Language: The official language is Portuguese and a patois known as Crioulo.
Currency: The unit of currency is the Cape Verdean Escudo (CVE), broken down into 100 centavos. The CVE is tied to the Euro at CVE 110.27 = 1 Euro. There is a bureau de change at the airport, and local banks will change travelers cheques and foreign currency, although there is a high commission on travelers cheques. ATMs can be found at the airport and in Sal,
Praia and
Sâo Vincent. Major credit cards, particularly
MasterCard and Visa are currently accepted in a few main resort hotels and restaurants.
Banks will give cash on credit cards but commissions are high. To avoid additional charges, carry travelers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.
Time: Local time is GMT -1.
Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50 Hz. Round two-pin attachment plugs and Schuko plugs are used.
Communications: The country code is +238. The outgoing code is 0 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 044 for the
United Kingdom). City codes are not required. The archipelago's main cities can be reached by International Direct Dialling. A GSM 900/1800 mobile network is in operation throughout the islands; coverage is good in most towns. Internet is available in the main towns and major hotels offer laptop connections.
Duty Free: Travelers to
Cape Verde are permitted the following items without incurring customs duty: a reasonable amount of perfume or eau de cologne and some gift items. In principle there is no free import of alcohol and tobacco products. The import or export of narcotics is strictly prohibited.
Tourist OfficeMinistry of Tourism, Praia,
Santiago: +238 615 697
EmergencyEmergencies: 87 (police); 131 (ambulance)
Embassies
Cape Verde Embassy,
Washington DC,
United States (also responsible for
Canada): +1 (202) 965 6820.
Cape Verde Honorary Consul,
Liverpool, United Kingdom: +44 (0)151 236 0206.
Cape Verde Embassy,
Luanda,
Angola (also responsible for
South Africa): +9 244 232 1765.
United States Embassy, Praia: +238 260 8900.
British Consulate, Sao Vincente: +238 232 2830.
Canadian Embassy,
Dakar,
Senegal (also responsible for Cape Verde): +221 (0)33 889 4700.
South
African Embassy, Dakar, Senegal (also responsible for Cape Verde): +221 (0)33 865 1959.
