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Angola visa in Abuja
We have just been turned away from the Angolan embassy in Abuja. They said they don't do transit visa's any more. You supposed to get them at the border. This all sounds like bull!! Any advice for us?
The story is that they now only do visas for people with residency permits for Nigeria, and cannot do it for overlanders any more. We will try embassy's along the way, but if this is true we will be a bit stuck! |
I will be watching this tread with intrest, as I also need the Angola visa in a few months. At least you got the Nigeria visa easy in Bamako, right?
Could you bring me in contact with the Belgian guy, Dominique. I'm also Belgian and also driving an xt660z. I will be on the same route as you guys real soon, so I will follow the blog. Cheers, Tonybier |
It has been this way for quite a few months I believe, check other posts on here regarding Abuja..
a few months ago they weren't issuing visa anywhere.. an overland truck was stuck in drc for five weeks etc. everybody flew to Namibia. fighting in northern Angola I heard? who has made it through in the last 3-6 months? the situation changes every so often... |
Hi
We were recently stuck in DRC for some time trying to get a visa for Angola. It is not possible to get the visa anywhere beforehand. We tried everywhere.. They say you must get it in Matadi. But we had issues there so had to get it in Kinshasa. This was in June. A bigger worry would now be the DRC visa! |
We're currently in Accra heading to Abuja soon, with the intention of getting the necessary visa's to head south. We already have Rep of Congo and DRC, so we need Camaroon, Gabon and Angola.
Not being able to get Angolan visa in Abuja is a game changer! I'll be very interested to know what the options are. |
Your options are
a) Matadi or b) Kinshasa. I would recommend going into DRC at Luozi, as you will probably get turned back if you try cross at Brazzaville -some people we knew were all turned back after paying $$$ for the ferry. (unless you got your DRC visa in your home country then you can cross there if you are brave) Crossing at Luozi, you will not get turned away, and you will be able to get to Matadi easily so I would recommend this should be the place you try first.. The consul might be away (as happened to us) so we had to go to Kinshasa and apply there. |
hi all,
hey my friends good to here from you, even you dont have god news. I arrived in lagos 3 days ago. have some little probs here (battery of the bike is down). will solve it the african way.... any info about the other visas like gabon, drc, rc or gunea aquat (I dont like to miss the tiny country)? I ll head south in a view days. looking forward to see you soon bier keep on riding guys! best regards calzino/jens |
Just been to Angola embassy in Libreville. Just confirming the above. Also refuse to issue visas. Says it has to be Matadi/Kinsh.
Calzo/Jenz - Where are you guys? Battery sorted? |
Angolan Transit visa
Hi, we are in Cameroon with the intention of picking up our Gabon visa in Yaounde on Monday.
We plan to pick up our Angolan transit visa in Matadi. Regading the transit visa, how long does it allow you to stay in Angola - 5 days? And can it be extended in Luanda? Many thanks |
Transit visa is 5 days.
Would recommend, if you can, get a letter of invitation, then try get a 30 day visa. processing time is the same (in Kinshasa anyway) for this visa and does not cost much more. Apparently you can extend it, but is a PITA. Met some people who overstayed and were fined $100 per day, but they managed to negotiate it down a lot. |
@ rsstler :
How much is the visa for Gabon in Yaounde ? greetings from Calabar, Chris |
Info from DRC
First... we paid 50000cfa in Yaounde for Gabon visa. We applied Monday and we received it on Wednesday. Very easy w. no supporting papers.
Now the news!!! We got RC and DRC visas in Abuja and exited Gabon using Mouila - Ndende - Dolsie road (tarmac all the way to Ndende and good laterite piste from Ndende to Dolsie ... really slippery on wet). We stopped in Dolsie and asked about the visa at the Angolan Consulate. The 7day transit visa was available there in 24 to 48h for 100$ single and 200$ double entry (if you want to cross Cabinda). They suggested also that is possible in Matadi (like the embassy in Abuja and Libreville) and we continued. We took the road from Madingou - Boko-Songho - Luozi (ferry theoretically 4 times a day, 12000FC for 4x4, free for people and bikes :) ) - Kimpese - Matadi which was really difficult w. a heavy bike w. used tires not to mention the fact that it rained all the time. We started Wednesday and we arrived in Matadi Monday morning. For our big surprise the Angolan Consulate in Matadi is closed from 20th of Nov. and it will reopen after 15th of Jan. Same for Muanda Consulate. After a week lost in Matadi we continued to Kinshasa (the city we wanted to avoid taking the piste to Luozi) to be turned down at the Angolan Embassy here. They said from June they stopped issuing visas to overlanders and the angolans borders are closed unless you have a visa in your country. We're thinking of 2 solution (we are 2 cars + 1 bike): - try to get the transit visa in Dolsie but we can risk be turned down at the angolan border - be really adventurous and try to reach Lubumbashi by road. We'll let you know how thing develops. Cheers, |
Mr white, sorry to hear about your visa problems. Please keep us posted, I'm following with interest...
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Safe travels |
I've done Lubum-Kin during the dry season, and it wasn't a walk in the park. I wouldn't even consider doing it in the rains with a heavy bike..
Good luck! Laurent Tour d'Afrique - and then some - ADVrider |
All Angolan Consulates & Embassies are closed till 9th of Jan (hopefully and not 20th).
So no visa for you ... NEXT!!!... We narrow down the possibilities to: waiting till 9th of jan and try Matadi or Muanda and head of to Lubumbashi in the following days. We're still undecided... but we'll decide tonight. Laurent - I'll probably drive alone on the difficult parts as we're together with our french friends who saved us from the Ekok-Mamfe road and they are w. a Landie. Cheers, Ionut |
Hi Ionut,
If it's any help in your decision making, the embassy in Matadi can be slow and sporadic in issuing visas. I met up with some friends there last year who were heading south, they spent about a week waiting for the visas to be issued, with the usual back and forth and being told to try again tomorrow. One would hope that reopening after a long shutdown would mean that they were open for business and would be fairly quick, but one never knows. As you know, the deadlines given have a way if shifting. Hope it all works out. |
Angola Visa - our experience
Hi Folks
We passed through Angola start of this year (got 5 day transit visa in Abuja). I am sorry to see that things have changed and we wish you well with getting the visas sorted. Just for information purposes...... We tried to extend the transit visa in Angola and went to a customs office with a fluent local speaker who personally knew the customs director at the office - they told us that they had stopped extending transit visas early in 2011. It might be possible to extend in Luanda as it is the capital and things might have changed (as is the way with Africa). We got our DRC visa in Brazza as we came in via Gabon - Franceville route (takes just a few hours - as long as they are issuing) and crossed the Congo River at Pioka (avoids the rip off on Brazz / Kinsh ferry but very tricky road once you cross the river - see our website for details Latest news / About us - Langebaan Sunset - Stonehenge UK to Cape Town SA - 2010/11). The "easier option" is Luosi. We entered into Angola via Luvo / Songo. You can camp at the customs post. They have a brand new customs post here that seemed pretty organised when we were there. If you fail to get Angolan visa at Matadi and Kinsh' you could try this as a fall back plan but I don't have any confirmation of anyone getting a visa at this post but its a possible fall back plan. You could also just ask the Chef de Post on the DRC side - he was very helpful and friendly and it would be worth the few KM to drive down the road to ask them - you will pass the turn off for this on the road from / to Matadi / Kinsh so its something to try if all else fails. If you run out of options there are a couple of people who have driven the Kinsh - Lumb "road" and on into Zambia - one report you can read is at the link below - this would be a challenge in the wet season, esp. on bikes. 05. Kongo (Kinshasa) | toyota-adventure We wish you well folks - we enjoyed Central Africa - we hope it all pans out ok for you. Safe travels Nick |
Decision taken
Hello,
We've decided to take the road to Lubumbashi!!! We'll keep you guys posted in hopefully 2 weeks. Just follow our blog (blog.intotheworld.eu) or our thread in ride tales. For others behind us just try after 9th of Jan at the consulate in Dolsie (RCongo). They said that is possible to get in 24/48h for 200$ a double entry 7days Transit visa (to go via Cabinda) or for 100$ single entry 7 days transit visa (go to the ferry at Luozi then Songolo - Lufu). Not possible in Pointe Noire, Brazza or Kinshasa. Maybe in Matadi or Muanda (in DRC next to the border w. Cabinda) Cheers from DRC, Ionut |
Hello MrWhite.
We are just behind you (both on Motorbikes) sitting in Brazzaville also with Angola visa problems. Are you planing to put your bike on the train from Kananga to Lubumbashi? We are also considering the Lubumbashi route... |
Route info for Kinshasa to Lubumbashi
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I would strongly suggest putting your bikes on the train - every bit helps on that route! Make sure you get a visa for longer than 30 days in Brazzaville - everytime I cross DRC I take longer than a month and then have to negotiate to let me leave the country without paying a fortune. Beware of the Kasumbalesa border - almost as bad as Rosso! Take lots of money - no ATM's between Kin and Lubumbashi! Hotels cost hundreds of dollars and the DGM (Direction General de Migration) eat up money in the form of bribes and passport pages in the form of stamps! The evil ANR (FBI) will find you and want to "register" you for 50 dollars each time! Katanga is the worst! Let me know if you need GPS routes (I can't remember if you copied them from me when we were in Mauritania together?) You can find a pic here: http://bit.ly/pyIpuA and I will attach the gdb file also. (I lost some of the info, but the first 600km is no problem) GDB file won't attach - moderators - please increase your file size for GDB from 500kb to at least 2MB - DRC tracks are hectic! Morten, I will send you an email of the file. Try get personal phone number of someone at your embassy in Kinshasa - that is, if you're not keen on paying the DGM, ANR and Gendarme every day! Say hi to Dom! Regards Dave |
Hi David
Thanks for your reply and the GPS Tracks - Dominik and i are as you can see in Brazzaville now and Henri is still in Gabon with some bike batt.charge problems - but hope he join us soon. We are still looking over our options from here - and know that the DRC / Zambia route will bee long and hard. Took the Plateau route from Franceville to Congo and it was very wet + sandy and we found it quite hard - and that was only 100 km..... Have a nice X-Mas and great new year Best regards Morten |
Heading south too, Xmas / New Year anyone?
Hi all following this thread,
We (2 bikers) are currently in Lambarene, Gabon. It sounds like we'll head for Matadi for around the 9th (we've already got Congo and DRC visas), if anyone has any new info or changes in developments please post it here. Also, if anyone is between here and Matadi for Xmas and/or New Year, please let us know, it would be great to celebrate with those of you out there! Cheers, Adrian |
Hey guys,
Just a quick update. We receive our Angolan Visas at Dolisie today. 5 day, multiple entry transit. A bit of a process, but staff very friendly and helpful. We had to apply for permission to apply for a visa, but once that was approved we had the visa in 24hrs. I think this is definitely a place to try for the Angolan Visas. Thanks for the advice to go to Dolisie, it wasn't even one of our planned stops for a Angolan visa. Any news from the guys doing the Lubombashi road? Cheers, Henri and Dominik |
Great news Henri and Dominic,
We have not been as lucky, we tried today in Kinshasha and were told that they are not issuing visas to overland travellers here in DRC (incl Matadi). They will how ever issue visas to people flying in Unfortunatley Dolisie was not an option as our DRC entry visa was due to expired on 04/01. We are now making alternate plans. Suggestions welcome Russell P.s Dominic, it was good meeting you on the Dolisie-Brazza road. That road was an absolute mess!!! |
We are safely in Namibia. Used Cabinda - DRC - Angolan route. No issues entering with visas issued along the way.
See this thread - http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-dolisie-61133 |
We changed our plans, we blagged a free flight for us and the bikes from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi on a cargo plane. Made it through Zambia and we are now in Malawi.
Angola can shove it where the sun dont shine |
Hi
Just wanted to let you all know that we managed to get the Angola visa in Dolisie in February 2012. transit 10 days. www.amsterdam2afrika.nl Quote:
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