Immigration
Lei dos Estrangeiros visas with work permits tied to expatriate quotas
The Lei dos Estrangeiros (Lei 13/19) governs entry and residence. Work visas require an approved employment contract, and labour law imposes a foreign-worker quota — generally a maximum of 30 per cent of the workforce for companies above a threshold. Angola introduced visa exemption for many nationalities for tourism in 2023.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros decides; administrative courts review.
- Deadline — Work visa: obtained before entry for employment purposes
- Deadline — Residence card renewals filed before expiry
Governing law
- Lei do Regime Jurídico de EstrangeirosLei 13/19
- Decreto Presidencial on expatriate labour quotas
In practice
The expatriate quota is the practical constraint rather than the visa categories themselves: staffing an Angolan project requires the workforce plan to satisfy the local-employment ratio before any individual permit becomes obtainable.