Online doctor, Cape Verde
See an Online Doctor in Cape Verde By video, on any island.
See an online doctor in Cape Verde: an English-speaking doctor by video while you are travelling, working or living there, on whichever island you are staying.
One FCDO fact shapes everything else on this page: the largest hospitals are in Praia and Mindelo, and the islands most visitors fly to are not the islands they are on.
- €40
- per consultation
- No insurance
- or local registration needed
Video consultations with doctors licensed to treat you in Cape Verde.
Online Medical Advice, on Any Island
Cape Verde is ten islands and the healthcare is not spread evenly across them. FCDO describes health care here as very basic and limited, says the largest hospitals are in Praia on Santiago and Mindelo on Sao Vicente with smaller facilities and clinics elsewhere, and notes that facilities are particularly limited on Boa Vista.
The islands most holidays are booked on are not the ones with the hospitals. With Pomodoc you can speak directly with an English-speaking doctor wherever you are staying, talk through what is happening, and find out whether this is something to manage where you are or something that needs you to be seen.
- Consult securely by video
- Avoid unnecessary travel and waiting rooms
- Get clear guidance about your symptoms and treatment
- Access care in English while travelling or living in Cape Verde
Resort Doctor, Island Clinic, or Video First?
On Sal or Boa Vista the first offer is usually a doctor who comes to the hotel. Here is what each route is actually for.
What is available around you
- hotel and on-resort doctor services, which the larger properties can arrange
- clinics on the main tourist islands, and the two largest hospitals in Praia and Mindelo
- pharmacies, which FCDO says are the only place medication is available
- 130 for an ambulance, which is the number FCDO gives
FCDO notes that some medicines are in short supply or unavailable in Cape Verde, and that Global Health Insurance Cards are not accepted here, so it says appropriate travel insurance is essential. It also publishes a list of medical providers where some staff will speak English.
What a video consultation adds
- a doctor who speaks English, without the hotel desk finding one for you
- an assessment before you accept a room visit or a course of treatment
- an honest answer on whether this needs you to travel to Praia or Mindelo
- a second opinion on advice you have already been given
- care for the ordinary things: stomach upsets, skin, ears, coughs, urinary infections
Pomodoc connects you with an English-speaking doctor by video, licensed to treat you in Cape Verde, for €40 per consultation. Fixed price, no surprises.
If you need examining, you need examining, and a consultation will tell you that rather than talk you out of it. Where the nearest hospital is on another island, knowing early is the whole point.
Your consultation runs on Air Doctor's ISO‑certified platform (ISO/IEC 27001 & ISO 27799 for health data). See our security & certifications.
How It Works
An online consultation by video, in three simple steps
Start online
Tell us that you are in Cape Verde and what is going on. It is a short form, not an appointment request.
Join by video
See your English-speaking doctor using your phone, tablet or computer.
Get clear guidance
Discuss your symptoms and receive advice about your next steps.
Why Use a Video Doctor?
Explain it in English
Cape Verde's health system works in Portuguese and Creole. Describe your symptoms and ask your questions in English instead of translating them first.
Get help without leaving your hotel
Attend your appointment from your room, apartment or aparthotel, on the island you are already on.
Useful before you accept a room visit
A short conversation first tells you whether you need an examination at all, and what a reasonable next step looks like.
Know whether you need to travel
The real decision on a small island is whether to move for treatment. That is worth talking through with a doctor before you start booking flights.
Travellers who needed a doctor abroad
I was very happy to find this service
I was very happy to find this service! I was able to get a video visit with a physician promptly and get care.
Excellent doctor
Excellent doctor, very professional and friendly and speaks excellent english
Reliable and efficient
Reliable and efficient, able to provide medical support while you're away from home.
Reviews of Air Doctor, our medical partner, published on Trustpilot.
More About Seeing a Doctor in Cape Verde
Which island you are on changes the answer
FCDO states that the largest hospitals are in Praia on Santiago and Mindelo on Sao Vicente, with smaller medical facilities and clinics located throughout the country, and that medical facilities are particularly limited on the island of Boa Vista. It describes health care in Cape Verde as very basic and limited.
Most visitors do not stay on Santiago or Sao Vicente. If you are on Sal or Boa Vista, the practical position is that day-to-day care is reachable and anything serious involves moving, and FCDO adds that Brava and Santo Antao have no working airports at all, which makes medical air evacuation from them extremely difficult.
Medicines, and why to travel with what you rely on
FCDO says medication is only available from pharmacies in Cape Verde, and that some medicines may be in short supply or unavailable. That is a straightforward planning point rather than a warning: bring enough of anything you take regularly to cover the trip and a delay, rather than expecting to replace it locally.
If you do run out or lose something, say so at the start of a consultation. Whether a doctor can help depends on what it is and on local rules, and it is better answered by a doctor than guessed at across a pharmacy counter in a language you do not speak.
Insurance, because the card you have does not work here
FCDO is explicit that Global Health Insurance Cards are not accepted in Cape Verde, so appropriate travel insurance is essential, and it advises contacting your insurer quickly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.
This catches people out because Cape Verde feels like a short-haul European holiday and is not one for these purposes. A €40 consultation is not insurance and does not cover in-person care, hospital treatment or transport between islands.
Dengue, and the daytime mosquito
NaTHNaC states that there is a risk of dengue in Cape Verde, that the mosquitoes which spread it are more common in towns, cities and surrounding areas, and that severe dengue is rare in travellers. It advises avoiding mosquito bites particularly during daytime hours, which is the detail most people get wrong: an evening-only repellent routine misses the mosquito that matters.
FCDO notes that the Cape Verde government has raised the civil protection warning level for dengue on the islands of Santiago, Fogo and Brava. A fever here is a reasonable thing to speak to a doctor about, and most of that assessment is history and symptoms rather than examination.
Good things to know.
Can I see an online doctor in Cape Verde in English?
FCDO publishes a list of medical providers in Cape Verde where some staff will speak English, and the resort islands have clinics used to tourists. The health system itself works in Portuguese and Creole, so who is available in English when you need them is a real question. Pomodoc connects you with an English-speaking doctor by video, licensed to treat you in Cape Verde, for €40 per consultation.
Can I have an online consultation with a doctor in Cape Verde?
Yes. A Pomodoc online consultation is a video call, a form of telehealth: you speak with a doctor licensed to treat you in Cape Verde, in English, from your phone, tablet or computer, for a fixed €40. It suits non-emergency concerns where the decision rests on what you can describe and show on camera. If your symptoms need an examination, a swab or a test, the doctor will tell you so, and where to go.
Is there a hospital on Sal or Boa Vista?
FCDO states that the largest hospitals are in Praia on Santiago and Mindelo on Sao Vicente, with smaller medical facilities and clinics located throughout the country, and that facilities are particularly limited on Boa Vista. It describes health care in Cape Verde as very basic and limited. In practice that means routine care is reachable on the tourist islands and serious problems involve moving.
Does my GHIC or EHIC work in Cape Verde?
No. FCDO states that Global Health Insurance Cards are not accepted in Cape Verde and that appropriate travel insurance is therefore essential, with contact made quickly if you are referred for treatment. A €40 consultation is not insurance and does not cover in-person or hospital care.
I have an upset stomach in Cape Verde. Do I need a doctor?
Often not. Most stomach upsets settle with rest and fluids within a few days, and FCDO lists shigella sonnei and salmonella among the local health risks. What matters is recognising the cases that do not settle, and our food poisoning guidance sets out those signs. A consultation can talk through your own symptoms and say whether you should be seen in person.
Should I worry about dengue?
It is worth taking seriously without letting it ruin the trip. NaTHNaC says there is a risk of dengue in Cape Verde, that the mosquitoes are more common in and around towns and cities, and that severe dengue is rare in travellers, and it advises avoiding bites particularly during daytime hours. FCDO notes the government has raised the civil protection warning level on Santiago, Fogo and Brava. A fever is a reasonable reason to speak to a doctor.
Can a doctor prescribe for me in Cape Verde by video?
A doctor may issue a prescription when it is clinically appropriate and local rules permit. It is not guaranteed, and some medicines cannot be prescribed remotely at all. FCDO also notes that some medicines are in short supply or unavailable in Cape Verde, and anything you buy at a pharmacy is not included in the €40.
Sources
- Cape Verde travel advice: HealthForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office130 for an ambulance; that health care in Cape Verde is very basic and limited; that medical facilities are basic and limited and some medicines are in short supply or unavailable; that the largest hospitals are in Praia on Santiago and Mindelo on Sao Vicente with smaller facilities and clinics throughout the country; that medical facilities are particularly limited on Boa Vista; that Brava and Santo Antao have no working airports so medical air evacuation is extremely difficult; that Global Health Insurance Cards are not accepted and appropriate travel insurance is essential, and to contact your insurer quickly if referred for treatment; that FCDO publishes a list of medical providers where some staff will speak English; that medication is only available from pharmacies; that shigella sonnei and salmonella are among the health risks; and that the Cape Verde government has raised the civil protection warning level for dengue on Santiago, Fogo and Brava.
- Cape Verde: country informationNaTHNaC (TravelHealthPro)That there is a risk of dengue in Cape Verde; that the mosquitoes which spread dengue are more common in towns, cities and surrounding areas; that severe dengue is rare in travellers; and that all travellers should avoid mosquito bites particularly during daytime hours.
Sources last checked: . General information, not a diagnosis.
Need an Online Doctor in Cape Verde?
Speak to an English-speaking doctor by video and get guidance from wherever you are staying.
- €40, fixed price
- Licensed in Cape Verde
- English-speaking doctors
- Prescriptions where available
Video consultations are for suitable non-emergency medical concerns. In a life-threatening emergency in Cape Verde, call 130 and ask for an ambulance, or go to the nearest emergency department. This page is general information, not medical advice about your own situation.