Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the AGMVM decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get an investment license in Cabo Verde.
The Atlantic crossing point: the AGMVM - Cabo Verde's securities market authority, operating under Decreto-Legislativo 52/V/98 - regulates, supervises and authorises the market's participants, from financial intermediaries to collective investment organisations, in a Portuguese-speaking archipelago four hours from Lisbon and six from Brazil.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Cabo Verde in brief
A small market with a real securities authority.
Cabo Verde runs a proper securities regulator. The Auditoria Geral do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários operates under Decreto-Legislativo n.º 52/V/98 of 11 May 1998, with a mandate covering regulation, supervision and the development of the securities market. Its continuous supervision extends to the Bolsa de Valores de Cabo Verde, listed companies, financial intermediaries, collective investment organisations, the sovereign guarantee fund for private investment and real estate appraisers. Authorisation, approval and registration sit inside its functions, so an intermediary here is authorised by a regulator rather than merely incorporated. Capital and documentary requirements sit in the securities code and AGMVM regulations, and are read from the instruments in force at filing.
The commercial case is geography and language. The archipelago sits mid-Atlantic - roughly four hours from Lisbon, six from Brazil, and closer to West Africa than any European jurisdiction - inside the Portuguese-speaking world, with a currency pegged to the euro and a legal system built on Portuguese civil law. For groups serving Lusophone Africa, Brazilian clients with European ambitions, or West African corridors that need a stable, Portuguese-language base, Cabo Verde is an underused position. The domestic market is small - we say that in advance, so the licence works as a regional operating base rather than a destination market. We build the AGMVM file end to end.
A real securities authority in a small market: the AGMVM regulates, supervises and authorises under Decreto-Legislativo 52/V/98, covering the exchange, listed companies, financial intermediaries, collective investment organisations and more.
Requirements sit in the securities code and AGMVM regulation and are read at filing. Mid-Atlantic, Lusophone, euro-pegged - a regional base rather than a destination market.
The two builds
The financial intermediary - and the fund vehicle.
The AGMVM authorises intermediaries and supervises collective investment organisations. Both are scoped against the instruments in force before anything is filed.
The authorised intermediary, and the fund vehicle beside it.
01 - FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
The licensed participant
Authorisation as a financial intermediary under the securities framework. The AGMVM's authorisation, approval and registration functions applied to the activity actually performed.
Authorisation as a financial intermediary under the securities framework. The AGMVM's authorisation, approval and registration functions applied to the activity actually performed.
- ✓Financial intermediation services
- ✓AGMVM authorisation and registration
- ✓Requirements per the securities code
- ✓Continuous supervision applies
- ✓Reporting duties to the authority
- ✓Portuguese-language framework
02 - COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT
The fund side
Collective investment organisations sit under AGMVM supervision alongside intermediaries. The vehicle layer for managers building Lusophone or West African products.
Collective investment organisations under AGMVM supervision. The vehicle layer for Lusophone and West African products, structured with the intermediary.
- ✓Collective investment organisations
- ✓Supervised by the AGMVM
- ✓Risk-based supervisory methodology
- ✓Reporting and disclosure duties
- ✓Structured with the intermediary
- ✓Regional distribution focus
Capital and documentary requirements sit in the securities code and AGMVM regulations and are read from the instruments in force at filing rather than quoted from summaries.
Why Cabo Verde
Six reasons firms look at Praia.
✓
A genuine regulator
The AGMVM regulates, supervises and authorises under a 1998 legislative decree. This is a securities authority, not a registry.Authority, not registry.
✓
Mid-Atlantic position
Four hours from Lisbon, six from Brazil, adjacent to West Africa. A crossing point rather than a periphery.Europe, Brazil, Africa.
✓
The Lusophone world
Portuguese-language law and business culture, connecting Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau.One language, five markets.
✓
Euro-pegged currency
The escudo is pegged to the euro. Currency risk inside a European-facing structure is materially reduced.Translation risk down.
✓
Civil-law stability
Portuguese-derived civil law and institutions that European counsel reads without translation of concepts.Familiar to European counsel.
✓
Clear about scale
The domestic market is small, and we say so. This is a regional base, not a destination market.Small market, said.
How it compares
How Cabo Verde differs from other routes.
The comparison, side by side: a real regulator in a small market, positioned where few licences reach.
Cabo Verde vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Cabo Verde | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | AGMVM - securities authority | Registries or commissions |
| Requirements | Per code and regulation | Published tiers |
| Position | Mid-Atlantic, Lusophone | European or offshore |
| Market size | Small - stated plainly | Regional to global |
Regulator
Cabo VerdeAGMVM - securities authority
Other jurisdictionsRegistries or commissions
Requirements
Cabo VerdePer code and regulation
Other jurisdictionsPublished tiers
Position
Cabo VerdeMid-Atlantic, Lusophone
Other jurisdictionsEuropean or offshore
Market size
Cabo VerdeSmall - stated plainly
Other jurisdictionsRegional to global
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabo Verde | Financial intermediary - AGMVM | Local regime + incentives | Per AGMVM regulation |
 Madeira | Investment firm - CMVM | 5% in the IBC | Jobs + €75,000 investment |
 Mauritius | Investment dealer - FSC | 15% · 3% effective | MUR 1M, 2 officers |
 Seychelles | Securities dealer - FSA | 15%/25% source-based | US$50,000 capital |
Cabo VerdeLicense typeFinancial intermediary - AGMVM
TaxationLocal regime + incentives
RequirementsPer AGMVM regulation
MadeiraLicense typeInvestment firm - CMVM
Taxation5% in the IBC
RequirementsJobs + €75,000 investment
MauritiusLicense typeInvestment dealer - FSC
Taxation15% · 3% effective
RequirementsMUR 1M, 2 officers
SeychellesLicense typeSecurities dealer - FSA
Taxation15%/25% source-based
RequirementsUS$50,000 capital
Before you apply
Requirements for the Cabo Verde licence.Requirements for authorisation.
The AGMVM authorises what it will supervise. The checklist below is what a passing file covers.
01
Cabo Verde company. Established for the intermediation activity, with management in the country.
02
Activity scope. The intermediation services and any fund vehicle mapped before filing.
03
Capital and documents - per the securities code and AGMVM regulations in force, verified rather than assumed.
04
Fit-and-proper founders and management. Vetted to ultimate-owner level.
05
Business plan. Strategy, clientele and projections the authority can test.
06
Organisation. Compliance, risk and internal control functions established.
07
Client-asset arrangements. Segregation and safeguarding where the activity touches client assets.
08
Reporting duties. The communication obligations to the AGMVM and the market, live from day one.
09
Portuguese-language documentation. The file prepared in the working language of the regulator.
10
AML/CFT programme. Cabo Verde framework with a named responsible officer.
11
Market discipline. EU and other regulated client bases routed to entities licensed there.
01
Cabo Verde company formed.
02
Activity scope chosen.
03
Requirements verified.
04
Founders vetted to UBO.
05
Testable business plan.
06
Control functions built.
07
Client assets safeguarded.
08
Reporting duties live.
09
Portuguese documentation.
10
AML officer named.
11
EU clients routed out.
Reflects Decreto-Legislativo n.º 52/V/98 and AGMVM regulation as of 2026. Figures are read from the instruments in force at filing.DL 52/V/98 + AGMVM regulation, 2026.
How it works
From first call to AGMVM authorisation.
01
Scope and instruments
The activity set chosen and the requirements read from the code and regulations in force.Current text read.
02
Company and capital
Cabo Verde entity established and capital arranged to the verified requirement.Verified figure.
03
The application
The AGMVM file in Portuguese with plan, organisation and evidence. Complete at submission.Complete at filing.
04
Review
Authority questions answered on schedule and the organisation demonstrated.Organisation shown.
05
Authorised and live
Registration completed, reporting duties calendared, the business operating from Praia.Reporting calendared.
Quick facts
RegulatorAGMVM
Legal basisDecreto-Legislativo 52/V/98
FunctionsAuthorisation · approval · registration
SupervisedIntermediaries · CIS · exchange
Working languagePortuguese
CurrencyEscudo pegged to the euro
Realistic timeline5-10 months
PassportNone - regional base
The AGMVM applies risk-based supervisory methodologies and publishes frameworks for issuances, collective investment funds and the sovereign fund. The file is built to those.
On the ground in Cabo Verde
Run from our Praia desk.
Prifinance - Cabo Verde
Praia · Cabo Verde
Praia, Santiago, Cabo Verde
01
Scope and instruments
The activity chosen and its requirements read from the securities code and AGMVM regulations actually in force.Read at filing.
02
The AGMVM file
Business plan, organisation and documentation prepared in Portuguese to the authority's standards.Portuguese, complete.
03
Fund structuring
Collective investment vehicles designed alongside the intermediary where the model needs them.Beside the licence.
04
Regional launch
Banking and Lusophone-corridor distribution arranged. The business operating from the Atlantic crossing.Corridors opened.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in Cabo Verde.
A local regime with an incentive framework. Confirmed against the statutes in force per structure.
Local corporate taxation
Cabo Verde taxes resident companies under its own code. The rate is confirmed against the statute in force at structuring.Rate confirmed.
Incentive frameworks
The country operates international-business and investment incentive regimes; eligibility and rates are read from the current statute rather than assumed.Eligibility verified.
Euro-pegged escudo
The currency peg to the euro removes most translation risk in a European-facing structure.Stable translation.
Withholding on outbound
Payments to non-residents carry withholding by type, reduced under the treaty network.Treaty-reducible.
Lusophone treaty links
Agreements with Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking states support the corridors this jurisdiction is chosen for.Corridor treaties.
Modelled per structure
Rates, incentives and eligibility are confirmed with local advisers before a structure is committed to.With local advisers.
Tax summary
Corporate taxPer current code
Incentive regimesEligibility verified
CurrencyEscudo pegged to euro
WithholdingBy type · treaty relief
Treaty linksPortugal and Lusophone states
*Position as of 2026. Rates and incentive eligibility are confirmed with local advisers per structure before commitment.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Cabo Verde company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, authorised intermediary.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Cabo Verde · AGMVM
Launch your investment firm in Cabo Verde with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from scope and instrument verification to AGMVM authorisation and launch - run through our Praia desk.
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Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
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Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Cabo Verde investment licence - what clients ask.
Who regulates securities activity in Cabo Verde?+
The AGMVM - Auditoria Geral do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários - operating under Decreto-Legislativo n.º 52/V/98 of 11 May 1998, with a mandate covering regulation, supervision and development of the securities market.
What does the AGMVM supervise?+
The Bolsa de Valores de Cabo Verde, listed companies, financial intermediaries, collective investment organisations, the sovereign guarantee fund for private investment and real estate appraisers - with authorisation, approval and registration among its functions.
What capital is required?+
Capital and documentary requirements sit in the securities code and AGMVM regulations. We read the instruments in force at filing rather than quoting a figure from a summary - in small jurisdictions this is where applications are most often wasted.
Is there an EU passport?+
No. Cabo Verde is not in the EEA. The licence serves the domestic market and regional corridors, and EU client bases are served from EU-licensed entities.
Why would a manager choose Cabo Verde?+
Position and language: mid-Atlantic between Europe, Brazil and West Africa, inside the Portuguese-speaking world, with a euro-pegged currency and civil-law institutions. For Lusophone and West African corridors it reaches places European licences do not.
What language does the process run in?+
Portuguese. Documentation and dialogue with the authority are prepared in the regulator's working language, and we carry that layer.
How long does authorisation take?+
Realistically 5-10 months including preparation, driven by documentation completeness and the authority's review.
How are firms taxed there?+
Under Cabo Verde's own corporate code, with international-business and investment incentive frameworks whose eligibility and rates are read from the current statutes and confirmed with local advisers per structure.
Is the market big enough?+
No, and we say so. This is a small domestic market. Cabo Verde works as a regulated regional base for Lusophone and West African business, not as a destination securities market.
Why Prifinance for Cabo Verde?+
Requirements read from the instruments in force, the file prepared in Portuguese to the authority's standards, and the group's other markets licensed where they belong.
Who regulates?+
The AGMVM.
What's supervised?+
Intermediaries, CIS, exchange.
Capital?+
Per code, read at filing.
EU passport?+
No - regional base.
Why here?+
Atlantic, Lusophone.
Language?+
Portuguese; we carry it.
How long?+
5-10 months realistic.
Taxes?+
Local code + incentives.
Market size?+
Small - said plainly.
Why you?+
Instruments read first.
Client notes
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Founders who wanted it done right.
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of AGMVM or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.