Visa Requirements for Cape Verde, Africa

I am cruising to Cape Verde in October 2015 The travel agent says I need visa in advance. Does anyone know if I can stay on ship and avoid getting visa. Has anyone ever done this to avoid visa requirements.

No. It appears as if you don't need a visa. All the info you need is on the RCCL website.

If a country requires a visa, it makes absolutely no difference if you promise to stay on the ship. Once you're in the territorial waters of a country, you're considered to be IN that country, whether or not you step on dry land. When you check in for the cruise, if you don't have all the required documents, including Visas, you will be denied boarding, with no refund of cruise fare. I was checking in for a cruise where we had two stops in China, where a Visa is required. An elderly couple didn't know of this requirement, and begged to still cruise, if they promised not to leave the ship in China. This was not allowed, and they missed their cruise of a lifetime.

If you are a U.S. Citizen, and you do a google search for Visa requirements for US citizens going to Cape Verde, it will take you to the U.S. Department of State, and that site says that U.S. citizens must have a travel visa plus one blank page for arrival stamp. So, if you follow what our State Department says, you need a visa. Good luck, as you might not have enough time to get one. You need to contact a visa procurement agency to see if they can expedite your visa.

One of the more important things needed to be able do answer the question of 'Do I need a visa?" is what country are from. Without that, not even the country you're visiting can correctly answer the question. Kitty9 properly qualified her answer with "If you are a U.S. Citizen.."

Additionally, depending on citizenship and country being visited, you may not need a visa, may have to get it ahead of time, or can get it when you arrive. The cruise line may also be able to get if for you when you arrive. So your TA may be absolutely correct that you need a visa, but if the cruise line gets it for you when you arrive, you don't need to get it ahead of time.

We were to Cape Verde a few years ago on a Princess cruise and did not need a visa.

We were in both Praia, Ilha de Santiago and Mindelo, Ilha Sao Vincente last year and definitely did not need visas before boarding the ship.

Either visas were not needed at all or the ship automatically got them for all passengers.

Scott & Karen

Your cruise line will take care of this for you.

Keith