Angola Work Visa: Types, Documents, Process and Timelines

Updated October 2026

An Angola work visa (visto de trabalho) is a consular visa, issued by an Angolan embassy or consulate, that lets a foreign national enter Angola to do paid work for one specific employer. It allows multiple entries and stays of up to 365 days, renewable until the contract ends, and it requires a signed contract, apostilled and translated documents, and a favorable opinion from the Angolan ministry that oversees your sector. Below are the visa types, the document list, the step-by-step process and realistic timelines.

Which visa do you need? Types compared

Angola’s immigration rules are set out in Lei 13/19 of 23 May, the law on the legal status of foreign citizens. The immigration authority is the SME (Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros). Only some visa types allow paid activity.

Business visitors attending meetings or negotiating contracts usually come on a business or tourism e-visa through the SME’s official portal (evisa.ao) or on visa-free entry where eligible. The moment you are carrying out the job itself and being paid for it, you need a work visa.

Warning: Lei 13/19 states that tourism and short-duration visas do not allow any paid activity. Working on them can lead to fines and expulsion, and your employer also faces penalties.

Work visa requirements: the document list

The SME lists the following documents for a work visa. Consulates may add their own items, so always ask the consulate where you will file.

From the worker

• Completed application form (free from the SME or the consulate).
• A signed declaration that you will respect the laws of Angola.
• Passport, with copies of the main pages and immigration stamps. Consulates usually require several months of remaining validity; check the exact minimum.
• Three recent color passport photos, 4 x 5 cm.
• Educational and professional certificates, authenticated and translated into Portuguese.
• CV translated into Portuguese.
• Criminal record certificate from your country of origin or residence.
• Medical certificate from your country of origin, translated into Portuguese.
• International vaccination certificate (yellow fever), which consulates commonly ask for.

From the employer in Angola

• Employment contract or promise of employment contract (contrato-promessa). Consulates often ask for it to be notarized.
• A copy of the company’s license for its authorized economic activity (alvará).
• Proof that the company is up to date with its tax obligations.
• A declaration from the employment center (Centro de Emprego) of the area where the company is based.
• A favorable opinion (parecer) from the ministry or body that oversees the company’s sector, for private companies, or from the ministry responsible for public administration and employment, for public bodies.
• Proof of a repatriation deposit (caução de repatriamento), which the law defines as an amount equal to the price of a ticket home.

Translation and legalization

Plan this part first, because it takes longest. Documents issued abroad generally need an apostille (for Hague Convention countries) or consular legalization, followed by a certified Portuguese translation. Criminal record certificates are often valid for only a few months, so time them to match your filing date.

Why applications get refused: the labor market test

Under Article 68 of Lei 13/19, the sector ministry can give a negative opinion if qualified Angolan workers are available for the job, or if the employer did not publish the vacancy for nationals in a high-circulation newspaper. On top of that, Presidential Decree 49/25 limits non-resident foreigners to 30% of a company’s workforce, with at least 70% national workforce (Angolans and resident foreigners).

To reduce the risk of refusal:

• Have the employer advertise the role locally first and keep proof of the advert.
• Make sure the job description and your qualifications clearly match.
• Confirm the company’s quota position before starting.
• Check that the employer’s tax and social security records are clean, since they are also needed for renewals.

The process, step by step

1. Offer and contract. The employer issues a contract or promise of contract. Under Decree 49/25, contracts with non-resident foreign workers are fixed-term and can be renewed at most twice.
2. Employer approvals in Angola. The employer gets the employment center declaration and the sector ministry’s opinion, and gathers its company documents.
3. Prepare your documents. Apostille or legalize, translate into Portuguese and make copies.
4. File at the consulate. Submit in person at the Angolan embassy or consulate responsible for your country of residence and pay the fee. Consulates generally require applicants to appear in person.
5. Visa issued. Consulates state that the visa must be used within a set period after issue (for example, 60 days at some consulates), so book travel promptly.
6. Enter Angola and register the contract. The employer must register your contract with the employment center within 30 days of the start of work and pay a registration fee of 5% of one month’s salary.
7. Local setup. Get a tax number (NIF) from the AGT, enroll in or confirm exemption from INSS, and open an Angolan bank account for salary payments.

Our guide to working in Angola as an expat covers what happens after arrival: tax, pay, housing and daily life.

Fees, timelines and renewals

Fees

Fees are set by each consulate, usually in local currency, and often with a standard and an expedited option. Payments are generally non-refundable, even if the visa is refused. Check the current figure with the embassy or consulate where you will apply; do not rely on fee tables published by agencies.

Timelines

Lei 13/19 sets short deadlines for public bodies to issue their opinions, but the full process, from document gathering to visa in hand, commonly takes several weeks to a few months. The slowest steps are usually the legalization of foreign documents and the sector ministry’s opinion. Start at least two to three months before the planned start date.

Renewal and changes

• The visa is renewable for equal periods until the contract ends.
• Renewal depends on the employer proving it has met its tax and social security obligations for you.
• The employer must tell the SME about any change in the contract’s duration.
• The visa only covers the job and employer that justified it. A new employer means a new application. Decree 49/25 does allow non-resident foreign workers to move between companies of the same group.

Family members and residence

A work visa does not cover your family. Spouses and dependent children usually apply for a temporary stay visa as accompanying family members. Lei 13/19 also recognizes a right to family reunification for residence permit holders. A temporary residence permit is valid for two years and renewable, and permanent residence requires ten consecutive years of temporary residence. Ask the SME or a local immigration lawyer which route fits your situation.

Updating your CV in Portuguese for the application? Our free CV builder can help, and current openings are on our job listings page (both in Portuguese).

Frequently asked questions

Can I get an Angola work visa after arriving as a tourist?

Generally no. The work visa is issued by embassies and consulates abroad, and tourist entries do not allow paid work. Lei 13/19 allows some visa conversions, for example from a study visa to a work visa, but only in justified cases approved by the SME.

How long is an Angola work visa valid?

It allows multiple entries and stays of up to 365 days, renewable for equal periods until the employment contract ends.

Who applies for the work visa, me or my employer?

Both. The employer secures the approvals in Angola and supplies company documents; you file the application at the consulate, usually in person.

Do I need to speak Portuguese?

There is no language test, but your CV, certificates and medical certificate must be translated into Portuguese.

Can I change employers on the same visa?

No. The visa only allows work for the employer that requested it. Moving within the same corporate group is allowed under Decree 49/25; any other change needs a new visa.

Sources: SME – requirements for foreign citizens; SME eVISA portal; Lei 13/19 on foreign citizens (Angolex); Presidential Decree 49/25 (Lex.ao); Consulate General of Angola in Lisbon – work visa requirements; ANGOP – visa waiver for 98 countries.

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