The short version
- Cape Verde has the lower entry bar: €1,500 per month versus €6,935 for Iceland.
- Tax treatment differs: Cape Verde — foreign income exempt; Iceland — unclear — verify individually. Tax outcomes depend heavily on personal circumstances.
| Criteria | Cape Verde Remote Working Program | Iceland Remote Work Long-Term Visa |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum income / month | €1,500 (better) | €6,935 |
| Income basis | Savings accepted | Salary / employment contract |
| Initial duration | 6 months | 6 months |
| Renewable | Yes (better) | No |
| Maximum total stay | 1 year | 6 months |
| Path to permanent residence | No | No |
| Path to citizenship | No | No |
| Family inclusion | Yes | Yes |
| Working for local clients | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Tax treatment | Foreign income exempt (Remote Working Program tax exemption (foreign-source income)) | Unclear — verify individually |
| Health insurance | Required (explicit) | Required (explicit) |
| Insurance duration required | Full visa period | Full visa period |
| Application fee | ≈ €20 (better) | ≈ €85 |
| Where to apply | Online | In country |
| Processing time | 2 weeks | 2–4 weeks |
Green values mark the objectively better number in that row.
Full guide
Cape Verde Remote Working Program →
Requirements, application steps, insurance and sources.
Full guide
Iceland Remote Work Long-Term Visa →
Requirements, application steps, insurance and sources.
Don't forget insurance
Both programs have their own health-insurance rules — we match plans against each one's published requirement, with the evidence shown.
Sources
- Government Remote Working Program in Cabo Verde — Turismo de Cabo Verde (official ITCV portal) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Remote Working Program — 'Proof of Income' requirement (Individual 1.500 EUR / Family 2.700 EUR average bank balance, last 6 months) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Remote Working Program — 'Insurance' requirement (travel + health insurance with evacuation and body-transportation cover) and 'Costs' (visa fee 20 EUR/person, airport fee 34 EUR/person) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- International organisation Cabo Verde — Individual — Residence (>183-day aggregate rule in a calendar year and 31-December habitual-residence test), PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Cabo Verde Digital Nomad Visa: Key Benefits, Tax & Income — caboverdeexpert (tax-resident carve-out, no PR/citizenship path, local clients prohibited) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Cape Verde suspends visa on arrival for citizens of 96 countries (Decree No. 244/GMAI/2025, eff. 1 Jan 2026) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government EASE — Cabo Verde official traveller pre-registration & Airport Security Tax (TSA) platform (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Cabo Verde Digital Nomad Visa — Remote Working Cabo Verde (consolidated requirements: 1.500/2.700 EUR balance, 6+6 month validity, 20 EUR visa fee, 34 EUR airport fee, ~2-week processing) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Health Services & Regulations in Cape Verde — overview of the public/private health system and fees for non-nationals (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Long-term visa for remote workers and their family members — Directorate of Immigration (Útlendingastofnun), archived utl.is page (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Form L-802 — Application for a long-term visa for remote workers and their family members (official Directorate of Immigration form) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Sækja um langtímavegabréfsáritun vegna fjarvinnu — current official island.is application page for the remote-work long-term visa (utl.is now redirects here) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Long-term visa for remote workers in Iceland — Work in Iceland (official government portal): income ISK 1,000,000/1,300,000, 180/90-day tiers, no kennitala, fee ISK 12,200, processing 2-4 weeks (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Icelandic Health Insurance — Work in Iceland (official portal): public cover requires 6 months legal residence + kennitala (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Amendment to Remote Work Long-Term Visa Regulations — Government of Iceland (government.is), 1 Oct 2024 (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Law firm Remote Work Program Introduced — Fragomen (immigration law firm): program introduced 5 Nov 2020, up to six months, foreign-employment requirement (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Iceland Introduces Long-Term Visa for non-EU/EEA Teleworkers — SchengenVisaInfo (media): confirms 2020 launch and income/insurance requirements (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Law firm Iceland Remote Work Visa 2025: Digital Nomad Update — NNRoad (global mobility/compliance provider): Oct-2024 amendment, up to six months (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Iceland Digital Nomad Visa — Application and Requirements (VisaGuide.World): fee ISK 12,200, processing 2-4 weeks, ISK 2,000,000 insurance figure (unconfirmed against tier-1) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media ISK to EUR converter — exchange-rates.org (rate 144.20 ISK/EUR, 0.006935 EUR/ISK on 15 Jun 2026, used for EUR normalisation) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15