Which occupations require a professional card in Cabo Verde?

The requirement currently applies to regulated activities in eight occupational families, including energy, social services, installation and maintenance, metal technology, hospitality and catering, environment and safety, commerce and logistics, and arts and performing arts. The CNP alone does not automatically make an occupation regulated.

How is qualification for a regulated occupation in Cabo Verde demonstrated?

Possible routes are vocational training under the CNQ or validation of acquired competences through RVCC Pro. A foreign qualification generally must undergo an equivalence assessment by CNEP before the professional-card application.

Where can you apply for a professional card for an occupation in Cabo Verde?

The application is made through DGE, a CEFP, Casa do Cidadão, or the competent portal. Issuance costs 1,500 CVE, the card is valid for three years, and the employer checks it before hiring for a regulated activity.

What exception applies to minors in regulated occupations in Cabo Verde?

Minors under 18 who are learners are exempt from the professional-card requirement under the Código Laboral Cabo-verdiano. Labour-law protection and safety rules still apply to the specific activity.

What provisional authorization may be available to experienced workers in Cabo Verde?

Decreto-Lei 49/2025 may allow provisional authorization when at least five years of professional experience are demonstrated and an RVCC procedure has been initiated. The authorization does not automatically replace the regular qualification or the final professional card.

Professions in Cabo Verde

The occupational system in Cabo Verde covers occupations, qualification pathways, and special rules for certain professions. A professional card known as Carteira Profissional is required for regulated activities in eight occupational families, covering 45 qualifications and 207 occupations or occupational pathways. Other occupations are subject to freedom of occupation but may have their own requirements set by an industry, institution, or public authority.

Tip

First clarify whether your specific activity in Cabo Verde belongs to the regulated occupations. This determines whether you need a professional card, a qualification, or recognition, and whether you need to allow time before starting work for training, RVCC Pro, or CNEP.

byAna&Manuel

The Constitution of Cabo Verde protects freedom of occupation but allows restrictions in the public interest and where professional competence is lacking. The rules under Law 107/IX/2020 (Lei 107/IX/2020), Decree-Law 49/2025 (Decreto-Lei 49/2025), and the Cabo Verde Labour Code (Código Laboral Cabo-verdiano) therefore distinguish between generally accessible occupations and regulated activities. The professional card (Carteira Profissional) currently applies to eight occupational families: energy generation, transmission and distribution (PTE); social, cultural, and community services (SCC); installation and maintenance (IMA); metal technology (MET); hospitality, catering, and tourism (HRT); environment and safety (MES); commerce, transport, and logistics (COM); and visual arts, crafts, music, and performing arts (ART). Examples include reception, cooking, service, tour guiding, childcare, care for dependent persons, electrical and plumbing work, welding, sales, and event work. The card confirms that the required qualification or recognized professional experience for the respective activity has been demonstrated. The broader occupational world in Cabo Verde also includes agriculture, forestry, fishing, aquaculture, construction, transport, administration, banking, insurance, public services, education, science, information technology, and culture. The National Occupations Classification (CNP) describes these occupational fields but does not automatically establish a requirement for a professional card. Whether an additional licence, a specific qualification, or an institutional examination is required depends on the specific activity and the competent authority. Access to a regulated activity usually takes place through vocational training under the National Qualifications Catalogue (CNQ) or through professional competence validation (RVCC Pro). RVCC Pro validates professional competences acquired through experience. Training must take place at an accredited technical or vocational institution and may include practical modules, work experience in a real-world setting, or an internship. There is no single training duration for all occupations; duration, level, and costs depend on the qualification, provider, and funding. For foreign qualifications, an equivalence assessment by the competent authority (CNEP) is generally required before applying for the professional card. Qualifications from third countries are subject to additional requirements that may depend, among other things, on reciprocity arrangements. The professional card is applied for through the DGE, a CEFP, a citizen service office (Casa do Cidadão), or the competent portal. Employers check the valid card before hiring for a regulated activity. Issuing the professional card costs 1,500 CVE, renewal costs 1,000 CVE, and an amendment or entry (Averbamento) costs 500 CVE. The card is valid for three years. An initial IEFP certificate costs 1,000 CVE, and a duplicate costs 1,300 CVE. No uniform processing period has been documented. For minors under 18, exceptions to the professional-card requirement apply when they are learners under the labour law. Decree-Law 49/2025 also allows provisional authorization under certain conditions when at least five years of professional experience exist and an RVCC procedure has been initiated. Employment contracts, remuneration, leave, night and shift work, occupational safety, accident insurance, and personal protective equipment are governed nationwide by labour law and supplementary rules for the activity. In catering, care work, energy, environment, safety, and technical occupations, hygiene, quality, consumer-protection, or health-and-safety obligations often also apply. The labour administration or labour inspectorate is responsible for working conditions; DGE, IEFP, CNQ, and CNEP handle regulation, qualification, or recognition depending on the matter.