What religious freedoms does constitutional law protect in Cabo Verde?

Cabo Verde’s Constitution protects the freedom to profess, change or reject a religion and prohibits discrimination based on belief. It also protects worship, religious buildings and rites, while prohibiting coercion to attend worship, receive religious assistance or take a religious oath.

How does a religious community obtain formal recognition in Cabo Verde?

A religious association applies through the Ministry of Justice with its charter or statutes and proof of 500 members. Registered groups can receive tax and fee exemptions for qualifying worship buildings, activities, seminaries and religious goods or publications.

Which religious holidays does the official Cabo Verde protocol list for public-sector staff?

Decreto 6/2026 lists 1 January, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, 15 August, 1 November and 25 December as Catholic days, with further days possible through a State–Church agreement. The cited protocol does not list an equivalent official holiday entitlement for Muslim or Jewish holidays.

How does optional Catholic religious education work in Cabo Verde’s public schools?

Optional Catholic Moral and Religious Education, called Educação Moral Religiosa e Católica (EMRC), is offered outside the normal timetable in the 2025/26 pilot. A responsible person must submit a written declaration for a minor, and the Catholic Church defines the curriculum.

How does a Catholic religious marriage obtain civil effect in Cabo Verde?

A Catholic marriage obtains civil effects after transcription in the civil registry. The parish priest sends a duplicate to the registry within the stated 3 T deadline.

How can someone request religious pastoral care in hospitals, prisons or the armed forces in Cabo Verde?

Religious assistance is legally available in hospitals, care institutions, prisons and the armed forces. Access depends on the institution and community; Catholic pastoral care also covers military and police personnel, including missions.

Religion in Cabo Verde

Religion in Cabo Verde is legally plural. People may choose, change or reject a faith. Religious communities operate independently from the State. In 2021, 72.5% of people aged 15 and over identified as Catholic, and 15.6% reported no religion.

Tip

You can choose, change or reject a religion freely, but practical access depends on the island, local community and institution involved. Treat formal recognition, school participation, religious holidays, pastoral care and marriage registration as separate arrangements, and confirm each one with the responsible body before relying on it.

byJoana&Joao

Articles 48 and 49 of the Constitution protect freedom of conscience, religion and worship, including the right to profess, change or reject a religion. They prohibit discrimination, protect religious buildings, symbols and rites, and separate churches and religious communities from the State. No one may be compelled to profess a faith, attend worship, receive religious assistance or education, or take a religious oath. Religious practice remains subject to the rights of others and the common good, while public confessional teaching is prohibited. Cabo Verde has two Catholic dioceses, the Diocese de Santiago de Cabo Verde and the Diocese de Mindelo. Access to parishes and cathedrals depends on the island and local community. Smaller Protestant and Evangelical, Muslim, Baha’i and Jewish communities are also present. Among residents aged 15 and over, the 2021 INE census recorded Catholic 72.5%, no religion 15.6%, Adventist 1.9%, Igreja do Nazareno 1.8%, Racionalismo Cristão 1.7%, Muslim 1.3%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.2%, Mormons 1.0%, Universal do Reino de Deus 0.8%, Nova Apostólica 0.5%, Assembleia de Deus 0.2%, Deus é Amor 0.1%, another religion 1.2% and no response 0.4%. Among foreign residents aged 15 and over in 2022, 41.3% identified as Christian and 40.1% as Muslim. Religious associations can seek formal recognition through the Ministry of Justice. The process uses a charter or statutes and proof of 500 members. Registered groups receive tax and fee exemptions for worship buildings, religious activities, seminaries, and religious goods or publications. Canonical entities use the Registo Nacional de Pessoas Coletivas. The available rules do not establish one uniform government fee or processing period, so the responsible authority should confirm current details. The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication is responsible for religious confessions and entities under Decreto-Lei 38/2026. Public and private worship are permitted, and affiliation is voluntary. The State recognizes religious communities as social and spiritual partners and encourages tolerance and interfaith dialogue. Religious assistance is legally available in hospitals, care institutions, prisons and the armed forces. Catholic pastoral care also covers military and police personnel, including missions; arrangements for other communities depend on the institution. Decreto 6/2026 lists 1 January, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, 15 August, 1 November and 25 December as Catholic days in its protocol, with further Catholic days possible through a State–Church agreement. On 2 April 2026, an afternoon tolerância de ponto applied to State, public-service and local-authority staff. The cited protocol does not establish an equivalent official holiday entitlement for Muslim or Jewish holidays. Public schools may offer optional Catholic Moral and Religious Education, known as Educação Moral Religiosa e Católica (EMRC). During the 2025/26 school year, the program is being piloted outside the normal timetable, and a responsible person must submit a written declaration when a minor participates. The Catholic Church defines the curriculum; no equivalent public-school program for other confessions is evidenced. A Catholic marriage produces civil effects after transcription in the civil registry, and the parish priest sends a duplicate within the stated 3 T deadline. Donations and ceremony charges vary by community rather than following one uniform national tariff.