angola visa - easy?
 

picking up on a comment by B747-437B in another thread...

I'm trying to get to Angola, and need a visa. I can probably get an invitation letter from my local contact (citizen), and the paperwork hoops don't look too onerous, so is it actually fairly straightforward?

The FCO website mentions that applying can 'take a long time. You should apply at least eight weeks in advance' :eek: Does anyone have recent experience, ideally applying in the UK?

thanks

Let me know what you find out, as I'm trying to do the same for a January trip. I'm hoping to get the hotel to issue an invite letter, but I've also heard the embassy is less than cooperative here in DC.

My last Angola visa (granted - it was around 4-5 years ago) needed ambassador level intervention to get issued in under a week. They are quite possibly the most anally retentive bureaucrats I've ever dealt with (and having spent much of my life working in Africa, that's a pretty high bar!).

trip postponed until next year, so looks like ironmanjt will get first chance to report on pain level.....

The Houston consulate supposedly requires personal interview... I've been trying to figure out how to get the invitation letter.

We probably shouldn't mention our intent to visa Cabinda... :D

I have some folks with contacts at the embassy here in DC looking into it, I'll let folks know what I find out.

We might have better luck for a transit visa... going Congo -> Cabinda -> Luanda -> Sao Tome if that's the plan.

Apparently, it's one of the more difficult visas to get.

I got one for work, as a British passport holder, but it still took several weeks of 'processing' - even with the most dedicated/professional visa agents working on it.

Good luck :-)

I've been lucky on visas so far :) Even got a Saudi and Eritrea visa this year.

Why does Angola make it so hard to visit? I was thinking about hopping over on a Namibia trip but didn't feel like playing their games...

ironmanjt was able to get his visa just in a day or two... I'm still waiting on mine from Houston...

:D:D:D

24 hours to be precise...but that was after 6 or 7 visits until they finally gave me a mildly clear story on the requirements :D

Not my experience but close. My nephew and his wife live there. She is the deputy US ambassador(in charge for now as new ambassador not yet confirmed). Anyway they were flying back to Houston for home leave earlier this year. My sister was flying down to join them on the Disney Cruise from Galveston. Anyway she emailed consul and set up appointment for my sister and her husband to get tourist visas as they needed them to return grandkids back there after they had come home for summer. Wasnt even a day for visa application but they ushered them into a conference room. No problem getting the visas. I guess the deputy ambassador gets more respect than us common folks. They went and came back. Not too impressed with Luanda for sure.

Not remotely comparable, however. Diplomatic visas are a whole different story.