Angola residence visa (visto para fixação de residência)

Law 13/19 on the legal regime of foreigners in Angola provides the visa for settling residence (visto para fixação de residência) for a foreign citizen who intends to live in the country. It is the entry visa that leads to a residence permit (autorização de residência) issued in Angola by the Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME), the Ministry of the Interior body in charge of foreigners. The Lisbon consulate's requirement list centres on family relationships with Angolan nationals or residents, supported by a statement of responsibility from a person or institution in Angola.

The visa must be used within 60 days of being granted. It entitles the holder to stay for 120 days, and the stay can be extended by equal periods until a final decision on the residence permit application is taken. Unlike the tourist, study and medical visas, the residence visa allows the holder to carry out paid professional activity.

The Angolan Consulate General in Lisbon publishes this list: application form and information sheet; two colour passport photos under six months old; a passport valid for at least nine months with copies of the stamped pages; proof of legal residence for non-nationals of the host country; the international vaccination booklet; a return booking; and a reasoned letter to the consulate with a notarised signature.

Specific to residence are a statement of responsibility (termo de responsabilidade) signed by an Angolan national or resident, or by an institution, with a notarised signature and contact details, and proof of family relations with nationals or residents, such as a birth or marriage record or a certificate of de facto union. The list also includes a criminal record certificate from the country of origin or current residence, a medical certificate from a health centre, a signed declaration of commitment to obey Angolan law, proof of accommodation, and a bank statement showing means of subsistence equal to 200 per day of stay (the currency is not named).

Fees are set by each mission. At the Consulate General in Lisbon the residence visa costs EUR 190.80 with delivery in 30 working days or EUR 238 for 15 working days. Payment is by card at the consulate or by bank transfer; it is not refundable and the receipt must be attached to the application.

For a child the Lisbon consulate also asks for a copy of the birth record, a medical statement for babies under one year without a vaccination certificate, and a notarised travel authorisation from the parents with copies of their identity documents when the child travels without them. If the parents travel too, copies of their bookings and passports, or of their Angolan visa or residence card, are added.

The Lisbon consulate asks for originals plus one photocopy of each document, and the form must be completed in black ink and capital letters and signed in front of a consular officer. Documents in another language must be translated into Portuguese by an official translator; in Lisbon the translation is notarised and legalised by the Portuguese foreign ministry. Missing documents can lead to refusal, the consulate may ask for further papers or call the applicant to an interview, and submitted files are not returned.