Angola visa issues
 

This is just a quick post as we are heading off on our trip next month departing the UK and heading through West Africa heading down to Cape Town again which we cannnot wait for, we have friends that have just tried obtaining the visa in Abuja and Liberville with no success and are currently in Pointe Noire. Has anyone recieved any latest news about obtaining the visa's from Pointe Noire, Matadi etc.. Have contacted the embassy here in the UK with no luck, as they expire after 2 months. In 2006 we were lucky enough to get a double entry visa from liberville, but that seems to be a thing of the past.

Any up date on the roads to Brazaville, Kinshasa to get the visa?

We can manage to get an invitation letter from a campsite in Angola.

Any news would be much appreciated.

Cheers Grant

We came through a month or so ago, and in our experience, the only place worth bothering to apply is Matadi. Bit of info on our DRC page, here. There they say they still won't offer a tourist visa even with a letter of invitation, but there's no issue with over staying the 5 day transit visa or you can get it extended in Luanda, up to you. Basically, despite rumours, Angola still aren't too hot on tourism, which is a shame as it's a great place!

Road to Matadi from Kinshasa is perfect tarmac, for info on road to Brazzaville, see our Congo page, here. That's a fun one but OK really.

I think your friends will struggle to get an Angola visa in Pointe Noire, the south african guys (including MJ (mjp.xrl on here)) we met en route tried and failed and ended up following us to Brazza/Kinshasa/Matadi.

There'll be a waypoint for the consulate in Matadi on our waypoints page when I get home in about a week or so's time, too expensive to update that page from Cape Town internet cafes!

Thank you very much for the details, our friends have had no luck in Pointe Noire and are making their way to Matadi,

I am looking forward to reading your updates on your website.

Kind regards Grant

Off topic in a way: last year I made more than 10 visits to the Angolan Embassy in Windhoek in an effort to get a visa. I even had a friend of mine with me who is from Angola and knew most of the staff at the embassy. In the end I was refused. The "problem" is that all paperwork must be sent to Angola for approval. Had it been up to the very nice staff at the embassy in Windhoek, I would have received a visa pronto. I also met a Brit who had been trying to get a visa for more than 2 weeks with no luck. The real tragedy in all this is that I was invited to a weekend party on the beach...oh well, Zambia was fun too! H.

It gets better
 

We are in Brazzaville today. This morning we took the ferry to Kinshasa, aiming for Matadi, but we were refused entry into DRC because we didn't have an Angolan visa!

The security got pretty shirty when we refused to move and short of turning to violence we were ushered back onto the ferry to Brazza.

Our carnets had been stamped out of Brazza and into Kinshasa, but nobody seems too bothered about that. Our passports had been stamped out of Brazza, but the stamps have been cancelled, so no worries there.

There is an Angolan embassy in Brazzaville and the man in the suit who kicked us out of DRC insists that we must obtain our Angolan visas in Brazza before he will allow us to enter. Talking to some other people at the port we discovered that a truck with 12 tourists was refused for the same reason on March 5th.

We are hoping to speak to the British Embassy in Kinshasa tomorrow morning before paying a visit to the Angolan embassy to try our luck.

Will report back here when we know anything further.

Remind me again, why are we doing this?!?

Hi
Thats our friends driving the overland truck you are talking about.(theres actualy 2 trucks)
They have been there for the last week in Brazza trying to sort out whats going on,been to English embasy,Angola embasy,DRC ....
After a week of no answers it sounds like theres some trouble going on in Martadi and thats why they were refused entry into DRC
The guys are still in Brazza now,staying in a church yard up near the DRC embasy,Look out for a big bright yellow truck,
Try and contact them on this number 002427135860 speak to Tony

good luck

Grant

too much fro visa!
 

hey guys,

just came from zambia via caprivi strip into namibia to Oshakati to trya and get a visa for Angola...they wanted R2000 ($280 roughly) for each visa and it would take a few days..
we said no and are heading south unfortunately but apparently it is quicker in Rundu and cheaper in windhoek..
just thought the info might help someone...
mike

Oh the Elusive Angola Visa:
We came north from Nambia to Angola 3 months ago: We tried in Oshakati but got turned down and had to return to Windhoek to get the visa. The cost in Windhoek was 150 usd and took about 1 week. But that is always a moving target!!!!
Cheers
Josh
Welcome to www.quadsacrossafrica.com

This was just in the BBC and might explain some of your problems you are having getting to Matadi!!!!
BBC NEWS | Africa | Deadly clashes in west DR Congo

Well good luck and it looks like taking a flight to Luanda or a boat around might be the only option for a while. But who knows these things blow over pretty fast sometimes.

Cheers
Josh
Welcome to www.quadsacrossafrica.com

Question for Grant #1
 

Hi Grant, could you please give the details of the campsite that helped you with the invitation letter.

thanks

Francois

Angola Visa Now Possible
 

After a few frustrating weeks I am finally leaving Ghana after discovering the Angolan Embassy here in Accra.

The Ambassador, Eduardo, is a fantastically accomodating gentleman who will arrange for the correct paperwork and communication to be forwarded to the Angolan Embassy in Brazzaville to allow a 30day visa to be collected from there.

He will also issue letters written in both French and Portugese which can be presented at the DRC border therefore eliminating any problems associated with entering DRC due to not having the Angolan visa in advance. No charge is made here, the usual charge for the visa is made at Brazzaville!

Onwards south, wish us luck in the rains!!

Ben and Afritrex

Hey there,

I like to recommend you the road from Franceville/Gabun to Obouya/Congo and then down the N2 to Brazza as it is described here.
So you don't have the hazzle with the water(no rivers no swamp areas) and the bad roads (Dolisie-Brazza)and the bad guys(Dolisie-Brazza).

Cheers Peter

things change
 

hello,
i am salva, i was cycling 16 months ago there and at this time a friend of mine, also cyclist, got the angolan visa at a consulate in namibia close to the border with no hassle and 50 euros,
i had got my tourist visa with a lot of problems in pointe noire, i said i was a missionary man and i had the help of a real priest there, with me at the embassy.
it was not enough, and after 10 days i had applied for, i did a call to my embassy (i am spanish) in luanda and explained the problem, they agreed in that and sent a fax to the angolan consulate in pointe noire enforcing my try, i got another copy in a friendly shop running by a french.
with that, i went to the consulate, tried to be nice with the lady at the desk (she is catholic), and i got the 30 days visa next day
i met some people travelling by 4x4, and latter i knew they were not succesful with a bussiness contact,
i am not religious, but may i suggest that in this part of africa, churches still have a lot of influence,
if it can not help, i hope it will be funny
cheers
salva

Ben do you know where the Angolan Embassy is located in Accra, I'm in Accra today and would like to contact the embassy to see if I can get the visa. Thanks Mike

Angola embassy in Ghana
 

Hi

Spoke to the guy at the Accra embassy yesterday(by phone as we are in mali still)sounds helpfull,but he can only issue visas to residents of Ghana,but said he will contact his friend at the Brazavile embassy

He said bring our invetation letter and everything else for him to see and he will do his best to help.

for our invitation we are using
lezle@tripostravel.co.za
Welcome to Angolan Adventure Safaris

They are a resort in southern Angola that dose fishing trips etc

We are in Accra in about 3 weeks so will get back then

Cheers Grant

Stuck in Pointe-Noire
 

I got stuck in pointe-noire for 2 weeks waiting to get an angola visa. Eventually I put my bike on a plane to Namibia.
If anyone is going into an Angolan embassy at any time soon Please please please please please please please
kick someone, anyone in the nuts for me.
Much appreciated
orrin

Hi all.
Me and 2 friends got stuck in Point Noirre for about 10 days during January!!! NO LUCK!!!
We tried everything,the first time we went the security guard did not what us to go in and just said that people on bikes are not allowed in Angola,We then got invitation letters from a brewery in Angola,that did not help,eventaully whe found a guy who is a personal friend off the amabasador but that did not help!
We where in Accra at the embassy,which is close to the pick&pay or woolworths, they were very friendly but at the end could not help us with anything. We also whent to the embassy in Libreville where the they just told us that they ran out of visa stickers. At the end we had to go back to Dolisie and from there on to brazzaville and on the ferry to Kinshassa and then to Matadi where we got a 5 day visa and had to enter Angola the same day cause the next day was a public holiday.eventually we travelled through Angola in 8 days and the border at oshikati did not have any problems. Angola was really nice and we did enjoy it very much.
I think the thing at Point Noirre is that they don not whant tourists to enter cabinda cause off all the oil,all the wealth in Angola is produced near Cabinda and they do not whant any risks.
Good luck to everyone,just keep on trying,hopefully something will change.
MJ

Oh well, big sigh------ we were hoping to get into Angola about August, at least we can now have a plan B.
I doubt I can wing it as a priest or missionary though:innocent:

angola,no visa
 

Hi at oshakati now and they don't issue transit visas anymore for angola,has anyone got a contact for a letter of recommendation?They accept visa applications 9am-11am monday,returned friday.Plan 2 is zambia-drc,does anyone know of a drcongo embassy in lusaka?thanks,ron.:helpsmilie:

Accra, Ghana
 

Hi,
We are now in Accra, Ghana. Because of all the difficulties with the Angola visa we went to the Angola embassy here in Accra to inform. They told us that they cannot issue it here for us since we are no Ghana ressidence, but we can fill in the forms and they can sent it to Pointe Noir. We are not sure if this works out, but we will give it a try.
Has anyone recently succeded getting a Angola visa and entering the country?
Anne and Reinier

Kinshasa and the Angolan Transit Visa
 

Help! We intend crossing into Angola via Matardi in about 2/3 weeks time and then take our chances on over running the 5 day transit visa. Can anyone please help with information on the Kinshasa side of the Brazzaville/Kinshasa crossing and any continuing problems with the Kinshasa officials re travelling on to Matardi without an Angolan visa of any kind?
Thanks
Peter Jacques
Overlanding across Africa and beyond : 4x4plus2.com

Oshakati
 

Hi Kiwiron, please let me know how your visa venture in Oshakati went as I was planning the same route as you in about a week

angola visa
 

Hi folks just got an angolan visa in rundu after waiting for 2 weeks for the boss to be at work i'm from nz looks like it depends on your nationality ,stamps in your passport and a bank statement,that's without an invite letter,off to kikitwe and angola tomorrow,good luck.:thumbup1:

Letter of invitation?
 

Has anyone found someone or a business (hotel, camping lodge) in Angola that will email travelers a "letter of invitation" supposedly needed for a visa?

I've sent like 12 emails to Angola establishments and have received no replies. I tried the Angola Adventure Safaris that Grant mentioned, nothing. Hoping to enter Angola from the north in roughly late January 2009. Thx!

To follow up on the below post, it looks like Ben did secure a five-day transit visa in Matadi, DRC. Scroll down to the 22 May 2008 post at his blog here:

AFRITREX IS ON THE ROAD: June 2008

Good news ... :)