angola visa - easy?
Mar 31, 2015, 3:57 pm
#32
Join Date: Feb 2015
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Apr 1, 2015, 2:46 pm
#33
Join Date: Dec 2006
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If you're talking about connecting in LAD, I think you're right. Now that SVO has cleaned up its act, I'm not sure very many international airports still require a transit visa (I think JED is still a problem if changing terminals, like SVO used to be). Usually they just don't let you leave the airport.
I've seen LAD and LOS come up as transit points as well on searches, good to know LAD doesn't require a transit visa if not leaving the airport, it may come in handy at some point.
Aug 20, 2015, 3:46 pm
#34
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Angola transit visa: NY Consulate experience
For those interested - my NY Angolan Consulate experience was interesting.
They were very polite, and not busy - just one family of missionaries ahead of me.
They did seem able to process a transit visa -their computer system seemed to recognize it, but I got the sense they don't get many transit visa requests, so I would not be surprised if someone else's experience varied from mine.
That said, while they did take my fingerprints, application, etc, they want me to send my passport back 10 days before my travel date, to get the actual visa. They were very specific, and adamant, that they couldn't issue the transit visa until the period 10 days before. They did seem to agree that it was ok to send it 10 days before I leave the US (Angola is towards the end of my trip). To get that to be accepted, the airline itinerary seemed required.
They did not wish to accept my self-generated itinerary to represent a formal documentation of my trip, but they did accept the airline flight itinerary as more properly 'official' - coupled with hotel reservations, that seemed to be what they needed.
They also said that the visa would be issued only for the amount of days for which I could show a hotel reservation - doesn't seem to be a 5-day default for this consulate. They also said that they call the hotel(s) before issuing the visa, so that may be why they don't process until 10 days prior.
Overall, DC sounds like an easier location for US applicants for the Angolan transit visa; I'll try to remember to post my final results when I submit my passport this August.
They were very polite, and not busy - just one family of missionaries ahead of me.
They did seem able to process a transit visa -their computer system seemed to recognize it, but I got the sense they don't get many transit visa requests, so I would not be surprised if someone else's experience varied from mine.
That said, while they did take my fingerprints, application, etc, they want me to send my passport back 10 days before my travel date, to get the actual visa. They were very specific, and adamant, that they couldn't issue the transit visa until the period 10 days before. They did seem to agree that it was ok to send it 10 days before I leave the US (Angola is towards the end of my trip). To get that to be accepted, the airline itinerary seemed required.
They did not wish to accept my self-generated itinerary to represent a formal documentation of my trip, but they did accept the airline flight itinerary as more properly 'official' - coupled with hotel reservations, that seemed to be what they needed.
They also said that the visa would be issued only for the amount of days for which I could show a hotel reservation - doesn't seem to be a 5-day default for this consulate. They also said that they call the hotel(s) before issuing the visa, so that may be why they don't process until 10 days prior.
Overall, DC sounds like an easier location for US applicants for the Angolan transit visa; I'll try to remember to post my final results when I submit my passport this August.
First, a note, it turns out that there's now an Angolan consulate in LA, serving the west. Although it's not clear from the main Angola embassy website, apparently each consulate serves a particular area; and I had no idea the LA consulate existed at all - it also wasn't mentioned on the embassy website earlier this year. So I got asked why I was using the NY consulate and not CA; my permanent address is in Michigan, so when I explained that, they seemed satisfied, but I wound up having to explain this over and over - because the fun and my time spent speaking to consulate personnel was only just beginning.
So, I sent my passport and visa receipt in 10 business days before my travel. Along with an updated flight itinerary (there had been some changes and now I was leaving a week earlier for Paris on an earlier trip portion) and revised hotels (found better hotels - more are coming online for Angola). I'd earlier faxed these revisions with a copy of my visa receipt.
And then I waited.
After a few days I called to check status. They said they'd been trying to reach me: the hotel has to be prepaid.
Ok. I rebooked the hotels via Expedia and booking.com for ones where immediate payment was taken.
Next day: I'm told I need to book directly with the hotel's website, prepaying them directly. Ok. I do this.
They agree it's what is needed and that they need a few days to process.
I call the next week - now I'm just a couple days before I'm supposed to leave. The lady tells me to call back in a few more days, it wasn't ready. I explain that that's the day I'm supposed to leave. She says she'll see what they can do.
I call back the next day. Yesterday's lady is very chilly to me and passes me to the guy I'd spoken to about the hotel stuff earlier. He says "Sir, you lied to her!" I was very taken aback.
Apparently, they completely disregarded the flight revisions I'd sent twice, and were going off the original itinerary which had been input into the system when I first visited the consulate - which had me leaving the following week.
I explained what had actually happened - being very diplomatic since so much of this stuff is clearly at their discretion.
The guy suggests I go in person to LA - I think he then thought things through since they still have my passport, that that wasn't practical.
I instead offer to try to change the flight departure to allow a few more days. I'm sure he could hear the burgeoning panic in my voice as I see a key part of my vacation going down the drain and contemplate the expense of trying to get around without the Angola transit.
He agrees - I fax them the new flights (thankfully this was an award ticket and I was able to find an alternate starting flight to Paris). He agrees to immediately submit this for approval to the ministry in Luanda.
He also tells me that I didn't send a prepaid airbill; I explained that I did, with my passport. He then thinks the cleaning lady through it away. Ok. So I void the old one and fax them a new one. He says he can get an envelope for it.
Luckily, they really did act fast, as when I checked my airbill status the next day, it had been dropped off at a UPS Store that morning around 9:30 am NY time.
I can't tell how much of this was the NY consulate's own transit visa rules - which are not posted anywhere (I used the DC embassy's transit rules to guide my document submission) - error and lack of attention to detail, or what. I'm just happy to get the visa at last.
A few more sidenotes:
1) The transit visa cost was 0.00 according to the NY consulate's system. I kept worrying they'd demand payment at some stage, but that never occurred, and the receipt clearly stated 0 USD
2) The visa that was ultimately issued is good for 60 days from issuance, is valid for a stay of up to 5 days (contrary to what I was originally told: I only had hotel reservations for the 3 nights I expect to be in transit), and bizarrely, is good for 2 entries within that period. I didn't even know a double-entry Angolan transit visa was possible.
Anyway - I hope this helps others. More almost any place I've ever dealt with (and I've visited 186 nations) the Angolan visa process seems extremely haphazard.
Last edited by Tychian; Aug 20, 2015 at 3:51 pm
Aug 23, 2015, 1:32 pm
#36
Join Date: Feb 2015
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Worst process I've experienced, though a few others could have come close - - I bet Eq. Guinea is similarly difficult for non-Americans.
And I think Eritrea could have been a major issue getting a visa, but we used a tour operator that I'm sure is well-connected to the government. Every time we'd call the Eritrea embassy in DC, getting the visa seemed to hinge on someone local harassing the ministry in Asmara til they coughed up an approval.
Anyway hope the experience helps others.
Sep 20, 2015, 10:20 am
#37
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I haven't checked for a couple years, but pretty sure FIH does still require one. I know Kinshasa isn't your typical international transit hub but it does come up sometimes on UA Mileage Plus award searches with a connection from SA to TK or SA to ET.
I've seen LAD and LOS come up as transit points as well on searches, good to know LAD doesn't require a transit visa if not leaving the airport, it may come in handy at some point.
I've seen LAD and LOS come up as transit points as well on searches, good to know LAD doesn't require a transit visa if not leaving the airport, it may come in handy at some point.
Sep 21, 2015, 6:51 pm
#38
Join Date: Feb 2015
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SkyTeam, when I was checking into this whole business, I found an article of someone talking about getting one of the airport employees to escort her through the formalities (without a visa, or a bribe) by smiling and repeating 'transito' a lot, but I can't seem to locate it now to link for you. And of course she had prinouts of her arriving and departing flights.
I found the immigration officials at LAD easy to deal with - much more so than the consulate officials. And security was fine, too, though they did take my corkscrew (or 'wine key' as they termed it).
I don't think you're likely to have a big issue, but because I went a different way (with a visa), my experience isn't an exact match for yours.
I found the immigration officials at LAD easy to deal with - much more so than the consulate officials. And security was fine, too, though they did take my corkscrew (or 'wine key' as they termed it).
I don't think you're likely to have a big issue, but because I went a different way (with a visa), my experience isn't an exact match for yours.
Sep 22, 2015, 8:29 am
#39
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SkyTeam, when I was checking into this whole business, I found an article of someone talking about getting one of the airport employees to escort her through the formalities (without a visa, or a bribe) by smiling and repeating 'transito' a lot, but I can't seem to locate it now to link for you. And of course she had prinouts of her arriving and departing flights.
I found the immigration officials at LAD easy to deal with - much more so than the consulate officials. And security was fine, too, though they did take my corkscrew (or 'wine key' as they termed it).
I don't think you're likely to have a big issue, but because I went a different way (with a visa), my experience isn't an exact match for yours.
I found the immigration officials at LAD easy to deal with - much more so than the consulate officials. And security was fine, too, though they did take my corkscrew (or 'wine key' as they termed it).
I don't think you're likely to have a big issue, but because I went a different way (with a visa), my experience isn't an exact match for yours.
Sep 30, 2015, 1:13 am
#40
Join Date: Jul 2015
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Unless you can get a boarding pass in JNB, you are likely to be held in transit area until SN check in opens and a staff comes and rescues you and escorts you to departures. The transit area at LAD consists of a few chairs in the arrivals hall. There are always a few pax there each day. There are basic toilet facilities. No food or beverage options but immigration staff may assist here if you buy them a Coke.
Bring some books, water and snacks and loo paper. Ideally email SN Brussels before and ask if they will fetch you earlier and assist you to transit.
Nov 21, 2016, 2:38 pm
#41
Join Date: Jan 2009
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I live in Las Vegas, I just got my Angola transit visa from the Los Angeles consulate, good for a five day stay/transit anytime within the next sixty days.
The online application system doesn't seem to work at all. I drove to the LA consulate (5.5 hours each way) earlier this month and got fingerprinted and dropped off my application, along with my passport, a passport photo (of me wearing a tie, I read some Angolan embassies require that), flight confirmations, hotel confirmation, copy of yellow fever certificate, cover letter asking them for a transit visa, copy of my entire passport, copy of my electricity bill proving that I live in a state covered by the Los Angeles consulate, etc.
No letter of invitation required for the transit visa - on the blank lines asking me to identify my sponsor I just wrote "SELF-transit" or wrote the hotel address again.
Some Angola embassies/consulates charge $50 for a transit visa. The Los Angeles consulate charges $141, same as a tourist visa. They only take money orders, no credit cards, checks, cash, etc.
After I dropped off my application, I sent them a prepaid envelope to mail the passport and visa back to me, they estimated it would take 8 days.
On day 10 after I submitted the application the tracking info showed that my passport was on the way back to me.
I intend to fly from Brazzaville to Luanda and then fly from Luanda to Lisbon next month. Note: my hotel reservation is not prepaid. I'm going to change from the hotel I was originally booked at, but I didn't dare cancel it during the application process in case they called the hotel to confirm.
Overall this was a pretty easy experience at the L.A. consulate, other than the requirement to show up in person to be fingerprinted.
The online application system doesn't seem to work at all. I drove to the LA consulate (5.5 hours each way) earlier this month and got fingerprinted and dropped off my application, along with my passport, a passport photo (of me wearing a tie, I read some Angolan embassies require that), flight confirmations, hotel confirmation, copy of yellow fever certificate, cover letter asking them for a transit visa, copy of my entire passport, copy of my electricity bill proving that I live in a state covered by the Los Angeles consulate, etc.
No letter of invitation required for the transit visa - on the blank lines asking me to identify my sponsor I just wrote "SELF-transit" or wrote the hotel address again.
Some Angola embassies/consulates charge $50 for a transit visa. The Los Angeles consulate charges $141, same as a tourist visa. They only take money orders, no credit cards, checks, cash, etc.
After I dropped off my application, I sent them a prepaid envelope to mail the passport and visa back to me, they estimated it would take 8 days.
On day 10 after I submitted the application the tracking info showed that my passport was on the way back to me.
I intend to fly from Brazzaville to Luanda and then fly from Luanda to Lisbon next month. Note: my hotel reservation is not prepaid. I'm going to change from the hotel I was originally booked at, but I didn't dare cancel it during the application process in case they called the hotel to confirm.
Overall this was a pretty easy experience at the L.A. consulate, other than the requirement to show up in person to be fingerprinted.
Feb 13, 2023, 7:44 pm
#42
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 174
just wanted to give a 2023 update for anyone looking to enter LAD or fly TAAG for fun 
:
happy to report that the online pre-visa system works well despite the clunkiness of the website. after submitting everything, I got an email with a pre-approval letter 6 hours later. upon arrival in LAD, they do a yellow fever vaccination check and anyone with a pre-approval letter gets sent into a (poorly marked) room. once inside, an immigration agent will take your documents and then tell you to wait. then, they'll ask you to change your USD $120 into Kwanzas with another guy in the room and you simply hand the cash back to the agent. in the meantime, they'll be printing your visa and sticking it into your passport. once that's done, you're free to go and you go straight to baggage claim. all in all, everything took about 10 minutes but there was only one other person with a pre-approval letter on my flight so YMMV depending on how many people are getting VOAs
:happy to report that the online pre-visa system works well despite the clunkiness of the website. after submitting everything, I got an email with a pre-approval letter 6 hours later. upon arrival in LAD, they do a yellow fever vaccination check and anyone with a pre-approval letter gets sent into a (poorly marked) room. once inside, an immigration agent will take your documents and then tell you to wait. then, they'll ask you to change your USD $120 into Kwanzas with another guy in the room and you simply hand the cash back to the agent. in the meantime, they'll be printing your visa and sticking it into your passport. once that's done, you're free to go and you go straight to baggage claim. all in all, everything took about 10 minutes but there was only one other person with a pre-approval letter on my flight so YMMV depending on how many people are getting VOAs
Feb 21, 2023, 2:00 am
#43
Join Date: Dec 2014
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Posts: 669
Exactly my experience when I travelled to LAD last year on TAAG. We did have to all go for Covid tests in TAAG's hangar enroute to terminal. It was all organised quite well and was quick. Few signs in English though at testing center. I only had one or two other foreigners on my flight. I expect when arriving on EK, AF and LH the queues may be a bit longer.