ANAV alert 29% increase in Cape Verde airport tax

A Portuguese National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAV) today warned of the negative impact, which penalizes tourists, of the 29.41% increase in the airport security rate of Cape Verde, a measure recently announced by the Cape Verdean Government.

In a statement, ANAV requests protection for the reservations confirmed before the entry into force of the amendment, on 4 November, and requests clear rules for payments already made.

“Capo Verde is one of the main destinations of the Portuguese and an increase of this dimension represents an additional relevant cost for those visiting the country. The situation is particularly difficult for those who booked the trip under certain conditions and can now be faced with a burden that was not foreseen at the time of the reservation ", says Miguel Quintas, president of ANAV.

In a statement the association states that the rate applied to passengers subject to payment “went from 3,400 to 4,400 Cape Verdean escudos, the equivalent of an increase from 30,83 [EUR] to 39,90 EUR per person”.

“In practice, it represents an increase of EUR 9,07 per passenger”, is indicated in the statement.

According to ANAV, “Decree-Law No 49/2026 does not, however, establish a specific transitional regime for trips booked before the entry into force of the new value”, so a passenger who has confirmed his journey before November 4, but who has not yet paid the fee, “can be confronted with the new value on arrival in Cape Verde”.

In view of these figures, ANAV argues that “all reservations confirmed before 4 November keep the value of the fee in force at the time of the reservation” and asks the Cape Verdean Government for “a clear confirmation that payments made in advance via the EASE platform [on-line entry registration platform in Cape Verde] will continue to be accepted for the amount already settled without any additional passenger charges”.

“It is essential to have predictability for passengers and travel agencies. Those who have already paid must have the guarantee that their proof will be accepted and those who have reserved before the entry into force of the amendment should not be penalized for a later change of conditions ", argues Miguel Quintas.

The AVNA also warns of the costs associated with mandatory pre-registration.

According to the association “when the passenger does not have a valid pre-registration, a surcharge of 3,400 Cape Verdean shields can be applied. When this tranche adds to the new Airport Safety Rate, the total charge may reach 7,800 Cape Verdean escudos, equivalent to EUR 70,74 per person.”.

In view of this fact and “to prevent problems in completing or validating the pre-registration resulting in a burden of this dimension”, the association requests that the EASE platform “provide clearer instructions and a procedure that allows the passenger to identify and correct any errors before departure”.

“A problem in the pre-registration should not cause a passenger who tried to comply with the formalities in advance to face a charge exceeding 70 euros. It is essential to give people the opportunity to correct the data before travelling and to ensure that they know, in advance, how much they will have to pay”, concludes Miguel Quintas.

Finally, the association argues that the information “is available at border posts and is clearly communicated to travel agencies, allowing them to inform their customers in advance of the necessary procedures and applicable values”.