’s submission necessarily proves every other passenger is registered.
A visa application has its own cost and validity
The national Visa service page says some nationalities require a visa before travelling and links separate lists for visa exemption and advance-visa requirements. Its standard visa cost is CVE4,898. That is a visa charge, distinct from the airport security fee, and should not be presented as the price of EASE registration. Check the amount applicable to the actual category with the issuing service.
The page identifies a valid passport and compliant photograph as basic application documents, with further evidence depending on visa type. It describes tourist permission of up to 90 days and a requirement to use a tourist visa within 60 days of issuance. That maximum does not turn a nationality’s 30-day visa exemption into 90 days. Business, work and visits beyond an exemption period need their own assessment through the government or consular route.
Resolve route and document differences before departure
Germany’s foreign ministry guidance, current on 29 October, confirms 30-day tourist visa exemption for German nationals and directs longer tourist visits toward a visa application. For private boats it identifies Sal, Praia and Mindelo as the permitted entry ports. An air-registration procedure therefore should not be treated as complete clearance for a private yacht itinerary.
There is also a published passport-validity difference worth resolving: Cabo Verde’s national visa page states three months beyond the stay, while the UK advice for full British citizen passports says six months after arrival. British visitors should follow their nationality-specific preparation guidance and obtain clarification where their document is near a limit. Children aged one and under are exempt from the form and TSA according to the UK page. Before travelling, confirm the visa route, finish registration within the stated lead, keep proof and check the actual permitted departure date.
