Visa Angola / DRC / Congo

[Anacondor]

In a few month time, I will be travelling overland from Cape Town back to Holland and I would like to drive through Angola, DRC and Congo.

I heard from others overlanders that obtaining Angolese visa is easier today than it was a few months ago.

Does anyone has tips where to apply for the visa for Angola, DRC and Congo and what documents I need to gather beforehand? Any tips & tricks are more than welcome!

[MountainMan]

You will want to apply for at least the Angola visa and the DRC visa in your home country before you depart and not on the road. These things can change quickly as you mention, but a friend of mine within the last few months had great difficulty in getting an Angola visa on the road.

Maybe that has changed but after sitting and watching many worried travellers gnashing their teeth about visas this last January with the end result that some had to fly over countries, I would recommend getting those visas ahead of time. Nothing to lose and much to gain.

[Anacondor]

Originally Posted by MountainMan

You will want to apply for at least the Angola visa and the DRC visa in your home country before you depart and not on the road. These things can change quickly as you mention, but a friend of mine within the last few months had great difficulty in getting an Angola visa on the road.

Maybe that has changed but after sitting and watching many worried travellers gnashing their teeth about visas this last January with the end result that some had to fly over countries, I would recommend getting those visas ahead of time. Nothing to lose and much to gain.

Sorry, I should have added that I already left home 5 months ago, I am in Rwanda now and will be in Cape Town somewhere at the beginning of October. Applying for visa back home is therefore no option.

[roamingyak]

"Applying for visa back home" means using DHL and a visa agent to get the visa in your home country. They then DHL back your passport with the visa etc.

But read other posts about Angola - or try and get it in Cape Town, with some hassles they might issue one etc

[Anacondor]

Originally Posted by roamingyak.org

"Applying for visa back home" means using DHL and a visa agent to get the visa in your home country. They then DHL back your passport with the visa etc.

But read other posts about Angola - or try and get it in Cape Town, with some hassles they might issue one etc

Since I will need my passport for Burundi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho, sending it home is no real option unfortunately. Unless I would do so during my short stay in South Africa, but the risk is that it takes even longer than arranging it in Africa.

I read the other posts about Angola and contacted Lezle Combrinck who would be able to help applying for the visa, but for some reason I don't receive a reply. Does anybody has another useful contact?

Also any other information about visa for DRC and Congo are more than welcome!

[ta-rider]

Hi,

I used a visa agency in capetown to get the invitation for the Visa after i did not get the transitvisum in my home country for more then 6 weeks. They only took my money. All in all i it took more then 3 months to get the visa for angole. By the time i got it my Congo Visa was allready expired:

Riding the rough west coast through Africa part 3
Have fun; Tobi

[Anacondor]

Originally Posted by ta-rider

Hi,

I used a visa agency in capetown to get the invitation for the Visa after i did not get the transitvisum in my home country for more then 6 weeks. They only took my money. All in all i it took more then 3 months to get the visa for angole. By the time i got it my Congo Visa was allready expired:

Riding the rough west coast through Africa part 3
Have fun; Tobi

Hi Tobi, that's very bad luck. Which agency did you use?

[holyfcow]

Hi there, I'm currently in Libreville Gabon and waiting on my DRC visa,Congo was a 1 day process.DRC though is taking a week...Angola will be a tough one since they have elections next month and they are not issuing visas for overlanders unless you have a contact at the embassy.
Thats why Im forced to take the infamous Kinshasa-Lubumbashi road on my way to South Africa.
For both Congos all I needed was 2 photos,passport and fees.
Good luck

[romnek72]

This may help you to avoid 2400km
Of bad roads,
"HI Roman,

We are in Lubumbashi now.
Because we are with 4 guys for 3 bikes and we had to gain some time and money we toke a plane. (However I prefered biking, bikes are made to drive !)
But flying isit' s cheaper then driving !
And flying with an old cargo plane in DRC is fun !

we had to pay 1,50 dollar / kg
the bikes are around 180 kg each.
we, the persons, could fly for free with the cargo plane.
You can take your luggage with you on the plane, so you dont have to pay for that. they only check the weight of your bike.

I think your BMW is around 250 kg?*
So that makes 375 dollar.
If you have to drive and take expensive fuell....
The flight takes 2h.

If you are in Kinshas, go to TRANSAIRCARGOSERVICE.
Then you ask for Didier. (I can send you his number)
He will arrange i good price. (fist they asked 1,60 dollar, after a talk it was 1,50 dollar and at the end a little bit less...)
We did not had any problem wit the police in Kin, so do not be affraid.
To sleep you go to the catolic mission next to the America ambassy, ask baltazar !

Take Care

kris"
It's an option.
Roman
*

[romnek72]

Originally Posted by holyfcow

Hi there, I'm currently in Libreville Gabon and waiting on my DRC visa,Congo was a 1 day process.DRC though is taking a week...Angola will be a tough one since they have elections next month and they are not issuing visas for overlanders unless you have a contact at the embassy.
Thats why Im forced to take the infamous Kinshasa-Lubumbashi road on my way to South Africa.
For both Congos all I needed was 2 photos,passport and fees.
Good luck

If if have DRC visa issued in Gabon,
You can not cross from Brazzaville into Kienshasa,they will turn you back when you reach Kinshasa beach.
Curently In Hippocampe Brazzaville is French(Luke)motorbiker olso without Angola visa,he crossing into DRC via Boko-Louzi-Kinshasa-lumbumbashi next week he is looking to team up with some one.

Contact info:
Luc.cotterelle@gmail.com