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The currency of Cape Verde is the Cape Verde Escudo, with one Escudo equalling 100 centavos. Notes come in denominations of CVEsc5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of CVEsc200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Money can only be exchanged airports and local banks, and currency cannot be reconverted except in Portugal. Traveller’s cheques are accepted in main towns and tourist hotspots, though to avoid additional conversion charges these should be in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling. ATMs are not widespread and major international credit and debit cards are only accepted in a few major hotels. See: Visa: http://www.visa.com/atms/ MasterCard: http://www.mastercard.com/cardholderservices/atm The import and export of domestic currency is prohibited. The import of foreign currency is unlimited, though must be declared on arrival and departure, and the export of foreign currency is limited to however much was imported of the equivalent of CVEsc1,000,000 – whichever is larger. Business: General banking hours in most areas are from 0800 to 1500 Mondays to Fridays. Normal shopping hours are usually from 0800 to 1300 and 1500 to 1900 Mondays to Fridays, and from 0900 to 1300 on Saturdays. Thanks to the Portuguese influence on the country, normal European customs are practised in Cape Verde, and most business meetings are carried out in either Portuguese or English. A tip of ten percent is customary when service has been of a high standard.
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