Currency and payments
The currency on the Cape Verde islands is the Cape Verde escudo (CVE), which has a fixed exchange rate against the euro. 100 CVE is equivalent to 0.9069 euros. The import and export of the national currency is prohibited. Currency exchange offices are practically only available at the airport and you are charged an exchange rate.
Foreign currency can be imported without restriction, but must be declared on arrival.
On Sal, Boa Vista and Santiago, it is possible to pay in euros, but on the other islands it is advisable to carry cash in the local currency.
Banknotes of 5000, 2000, 1000, 500 and 200 escudos are in circulation. There are also coins of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 escudos.
Credit cards are accepted in large stores and hotels. It is possible to withdraw money from some ATMs, but you shouldn’t necessarily count on it. So it’s worth taking some cash with you and exchanging it locally.
Important: when exchanging money and paying by credit card, your passport may be checked for security reasons.
Prices in Cape Verde are usually indicated with the currency symbol as a separator, i.e. 20$00 for 20 escudos.
