{"id":4198,"date":"2026-03-24T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/?p=4198"},"modified":"2026-03-23T15:21:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T16:21:04","slug":"how-to-legalise-a-company-in-cape-verde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/como-legalizar-uma-empresa-em-cabo-verde\/","title":{"rendered":"How to legalise a company in Cape Verde"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Cape Verde has established itself as one of the <em>hubs<\/em> West Africa's most efficient businesses. With the <strong>Company on the Day (END)<\/strong>, With the help of the company's website, it is possible to acquire legal personality in less than 24 hours. However, rapid incorporation is only the first mile. The real <em>critical path<\/em> to start a business are <strong>commercial licences <\/strong>, tax compliance (NIF, REMPE) and labour compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2026, the legal framework requires extra attention: new transparency rules for non-residents, implementation of the Global Minimum Tax (Pillar 2 BEPS) for multinational groups, and mandatory certified software for invoicing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide maps it out, <em>step by step<\/em>, the journey from choosing a legal form to obtaining operating licences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Legal Forms: Which to Choose?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The choice of structure determines the <em>governance<\/em>, asset liability and access to simplified tax regimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Legal Form<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Typical use<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Critical Features<\/strong><\/td><td><strong><strong>Minimum Share Capital<\/strong><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Private Limited Company (Lda.)<\/strong><\/td><td>SMEs, commerce and services<\/td><td>Limited liability; flexible management; ideal for\u00a0<em>END<\/em><\/td><td>Limited liability; flexible management; ideal for\u00a0<em>END<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Public Limited Company (SA)<\/strong><\/td><td>Major projects,\u00a0<em>holdings<\/em><\/td><td>Open capital;\u00a0<em>board<\/em>\u00a0structured; suitable for external funding<\/td><td>1$00 (fully subscribed)\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Individual Entrepreneur (EI)<\/strong><\/td><td>Micro-businesses, self-employed professionals<\/td><td>Indistinct personal and business assets; unlimited risk<\/td><td>Not applicable<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Branch<\/strong><\/td><td>Foreign companies without autonomous legal personality<\/td><td>Extension of the parent company; requires apostilled documentation from the\u00a0<em>headquarters<\/em><\/td><td>Dependent on the matrix<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> For non-resident members, the <strong>Lda.<\/strong> is the form recommended in 2026, given the simplified framework of \u00abBusiness on the Day\u00bb and the ease of demonstrating <em>substance<\/em> local economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Company on the Day vs. Conservatory: <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cape Verde has two legally supported routes to incorporation: the special regime <em>END<\/em> (Decree-Law no. 9\/2008) and traditional registration at the Registry Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Via A: Company on the Day (Recommended for SMEs)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Deadline:<\/strong> Same day (&lt; 24 hours) if complete documentation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Where:<\/strong> Citizen's bureaux, municipal counters or mobile units<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost:<\/strong> 10.000$00 CVE (incorporation) + 600$00 (certificate of admissibility of business name)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limitations:<\/strong> It does not apply to constitutions with the contribution of real estate to the share capital or to activities that require special prior authorisation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Route B: Commercial Registry Office<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Deadline:<\/strong> 3 to 15 working days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Requirements:<\/strong> Public deed required only if there is a contribution in kind (real estate)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Publication:<\/strong> In the Official Gazette (depending on the company structure)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Technical opinion:<\/strong> O <em>END<\/em> is the <em>default<\/em> for foreign investors in 2026, eliminating <em>bottlenecks<\/em> procedural. The Conservatory should only be reserved for atypical structures or constitutions with real estate assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Essential Documentation (Pre-Constitution Checklist)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Incomplete documentation is the main cause of rejection in the act of incorporation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prepare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>For the Applicant (Partner or Representative)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NIF (Tax Identification Number): mandatory in advance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Valid identity card, citizen's card or passport<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Power of attorney with recognised signature (if the applicant is not a partner\/shareholder)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>For Individual Partners<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>TIN and identification document of all partners<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For minor members: parents' declaration (recognised signature) + minor's birth\/ID certificate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>For Corporate Partners (Parent Companies)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Minutes of the resolution authorising participation in the Cape Verdean company<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Up-to-date commercial registration certificate (apostilled, if foreign)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Immediate Records After Incorporation (Do Not Postpone)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Legal personality does not imply automatic authorisation to operate. Run in parallel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Company TIN (DNRE)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Deadline:<\/strong> 1 to 3 working days after commercial registration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Note:<\/strong> Although the NIF is generated automatically upon registration, the declaration of commencement of activity must be submitted to the Directorate-General for Contributions and Taxes (DGCI) for full tax activation. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caboverdeexpert.com\/pt\/cabo-verde-empresa-em-nome-individual\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>INPS (Social Security)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Compulsory registration of the employer before hiring workers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Documentation: commercial registration certificate, company NIF, identification of employees and declaration of commencement of activity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Municipal Communication<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prior notification to the local council of the start of activity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Payment of municipal tax (relevant for REMPE)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bank Account Opening &amp; KYC<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>2026 imposes reinforced <em>Know Your Customer<\/em> (KYC) and <em>Anti-Money Laundering<\/em> (AML):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Disclosure of the beneficial owner (<em>beneficial ownership<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of origin of funds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Local legal address and demonstration of administrative presence (<em>substance<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Commercial licences <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The critical mistake for new investors is to underestimate licences. Activities such as tourism, catering, construction, health and fishing require specific authorisations in addition to the commercial register<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Sector<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Licensing body<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Typical Term<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Indicative Cost<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tourism &amp; Catering<\/td><td>Ministry of Tourism \/ Town Hall<\/td><td>15-30 days<\/td><td><br>10.000$00 - 50.000$00 CVE\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Industry &amp; Environment<\/td><td>Ministry of Industry \/ Environmental agencies<\/td><td>20-45 days<\/td><td>Variable according to impact<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Construction<\/td><td>Local councils (urban planning licences)<\/td><td>30-60 days<\/td><td>Dependent on\u00a0<em>square footage<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Health &amp; Food<\/td><td>Ministry of Health<\/td><td>15-30 days<\/td><td>Applicable inspection fees<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>International Trade<\/td><td>General Directorate of Customs<\/td><td>7-15 days<\/td><td>Import\/export licence\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Strategic tip:<\/strong> The Casa do Empreendedor and the Casas do Cidad\u00e3o operate as a one-stop shop (<em>one-stop shop<\/em>) for inter-institutional coordination, reducing <em>lead time<\/em> between ministries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6. REMPE Regime and Taxation 2026: What's Changed<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>O <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/o-regime-especial-das-micro-e-pequenas-empresas-rempe-em-cabo-verde-vantagens-da-simplificacao-deveres-acessorios-e-o-trade-off-da-deducao-do-iva-no-setor-b2b\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3791\">Legal Framework for Micro and Small Enterprises (REMPE)<\/a><\/strong> allows simplified taxation via <strong>Special Unified Tax (TEU)<\/strong> - 4% on quarterly turnover, waiving IRC and VAT (in many cases).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>REMPE Eligibility (2026)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Micro-enterprise:<\/strong> Up to 5 employees and turnover \u2264 5,000,000$00 CVE\/year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Small Business:<\/strong> 6-10 employees and volume between 5M$00 and 10M$00 CVE\/year<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>REMPE obligations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Quarterly turnover statement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quarterly TEU payment (by the last day of the month following the quarter)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Issuing receipts\/invoices via certified equipment (mandatory since 2026 for all schemes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Withholding tax of 4% when the client is a legal person with organised accounting (pay attention to the incompatible configuration in the invoicing software)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tax update 2026:<\/strong> The 2026 State Budget provides for the gradual reduction of IRPC (Corporate Income Tax) to 20% in 2025, with a target of 15% <em>flat<\/em> through a strategic agreement. For large multinational groups with revenues \u2265750M\u20ac, the Global Minimum Tax (IMG) of 15% (BEPS Pillar 2) applies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7. Non-Residents: The New \u00abSubstance\u00bb Rules in 2026<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For non-resident partners or directors, the 2026 framework requires <strong>enhanced transparency<\/strong> e <strong>real economic presence<\/strong> (<em>substance<\/em>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Asset transparency:<\/strong> Mandatory declaration of the beneficial owner and justification of the origin of the funds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Local Legal Address:<\/strong> Proven physical headquarters (not admissible) <em>virtual offices<\/em> for banking purposes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Administrative Presence:<\/strong> Appointment of local representative or demonstration of operations managed from Cape Verde (meetings of <em>board<\/em>, local contracts)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Property:<\/strong> Permission for 100% foreign capital in most sectors, except:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fisheries: 51% requirement for Cape Verdean participation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inter-island maritime transport: 25% of compulsory local participation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>8. Labour and Tax Compliance: The Post-Constitution Era<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Legalisation doesn't end with licences. The Cape Verdean Labour Code (reformed by Decree-Law no. 8\/2025) imposes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Formal contracts:<\/strong> Updated models for teleworking (introduced in 2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decentralised inspection:<\/strong> New labour inspection system by regional delegation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>INPS obligations:<\/strong> Real-time registration of admissions and dismissals; timely payment of contributions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Electronic invoicing:<\/strong> Compulsory use of software certified by the Tax Administration for processing invoices and tax-relevant documents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>9. Fatal errors that jeopardise the process<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Underestimating licensing:<\/strong> Start the licence process only after the company has been set up, paralysing operations for 30-60 days. .<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Incomplete KYC documentation (non-residents):<\/strong> Lack of proof of origin of funds or local address blocks the opening of a bank account for weeks. .<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>REMPE configuration error:<\/strong> Trying to apply 4% withholding tax and REMPE regime simultaneously on the same invoicing document (technical incompatibility in the systems) .<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ignorance of the 2025\/2026 labour reforms:<\/strong> Using outdated contract models, ignoring teleworking regulations and the new decentralised inspection. .<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion: Efficient Legalisation is Compliance Front-Loading<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Empresa no Dia\u00ab offers speedy registration, but legal operationalisation requires <strong>front-loading<\/strong> compliance: anticipating sectoral licences, structuring the <em>substance<\/em> for non-residents and correctly configure the tax regime <a href=\"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/rempe-vs-contabilidade-organizada-o-regime-fiscal-em-cabo-verde\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3477\">(REMPE or organised accounting<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2026, with the entry into force of the Global Minimum Tax for large groups and the obligation to use certified software for invoicing, technical precision in the <em>setup<\/em> is decisive for avoiding tax or bank sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do you need technical support in legalising your company in Cape Verde?<\/strong> A <a href=\"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/contacts\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"3871\">S&amp;D Consultancy<\/a>, offers support: from incorporation at the Casa do Cidad\u00e3o, through sector-specific licensing (tourism, industry, commerce), to an optimised tax framework and labour compliance. <strong>Contact us<\/strong> for a preliminary diagnosis of the most suitable corporate structure for your investment.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cabo Verde consolidou-se como um dos hubs empresariais mais eficientes da \u00c1frica Ocidental. Com o regime Empresa no Dia (END), \u00e9 poss\u00edvel adquirir personalidade jur\u00eddica em menos de 24 horas. Contudo, a incorpora\u00e7\u00e3o r\u00e1pida \u00e9 apenas a primeira milha. O verdadeiro critical path para iniciar atividade reside nas licen\u00e7as comercias , no cumprimento fiscal (NIF, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-consultoria-empresarial"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4198"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4314,"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4198\/revisions\/4314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consultoria.cv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}