Is Cape Verde classed as worldwide on travel insurance?

Yes, most insurers categorise Cape Verde as 'worldwide excluding the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean'. Also, because it isn’t a part of the EU, your GHIC or EHIC will not work there, making travel insurance essential for medical emergencies if you don’t want to have to pay out of your own pocket.

Do I need vaccinations to go to Cape Verde?

It isn’t a legal requirement to have vaccinations to go to Cape Verde. But the NHS guidance recommends that you get the following vaccines before you travel to Cape Verde: Hepatitis A Tetanus Typhoid For more detailed information on vaccinations for Cape Verde, speak to your GP.

Does travel insurance cover volcanic disruption in Cape Verde?

It’s important to check your policy to see if you’re covered for volcanic disruption in or around Cape Verde. Many standard policies won't include it, and you may have to buy an 'Enhanced Travel Disruption’ or 'Natural Catastrophe' add-on to make sure you’re covered if Pico de Fogo decides to erupt. When comparing policies, check for phrases such as 'volcanic ash' or 'airspace closure'. It’s also important to know that if you buy your travel insurance after you know that the volcano is erupting, you won’t be covered. This is because of the ‘Known Event’ clause, which prevents people buying insurance for a location that they know has pre-existing problems which will cause them to make a claim.

What activities are covered in Cape Verde?

Most standard policies cover low-risk activities like swimming. But for more adrenaline-fuelled activities such as windsurfing or kiteboarding, you may need to buy an add-on for that activity to make sure you’re covered.

Is travel insurance to Cape Verde cheap?

The cost of travel insurance for Cape Verde depends on your individual circumstances. For example, Health Age Length of trip Planned activities It’s important to note that when looking for travel insurance, a cheap policy doesn’t always mean a good policy. It can be more beneficial to look at the value that your cover gives you rather than just the price.

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Key things to know about travel insurance for Cape Verde

Limited Healthcare Infrastructure: Cape Verde’s medical facilities are basic compared to the UK and often lack specialised equipment or common medications, making medical cover essential for accessing adequate care.

High Repatriation Costs: Due to limited local treatment options, serious injuries often require medical evacuation to Europe or the UK.

No Reciprocal Agreements: The UK has no reciprocal healthcare agreement with Cape Verde, and the GHIC/EHIC is not valid. Travellers are 100% responsible for all medical bills and hospital stays.

Specific Activity Needs: Standard policies often exclude Cape Verde’s popular water sports like kitesurfing and windsurfing or cruise-specific mishaps, requiring travellers to add specialist "activity" or "cruise" cover.

Protect your trip with Cape Verde travel insurance

Travel insurance is particularly important for Cape Verde, as it has limited medical facilities. This means you’re more likely to have to be evacuated or medically repatriated than in many other countries if you’re ill/injured. The cost of this can easily add up to tens of thousands of pounds.

PayingTooMuch can help you navigate the intricacies of travel insurance policies so that you can find the one that is right for you and your trip.

Why do you need travel insurance for Cape Verde?

Some of the key reasons you need travel insurance for Cape Verde include:

Limited local facilities – While there are hospitals in Praia and Mindelo, Cape Verde’s healthcare system is limited in comparison to what we’re used to here in the UK. It often lacks specialised equipment and some common medications.

High medical repatriation costs – Because of the limited facilities, it’s more likely that you’ll need to be evacuated to Europe or medically repatriated back to the UK. Without insurance, these cost more than £60,000.

No reciprocal healthcare agreement – Cape Verde doesn’t have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK. This means that you’ll have to cover 100% of your medical costs if you don’t have travel insurance.

Disruption – Inter-island flights and ferries can often be delayed or cancelled.

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What should Cape Verde travel insurance include?

A comprehensive policy for Cape Verde should be tailored to the islands' specific geography and limited infrastructure. It can be helpful to make sure your cover includes:

Emergency medical treatment	Covers you for hospital stays, medication, etc.
Medical repatriation and evacuation	If you need specialist treatment or major surgery, you’re likely going to need an air ambulance to get to Europe or the UK.
Cancellation/curtailment cover	When you’re comparing policies, it’s important to make sure that the value of both curtailment and cancellation covers the entire cost of your flight and accommodation costs

Most standard policies won’t have the following included, so you’ll need to make sure that you tell us that you need them before you buy.

Activity add-ons	Cape Verde is a great destination for windsurfing, kitesurfing, and scuba diving. Standard policies can often exclude these types of activities. So you mayneed an activity-specific one to make sure you’re covered.
Cruise cover	If you are visiting as part of a mid-Atlantic cruise, you'll need to have 'cruise cover' to cover cruise-specific issues such as cabin confinement and missed ports.

Single-trip or Multi-trip cover for Cape Verde

Depending on your travel plans, you may find either the single-trip policy or an annual multi-trip policy more suitable for you.

Single-trip cover – This may be more suitable if Cape Verde is your only trip this year. You’ll be more likely to pay less for your policy as you’re only paying for your specific trip and not ‘wasting’ months.

Annual multi-trip cover – This might be better if you’re planning to take multiple trips in a year. It can save you time by not having to buy a policy for each trip. It can also save you money, as you may end up paying less for cover on a per-trip basis.

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Single tripCovers you for one trip

Annual multi-tripCovers you for multiple holidays in 12 months

CruiseGives you cruise-specific cover

Winter sportsGet cover for your ski-ing holiday

Pre-existing medical conditionsCover your pre-existing conditions

Travel insurance for Cape Verde with medical conditions

It’s important to disclose any pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, no matter how mild they may be. This will help you avoid invalidating your policy. Cape Verde has limited medical infrastructure, which means it’s even more vital that your insurer has an accurate picture of your health to help make sure you’re properly covered.

It can be a bit complicated looking for travel insurance for pre-existing conditions, but PayingTooMuch can help make the process easier.

Compare Cape Verde travel insurance

Using PayingTooMuch to compare travel insurance policies can quickly help you find the right one for your Cape Verde adventure. Find your travel insurance quote today.

Cape Verde FAQs

It isn’t a legal requirement to have vaccinations to go to Cape Verde. But the NHS guidance recommends that you get the following vaccines before you travel to Cape Verde:
- Hepatitis A
- Tetanus
- Typhoid
For more detailed information on vaccinations for Cape Verde, speak to your GP.
The cost of travel insurance for Cape Verde depends on your individual circumstances. For example,
- Health
- Age
- Length of trip
- Planned activities
It’s important to note that when looking for travel insurance, a cheap policy doesn’t always mean a good policy. It can be more beneficial to look at the value that your cover gives you rather than just the price.