Types of Angola Visas

Short-term Angolan Visas

All foreigners who need to pay a short visit to Angola (for example, to see a family, attend a business meeting, participate in a cultural event or undergo treatment in the hospital) as well as technicians invited for a brief repair job and sailors need a short-term visa that can be issued for either 7 or 30 days depending on the type. This category of visas doesn’t allow a foreigner to get involved in a profitable activity and doesn’t give prospects for a permanent residence.

1. Ordinary Visa

Tourists, entrepreneurs and foreign individuals arriving to meet with their families can obtain this 30-days visa under the mandatory condition of being invited by the resident of Angola (either a company or a person). The visa doesn’t permit you to get involved in any profitable activity during your visit to Angola. Travels outside of Luanda are also prohibited because of landmines danger. After the visa is issued, you are given 60 days for paying your visit. If needed, the Ordinary visa can be extended for another 30 days.

Requirements and Papers

• An Angolan resident must send the notarised Invitation Letter (in Portuguese) to the consulate where the foreigner is going to submit their application. This letter describes the purpose of arrival, duration of stay, contacts/address of stay in Luanda, relationship to the foreigner and includes the notarised guarantee of sponsorship (for companies). The letter must also include a copy of the resident’s ID (a copy of the work pass for non-residents).
• The passport validity mustn’t be less than 9 months.
• Prepare 2 actual passport photographs (males in shirts and ties; females acceptably covered).
• Make a copy of your itinerary.
• Collect documents that prove your employment/unemployment/self-employment status (letters, bank statements, and documents that prove business activity).
• Inquire at the embassy whether you need to prove your residential address.
• Prepare a proof that you have enough financial means for the visit:
  1. make a copy of bank statements for 2 months (note that you need to have at least 200 USD per day of stay) or
  2. have your sponsor send the notarised guarantee of sponsorship to the embassy.
• Fill in 2 application forms (typed applications have stronger chances for approval than handwritten ones) and sign them.

2. Brief Duration Visa

For different emergency situations when an urgent family or business visit must be paid or when a foreigner needs to arrive for a medical treatment, attending cultural events or participating in repairs works, a 7-day Brief Duration Visa was developed. It is also used if a work visa for a foreigner is approved and they need to arrive for collecting it. This short-term visa prohibits participating in any employment or profitable activity and cannot be used for obtaining the country’s permanent residence.

Requirements and Papers

• Write the Letter of Intent where explaination on why the purpose of your arrival is urgent and specify how long are you going to stay in Luanda.
• If you are invited to Angola by a company or a resident, they must send the notarised Invitation Letter (in Portuguese) to the consulate where you are going to submit your application. This letter describes the purpose of arrival, duration of stay, contacts/address of stay in Angola, relationship to a foreigner and includes the notarised guarantee of sponsorship (for companies). The letter must also include a copy of the resident’s ID (a copy of the work pass for non-residents).
• Ensure your passport validity isn’t less than 9 months.
• Prepare 2 actual passport photographs (males in shirts and ties; females acceptably covered).
• Collect papers that prove your employment/unemployment/self-employment status (letters, bank statements, and documentation that prove your business activity).
• Provide documents that prove your residential address (if required by the embassy).
• Argue your financial sufficiency for this visit:
  1. make a copy of bank statements for 6 months (you need to have at least 200 USD per day of stay) or
  2. make your sponsor send the notarised guarantee of sponsorship to the embassy.
• Argue that you have an accommodation for the period of stay (if the accommodation is provided by your Angolan sponsor, this must be specified in the Invitation Letter).
• Submit a copy of the flight itinerary and your return ticket.
• Fill in 2 application forms (typed applications have better chances for approval than handwritten ones) and sign them.

Long-term Angolan Visas

Foreign nationals who wish to stay in Angola for a longer time (either for an employment or study), as well as foreigners whose permanent status is in the processing, need to apply for a relevant long-term visa.

1. Work Visa

The long-term work visa enables a foreign technician or professional hired by a well-established Angolan company to work legally in the country during 1 year and enjoy multiple entries to Angola. The holder of this visa isn’t allowed to participate in any profitable activity that isn’t specified in the contract. A foreigner can take along their spouse and children (under separate applications). The visa can be extended twice for 1 year. Qualifying for the country’s PR status isn’t guaranteed for holders of this visa.

Requirements and Papers

• An employer initiates the visa application. A contracting company sends the Invitation Letter to the Angolan consulate (where the foreigner will submit their documents) and then claims for the working visa by sending the copy of this Invitation Letter to the Office of Migration and Foreigners. The copy must also include such data: the name, date of birth, occupation, nationality, passport’s number, and expiry date.
• Ensure you hold a passport valid for no less than 1 year and it has 2 blank pages.
• Make 3 copies of passport pages that contain any migration information or stamps.
• Lodge 3 actual passport photographs.
• Provide a criminal record (translate it into Portuguese).
• Submit your vaccination card (with a record of the vaccination against yellow fever) issued by a relevant authority.
• Undergo a medical at an accredited institution and submit a certificate that proves your good health.
• Declare your commitment to obey local laws (in Portuguese).
• Submit a full employment contract (in Portuguese) and include a cover letter.
• Provide certificates that prove your qualifications (in Portuguese).
• Submit your resumé (in Portuguese).
• Fill in the application form (typed applications have stronger chances for approval than handwritten ones) and pay the relevant fee.

2. Student Visa

This visa solution allows an international student who is enrolled or is going to enrol in an Angolan educational institution to study in the country during 1 year with a possibility to extend the visa for 1 year each time until the end of the course. The visa can be used for studying on every educational level: from a primary school to a university and an internship. Students are given multiple entries to the country but aren’t provided with an opportunity to work, run a business or establish a permanent residence in Angola.

Requirements and Papers

• Provide the document proving your enrolment in an Angolan educational institution or participation in an internship or university program.
• Write a Letter of Intent describing the reason for your application.
• Ensure you hold a passport valid for no less than 1 year and it has 2 blank pages.
• Make a copy of passport pages containing any migration information or stamps.
• Prepare 3 actual passport photographs.
• Submit your vaccination card (with a record of the vaccination against yellow fever) issued by a relevant authority.
• Lodge a criminal record (translate it into Portuguese).
• Undergo a medical at an accredited institution and submit a certificate that proves your good health.
• Prepare documents that prove that you have an accommodation for the period of your stay and sufficient financial means for studying and everyday life in Angola.
• Declare your commitment to obey local laws (in Portuguese).
• Fill in the application form (typed applications have stronger chances for approval than handwritten ones) and pay the relevant fee.

3. Residence Visa

Foreigners who have claimed for the full resident status can stay legally in Angola using the 120-day residence visa. It can be extended for another 120 days until the result about the resident status is known. The visa allows a foreigner to be involved in doing business and employment as well as to cross the border as any times as needed.

Requirements and Papers

• Send a letter (in Portuguese) to the consulate explaining why the residency visa is needed.
• Ensure you hold a passport with a validity of at least 9 months.
• Make a photocopy of passport pages that contain stamps or migration information.
• Submit 2 actual passport photographs.
• Lodge a criminal record (in Portuguese).
• Undergo a medical at an accredited institution and submit a certificate that proves your good health.
• Submit your vaccination card (with a record of the vaccination against yellow fever) issued by a relevant authority.
• Declare your commitment to obey local laws (in Portuguese).
• Submit a document proving that you have sufficient means for staying in Angola.
• Fill in the application form (typed applications have stronger chances for approval than handwritten ones) and pay the relevant fee.