½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

I was born in the United States. I live in the U.S. My parents were born in Fogo and immigrated to the US in the 70's. I finally visited Cape Verde for the first time at age 40 and I immediately fell in love with my mother/home country and island. Our plan is to renovate/remodel the family compound and use it initially as a vacation home for whenever we want to visit and eventually stay 6 months out of the year when our kids get older. I'm trying to estimate costs for renovations, finding contractors, buying a car (though I've read it's expensive, we still feel we need it on Fogo), and what's necessary to open a bank account. I only have US citizenship unlike my parents who have dual citizenship. Would it be cheaper to ship a fairly new but used truck under my parents citizenship (and power of attorney) from Boston, MA to Fogo or just buy the truck there? My parents do not fly so they will not ever be returning to the islands. Do I need to be a citizen to open a bank account? How reliable is the internet? Im a remote worker so I need constant reliable coverage. Our family home in Baluarte currently doesn't have internet, electricity or running water. Just well water so we have a lot to do to get it up and running and i don't know how to go about managing all the working parts. Also, what is the cost to ship furniture you buy from say a shop in praia to fogo? Or should we just do a one time shipping container from the states and have the house fully furnished that way for convenience? I would like to minimize costs as much as I can but I know this transition will initially be expensive. Also, how can I get dual citizenship? - @surrezu

@surrezu contacted me directly and I replied to her in private. However, for the benefit of all members of the Expat form, I am providing some answers below as I am sure many members have similar questions:

Would it be cheaper to ship a fairly new but used truck under my parents citizenship (and power of attorney) from Boston, MA to Fogo or just buy the truck there?

You should avoid importing vehicles to Cape Verde. The duties are extremely high/punative. Only returning residents brinnging vehicles that are less than 3 years old will get a break, but even then, they still have to pay a significant amount of import duties. If you are not a returning resident bringing in nearly new vehicle, the import duties are massive. So in all cases, I recommend that you sell your vehicle in your country of origin and buy the vehicle here. It will turn out to be much cheaper as you will avoidf the direct import duties, you will avoid the direct shipping costs and you will save yourself the headache of the excessive paperwork and bureaucracy. The best place to buy a used (or new) vehicle is in the capital, Praia. If you then have to ship it to another island, contact the inter-island ferry is the process is relatively easy and cheap.

Do I need to be a citizen to open a bank account?

No. Anyone can open a bank account in CV. You will simply need your passport and you must have a NIF (which you get same day for free at the Casa do Cidadão).

How reliable is the internet? Im a remote worker so I need constant reliable coverage.

Get wired internet to your home from CVTelecom (brand name is Alou). The service is fast and reliable. Unlimited data is about €100 per month. We also now have access to StarLink for €50 per month. I also use StarLink. It is really fast, but I do not find it reliable at all. There are frequent drops in coverage with StarLink. Maybe the satellites covering this region are insufficient.

Our family home in Baluarte currently doesn't have internet, electricity or running water. Just well water so we have a lot to do to get it up and running and i don't know how to go about managing all the working parts.

This is easy. Find yourself a contractor to do all the work and make all the applications to the municipality. Of course, you will need to find a reliable and trustworthy contractor. That is a bit more challenging. I can recommend trustworthy contractors if anyone needs help finding one.

Also, what is the cost to ship furniture you buy from say a shop in praia to fogo? Or should we just do a one time shipping container from the states and have the house fully furnished that way for convenience? I would like to minimize costs as much as I can but I know this transition will initially be expensive.

Do not ship anything from abroad. As noted above, the shipping costs are high, the bureaucracy will give you a splitting headache, and the customs duties are through the roof. Customs duties are 50% of the government's receipts! Don't feed that beast. Buy everything you need in Praia, then ship via CV Inter Ilhas to any other island. The shipping costs between are not expensive, and there is very little paperwork to complete.

Also, how can I get dual citizenship?

If you reside for over 5 years in Cape Verde, you are legally entitled to citizenship. Likewise, if you have been marriedto a Cape Verdean citizen for more than 5 years. Just request citizenship at the Cartório. Of course the procedures and bureaucracy are enough to drive you up a wall if you are not familiar with how it works. In the case of anyone who has Cape Verdean parent(s), you can simply present the birth certificate of one of your Cape Verdean parents and submit your application. In the case of Cape Verdean ancestry via grand-parent(s), you can also apply but the process is a more complicated. One word of advice is that you should do everything at the Cartório in Praia which is where all citizenship matters are handled and authorized. Very often, the civil servants in the other islands are clueless and will only cause you endless frustration because the will give you incorrect info without even confirming how it actually works in the Praia headquarters. In any event, if you want to apply for citizenship, I can help.

Best regards,

Angelo