Angola visa March 2018
 

Hi everyone,

does anyone have any up to date news about getting an Angola visa either in Pointe-Noire or Matadi ?

Accounts are currently differing as to whether Pointe-Noire is doable or not.

Also, any info about the road from Pointe-Noire down to Matadi and onwards would be most welcome !

Can't answer as such, but with the new visa regs in place surely this should be a thing of the past!!!?c?

What new visa regs ? Ay more info on that please ?

Al the reading I have done suggests that apart from Accra, it's pretty hard to get an Angola visa and that Pointe-Noire or Matadi either are or aren't issuing them...

One of many articles about it: https://www.tripzilla.com/angola-gra...-arrival/74813

This presidential decree is set to be enforced from 30 March 2018. To obtain the visa, travellers should submit evidence of their accommodation and financial means, and have an international certificate of vaccination and a return ticket. The previously-enforced requirement of having an invitation letter will be scrapped.

:thumbup1:

Very pleased about this!

How do overlanders deal with the return ticket issue?
My camper is my accommodation, will they accept that?
The Ivoirean Ambassador in Bamako accepted it.


Ali.

OK,

that's very good news and thanks to Creer for the link

I have applied for an Angok visa using the online systen. However it says the electronic approval will be emailed me 'and the visa paid for and granted at the airport'.
So now not sure if it will work for a land traveller entering Angola (Cabinda) from Congo Brazzaville.

Anyone got some knowledge to add to this? Thanks!


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At the risk of trying to answer my own question, here is what the Angolan visa office in London told me today when I went in:
- the online application gets answered in 5 days
-usually valid only 30 days
-the any border post will put the visa in your passport once you pay the fee (I find that hrs to believe but the clerk went off and research it with a colleague and we specifically discussed coming from Pointe Noire into Cabinda).


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Hi Simon, thanks for the info. I'm heading to Angola in November from Congo so keen to see how this works out. When are you trying to enter? Would be great if you can update this thread.

Also, do you know whether you need multiple entry if you're passing through Cabinda, then transiting through DRC before keeping on back to Angola in the south? I've seen some people say this is possible with a single entry visa.

If so, I guess that means you can get an electronic visa, pick it up on the border with Cabinda and carry on the whole way south...

Will update. Got my e visa in about 2-3 days so it expires too soon! Will reapply within 30 days of my arrival. NB the approval says you need to bring the submitted document to the border post.

Have read one entry visa covers Cabinda and Rest of Angola but can’t vouch for that


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Any updates on this?

Can anyone confirm that the online visa works at land border crossings? Anyone used it going north at Santa Clara?

It should do as the online visa asks you to specify which land frontier you are using and that is printed on the visa approval document you receive back.

I am currently about 10 kms from the Angola (Cabinda) border in Congo Brazzaville but due technical shenanigans with the old GS will not actually cross into Angola until January so cannot give you practical feedback yet, sorry


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Hello!

Here is what I've learned about the Angola e-visa based on what's been posted on Thorn Tree.

I've been following TT closely because I am hoping to get the e-visa soon. Like many/all of you, I would be coming in overland (from Namibia) but by bicycle.

Unfortunately, the e-visa website has been unreachable the last few days. If anybody has any luck loading it, please let me/us know!

Check it out for yourself: www.smevisa.gov.ao

Two recent (successful) accounts of getting the evisa:

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntr...e-stories-here

https://www.globespots.com/trip-report/angola-evisa/

Note: all their applications processed in 48 hours, and the approval must be used to enter Angola within 30 days of receiving it (not 60 as the website says)

Here are complete instructions for applying for the evisa:

https://twitter.com/BradtAngola/stat...90646279004160

A person named LondonRoad on TT obtained a tourist visa in person in Feb 2018 in Rundu, Namibia, and successfully entered Angola. Here is an excerpt of their experience:

I got my visa in Rundu, Namibia at the consulate opposite the general hospital. I needed a letter of invitation, and it took 48 hours to issue a 30 day visa valid for 2 months on a UK/EU passport. NAD1650, so not cheap!

About the flight dilemma for overland travellers. The suggestions I received were

1 - instead of flight, submit a hotel booking in the neighbouring country with a note on it that says you're overlanding and this is proof you're leaving

2 - book a refundable return flight ticket (probably have to eat some cancellation fees...)

In theory, if the website is working, processing time is 48 hours so if one of these strategies doesn't work you could reapply. I will let you know any outcomes I have.

The Angola evisa website is up and running again!

SME e-Visa

crossing with the Angolan SME evisa at Santa Clara/Oshikango Border (with Namibia)
 

Hi all,

I crossed with the evisa from Namibia to Angola at Oshikango/Santa Clara recently.

If you are in the stages of applying for your evisa, please note that you are meant to start the application process and then get some sort of confirmation email that you're in the system. You need to get this confirmation email before you hit 'submit' on your evisa application. Otherwise, problems.

To the border:

Definitely bring the printout of the two-page evisa approval with you, along with the USD. I also had printouts of all the documents I applied with:

- hotel booking
- bank statement
- proof of leaving Angola (ROC bookings in lieu of flight tickets)
- yellow fever

But none of them were checked, just the evisa approval.

The whole process took about an hour because their internet was slow, but the border officials were patient and relaxed and helpful. It was all very official, I got a big bill and then handed it to the person who accepts payments, who issued me a big receipt for my payment.

I have some other information that might be useful:

My partner is South African and got a 30-day stamp on arrival, no paperwork, no visa, no payment.

AND!

Both of us were able to secure a further 30-day extension to our tourist stay in Angola at the (patient, friendly) SME office in Benguela. Him to his entry stamp, mine to my tourist visa.

If you decide to apply for an extension, first go into the SME office and they will show you the list of requirements:

- Two passport photos, recent (no date stamp required)
- Colour photocopies of your passport bio page and visa/stamp page
- Notarized letter of why you want to extend (the notary is picky about what they will notarize...it needs to be a proper formal letter with all your info in the header and addressed correctly)
- Application form completed in black pen (you pay for the form)
- We paid 8,000 kwanza each

We do not speak any Portuguese. It was much appreciated that their staff would entertain extensive google translate discussions with us.

The extensive discussions were because we were requesting a 30 day extension from the end date of our visa/stamp, and the rule is that they give you 30 days from the date you apply for the extension. We played the slow bicycle travel card, I'm not sure if this was what persuaded them.

It took two days to get the extension.

Have fun.