Angola tourist visa and visa exemption

Presidential Decree No. 189/23, published in the Diário da República and announced by the Government of Angola on 2 October 2023, exempts citizens of 98 countries from the tourist visa. The European list includes Türkiye alongside all EU member states, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and Russia; other lists cover countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania and the Caribbean. The SME also lists five countries exempt under bilateral agreements: Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa and Zambia.

Exempt visitors may stay up to 30 days per entry and up to 90 days in total per year. The exemption applies only to tourism, which the law describes as recreational, sporting or cultural visits. It does not replace other entry formalities: a passport valid for more than six months and, where required, an international vaccination certificate.

Travellers whose country is not on the list need a tourist visa issued by an Angolan diplomatic or consular mission. According to the SME, the visa is valid for use within 60 days of issue, may be single or multiple entry, and allows a stay of up to 30 days that can be extended once for the same period. It does not allow residence or paid work.

For urgent trips the SME also lists a short-duration visa (visto de curta duração), which must be used within 72 hours of issue and allows a stay of up to seven days, extendable once.

For a tourist visa the SME asks for a scan of the passport bio page with at least six months' validity, a recent photo on a white background, a valid international yellow fever vaccination certificate, a booked return ticket and accommodation, and proof of sufficient means of subsistence at the legal minimum. The Angolan Embassy in Washington adds a notarised letter explaining the purpose of the visit and a completed, signed application form.

Visa-exempt visitors should carry the same core items at the border: passport, yellow fever certificate, return or onward ticket and accommodation details, since the decree leaves all other entry conditions in place.

The SME eVISA portal states a tourist visa fee of Kz 36,600. Exempt visitors pay no visa fee. Decree 189/23 obliges Angolan missions to give simplified service and issue tourist visas within a maximum of three working days, and online applications through the SME portal are to be decided within the same period.

A tourist visa can be extended once for a period equal to the original stay; extensions are handled by the SME in Angola. The exemption itself is capped at 30 days per entry and 90 days per year, so longer stays require a different visa obtained from a mission abroad.