PTENNL

Register a company (“Empresa no Dia”)

Platform summary

How to set up a company through the Casa do Cidadão. Indicative information.

Casa do Cidadão · estimated duration ~1 days

How it usually goes

Cabo Verde has made starting a company very fast: at the Casa do Cidadão you can incorporate a company on the same day. Most people first reserve the name, gather the partners’ identification and the share capital, and handle everything at a single counter. Then come the usual steps to be able to invoice: the company’s tax number (NIF), start-of-activity at the tax office and registration with social security (INPS).

What to watch out for in Cabo Verde

  • You need a registered office (address) for the company - an office, a shared space or, in some cases, a home address.
  • Regulated activities (construction, real-estate brokerage, tourism, catering) require additional licences or permits.
  • Register start-of-activity at the tax office before issuing your first invoice, to avoid tax problems.
  • If you hire staff, registration with social security (INPS) is mandatory.

The steps, one by one

  1. 1

    Reserve the name / obtain the CAF

    Request the company name admissibility certificate.

    Request the company-name admissibility certificate to make sure your chosen name is free and accepted. You can reserve the name in advance, which avoids surprises on incorporation day.

    Authority:
    Casa do Cidadão
    Documents:
    ID document
    Duration:
    ~1 days

    Good practice: Bring two or three name alternatives - if the first is taken, you solve it on the spot.

  2. 2

    Incorporate the company at the counter

    Submit the documents and incorporate the company the same day.

    With the partners’ ID, proof of capital and a defined registered office, the company is incorporated at the counter and immediately receives its incorporation documents. This is also when you set the management and the split of the share capital.

    Authority:
    Casa do Cidadão
    Documents:
    Partners identification, Proof of capital
    Duration:
    ~1 days

    Good practice: Agree beforehand, between partners, who manages and who signs - changing it later needs new paperwork.

  3. 3

    After incorporation: NIF, tax office and social security

    Register start-of-activity, obtain the company NIF and register with social security.

    To be able to invoice legally, register start-of-activity at the tax office and confirm the company NIF. If you will employ people, register the company and workers with the INPS. Many companies also open a bank account in the company’s name at this stage.

    Authority:
    Tax office + INPS
    Documents:
    Incorporation documents, Partners’ NIF
    Duration:
    ~3 days

    Good practice: Keep the incorporation documents digitally - you’ll need them at the bank and the tax office.

This information is indicative and may be outdated. Always confirm with the competent authorities. Djarvista does not provide legal advice.