Marrying and Sponsoring a Cape Verdian
Listen to this article- A group of Islands located in the Northern Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal
- The weather is temperate warm, and dry in summers, but precipitation is erratic and minimal. Prolonged drought accompanied by seasonal Harmattan winds produce dust that causes hampered visibility; the Islands are also seismically active.
Marriage to a Cape Verdian Citizen
Every country has laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Cape Verdian citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps. The Cape Verdian government imposes strict requirements on foreigners who marry Cape Verdians as an indirect way of discouraging Cape Verdian citizens from moving to other countries.
You must demonstrate to officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married, or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven and that you have never committed any crimes in Cape Verde. This is done by providing various documents, including an Affidavit of Single Status, to the Cape Verdian government either in Cape Verdi.
If you want to bring your Cape Verdian spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Cape Verdian Marriage Basic Requirements
To be able to gain access to Cape Verde for marriage, the following conditions are necessary to secure a visa:
- Original Canadian passport with at least 6 months validity remaining
- Passport photo
- Copy of return tickets or itinerary
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate
- Hotel reservations
Cape Verdian Marriage Ceremony
The marriage ceremony to a Cape Verdian citizen can legally take place in Cape Verde, Canada, or any other country as long as both parties have the necessary visas to enter this country legally. This marriage can then be recognized when applying for a permanent residence or a visitor visa for your Cape Verdian spouse. To learn more about cereomny customs, see below.
Family Members
If your Cape Verdian spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Cape Verdian Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Cape Verdian citizen.
How long is the Cape Verde Marriage document valid?
The document is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. If you do not marry your Cape Verdian fiancé within 6 months of the issuance of the Cape Verdian Marriage document, you must apply again with new supporting documents.
List of Cape Verdian Consulates in Canada
Calling Cape Verde from Canada
The country code is 238 so dial 011 – 238 – local number, as there are no area codes in Cape Verde. Most landlines in Cape Verde begin with 2; they are 7 digits long.
Calling Canada from Cape Verde
Dial 00 + 1 + area code + local number
List of Area Codes in Canada
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta)
587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)
236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)
249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)
438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time Difference
Cape Verde does not particpate in Daylight Saving Time so to calculate the time difference during DST (March-November), subtract 1 hour from the numbers below. (Except in Saskatchewan, as Saskatchewan does not participate in DST either.)
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours
Cape Verde is Ahead |
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 7 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunvaut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 6 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario, Saskatchewan) | 5 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 4 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec) | 3 hours |
| Newfoundland | 2.5 hours |
Emergency Information for Canadians in Cape Verde
There is no Canadian diplomatic mission in Cape Verde. For emergency or consular services, please contact the Canadian Embassy in Dakar:
Embassy of Canada in DakarCorner of Galliéni and Amadou Cissé Dia Streets Postal Address: Telephone: 221 33 889 4700 |
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