Doing business in Angola: Immigration Application

Visa Types

Business visa (Ordinary Visa): Business visas are valid for a maximum of 90 days. The following documents are generally required:

Letter of invitation in Portuguese, in Company letter-headed paper from the Angolan registered Company addressed to the Consular Section of the Embassy of Angola in London – UK, requesting the visa, declaring responsibility for stay and repatriation and must contain the following data of the applicant:

Full name
Nationality
Date of birth
Place of Birth
Passport number
Passport issue date
Passport expire date
Current Employer
Job Title
Function to exercise
Project to attend in Angola

The letter must be dated and signed by an authorised person.

Fully completed application form;
Passport with 9 months validity and 2 blank pages;
One (1) recent colour passport photograph (glue to the application form). Passport photo guidance;
Itinerary (online, airline or travel agent pre-booking). Purchase of ticket is NOT necessary and does not automatically guarantee the granting of the visa.
Photocopy of Bank statement (at least 2 months old);
Proof of address
Proof of Occupation in the form of a letter from employer addressed to the Consular Section declaring employment (dated and signed by a Responsibile) with the following details:

Full name
Nationality
Date of birth
Place of Birth
Passport number
Passport issue date
Passport expire date
Job Title

Visa Application

Foreign nationals wishing to work in Angola are required to obtain a work permit. Generally, companies are subject to a maximum quota of 30% foreign nationals per company.

A foreign company that wishes to get a work permit for one of its employees must first set up its Angolan subsidiary/branch/representative office. This Angolan entity may then apply for the work permit.

Foreign employees require a work visa or residence permit to work in Angola, which is issued by the Ministry of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security.

Angolan labour law defines a “non-resident foreign employee” as a foreign citizen having professional, technical or scientific qualifications in which Angola is not self-sufficient, contracted in a foreign country to carry on his professional activity within Angolan territory during a determined period of time. As such, the hiring of foreign employees is highly dependent on the availability of skilled Angolan labour to fill the position. Both domestic or foreign employers are only able to employ non-resident foreign labour it its workforce is at least 70% Angolan. This quota may be exceeded by special application to the provincial entities in the case of specialised employees or workers which are not available in Angola.

To employ any non-resident foreign worker, the employee must meet the following main requirements to:

Not have a criminal record.
Never have been an Angolan national in the past (that is, former Angolan nationals can no longer work in Angola).
Have never received a scholarship granted by Angolan entities or foreign companies operating in Angola.
Have an employment agreement or promise of employment.
Have a certificate of all the necessary qualifications.
Be at least 18 years old.

The working visa is valid for the entire duration of the employment agreement but can only be issued for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum period of 36 months.

By law, working visas should be issued within 15 days, but in practice the authorities usually take between two and three months to issue them. Working visas cost about US$100.

Residence permits can be temporary (issued for one or three years, depending on whether the employee is living for at least five consecutive year in Angola or less) or they can be permanent in which case the foreign citizen is required to have lived for ten consecutive years in Angola.

In general, the following documents are required to apply for a work permit at an Angolan consulate:

Letter from the Angolan entity applying for work permit, addressed to the Embassy
(it can be in English)
Application forms duly filled (in duplicate).
A photocopy of applicant’s Passport, with a validity of at least 18 months.
Declaration by applicant to abide by the laws of Angola (translated into Portuguese, legalised by the Notary Public and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Declaration of no existence of family relations with Angolan or Foreign Citizens living in Angola (also translated and legalised)
Two passport-size photographs
Contract of Employment or Contract of Promise of Employment (translated into Portuguese, also legalised).
Extract from the Criminal Registry issued by authorities from the country of residence (translated into Portuguese, also legalised).
Certificate of good health issued by an official Health Institution from the country of residence (translated into Portuguese, also legalised)
Academic and professional certificates translated into Portuguese, authenticated by a notary and by the Consular and Diplomatic Mission of Angola
Curriculum vitae (dated and signed by the Applicant and witnessed by public Notary and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. If written in a foreign language, translated into Portuguese before the legalisation).
Proof of the legal status of the Contracting Institution (a photocopy of the Angola’s Registrar of Company’s certificate, proof of paid-up Company tax in Angola and publication in the Government Gazette – (“Diário da República”)
Statement pledging to abide by all Angolan laws

Note that all documents written in foreign languages must be translated into Portuguese by a Official Translator, legalised by a Public Notary; by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or by the Angolan embassy.

The foreign national can only engage in the professional activity for which the visa was issued for and to work only for the employer whom requested it. The employer is required to notify the SME (Serviços de Migração e Estrangeiros) of any change in the duration of the contract for purposes of compliance with the law.

Work visas are categorised in different types depending on the types of activities that are exercised. For example, a type C work visa is applicable for foreign nationals wishing to work in the petroleum industry and in civil construction, or a type D work visa will be delivered to whom applies to work in commercial, industrial or fishing sectors.