Angola Travel Information

Currency Import regulations:

• Local currency (Kwanza-AOA): up to AOA 50,000. – for residents and non-residents.
• Foreign currencies: up to USD 15,000. – or equivalent (residents) and up to USD 10,000. – or equivalent (non-residents).

No airport tax is levied on passengers upon embarkation at the airport.

Baggage Clearance regulations:

Baggage is cleared at the airport of the destination in Angola.

Exempt: baggage of transit passengers with a destination outside of Angola.

Safety and security

Crime

Most international companies and organisations operating in Angola have strict security rules and regulations for their staff. If your company has such instructions you should read them in conjunction with this travel advice.

There is a high level of crime in Luanda. Muggings, particularly to steal mobile phones and other valuables, and armed robberies can occur in any area at any time of the day or night. Areas popular with foreigners are particular targets. You should be particularly careful when withdrawing money from banks and ATMs both during daytime and at night, as people doing so have been the subject of armed robberies, some of which have been fatal.
Incidents of rape have been reported in popular nightlife areas, as well as in private homes. Don’t travel alone at night.

Avoid walking around Luanda, especially after dark. Avoid wearing jewellery or watches in public places. Don’t change large sums of money in busy public areas. Avoid walking between bars and restaurants on the Ilha do Cabo, and avoid crowded places like markets. Take extra care on the Serpentine road (Nehru) between the Marginal and Miramar, and the adjacent wooded area, due to the recent increase in crimes occurring there.
Theft from stationary or slow-moving cars is common in downtown Luanda. Keep valuables out of sight and don’t use mobiles or laptops while in traffic. A high proportion of the civilian population is armed.

When driving, be very wary if another car signals you to pull over. Thieves use the pretext of a minor traffic incident to get you out of your car either to steal it or to rob you. In 2016 there were a number of kidnapping incidents involving foreign nationals (including western nationals) taken from their vehicles in Luanda by armed gangs.

The long-standing policy of the British government is not to make substantive concessions to hostage takers. The British government considers that paying ransoms and releasing prisoners increases the risk of further hostage taking.

Deposit valuables and cash in a hotel safe where practical. Keep copies of important documents, including your passport, in a separate place from the documents themselves.

Local travel

The FCDO advise against all but essential travel to Cabinda province (but not including Cabinda city). There are regular violent incidents including rape, murder and kidnappings involving foreigners and Angolans in the province of Cabinda. Groups claiming responsibility for these attacks have declared their intention to continue attacks against foreigners.

The FCDO advise against all but essential travel to within 1km of the border between Angola’s Lunda Norte province and the Democratic Republic of Congo, except at official border crossings and their access roads. The Angolan authorities are extremely sensitive to the presence of foreigners in this area and there is a risk of detention by the security forces. Please note that the FCDO advise against all travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo provinces of Kasaï and Kasaï Central, which border Lunda Norte province.

The Angolan authorities are sensitive to the presence of foreigners in diamond-producing areas, including the provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul. You may be subject to movements restrictions or detention by the security forces. Follow the instructions of local authorities. The presence of diamonds also increases the threat of crime and banditry, particularly on roads leading to and from these areas. Armed hold-ups occur from time to time.

If you travel outside Luanda and the provincial capitals, do so in the company of persons or organisations experienced in local conditions, as conditions can be difficult. You may be asked to show your passport and Angolan visa to the local authorities. There is widespread poverty, social exclusion and disease, a shattered infrastructure and mines and items of unexploded ordnance throughout many parts of the country. Transport and accommodation are extremely limited outside Luanda, so make arrangements in advance.

Road travel

Although you can drive on a UK licence for up to 30 days from the date of your arrival in Angola, an International Driving Permit or translation of your UK licence is recommended. Make sure all vehicle documentation is available for inspection. Police check points are common.

Major roads between Luanda and the provincial capitals are improving, but driving standards and some road conditions are very poor and travel outside major towns is usually in convoys of two or more 4-wheel drive vehicles. Outside major towns, mines and unexploded ordnance remain a problem, including on roads, verges and bridges, in buildings and in the countryside. There have been incidents of mines exploding with loss of life in places previously thought to be safe. Even in ‘cleared’ areas, you should keep to well-established routes and take up-to-date advice from the United Nations or an international Non-Governmental Organisation.

During the rainy season (November-April), bridges and roads risk being washed away by sudden floods and there is an increased chance of mines becoming displaced and surfacing outside known mine fields.

There are taxis at the airport and these can also be booked through your hotel or with the company direct. Local minibus transport is unsafe. In most cases your sponsor will arrange to meet you at the airport and to provide transport throughout your trip.

Air travel

A list of recent incidents and accidents can be found on the website of the Aviation Safety network.

The FCDO can’t offer advice on the safety of individual airlines. However, the International Air Transport Association publishes a list of registered airlines that have been audited and found to meet a number of operational safety standards and recommended practices. This list is not exhaustive and the absence of an airline from this list doesn’t necessarily mean that it is unsafe.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation has carried out an audit of the level of implementation of the critical elements of safety oversight in Angola.

TAAG, the Angolan national carrier, is the only carrier regulated by the Angolan civil aviation authority permitted to operate flights to/from the EU. The European Commission maintains a list of banned airlines. UK government employees are permitted to travel with TAAG; they are not permitted to use other Angolan airlines.

Shortages

There are occasional shortages of petrol and diesel. Power and water can be cut off for days without notice. Residents should keep generator fuel stocks and water tanks topped up. Drinking water and other food supplies are not always readily available. You should keep stocks of tinned goods and drinking water.

Hotels

Hotels are expensive and of varied quality. Although availability of hotel accommodation has improved, hotels should be booked well in advance. The British Embassy is unable to book hotel rooms on your behalf.

Communications

Not all UK mobile phone companies have roaming arrangements with Angola. SMS text messages may not get through. Mobile coverage outside the main urban areas is patchy. When travelling outside Luanda carry a mobile phone with contracts to both Unitel and Movicel as coverage for each provider varies throughout the country.

Planning a trip to Angola?