Angola: how to get there and transport
How do you get to Angola?
The usual way to visit Angola is by plane.
Airplane
There are direct flights to Luanda from Frankfurt/M, Brussels, Paris and Lisbon. The best way to get to the Cabinda exclave is via Gabon and from there by private plane or helicopter.
Ship
The main shipping ports in the country are Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Namibe and Malongo.
Railway
The railway connections to the neighboring countries are being expanded rapidly. Most of the border crossings to neighboring countries are open again.
Travel in the country
Air connections
There are domestic air connections between all major cities.
Railways
There were three railways within the country, with daily trains running between Luanda and Malanje, Luanda, Lobito and Dilolo as well as Luanda, Mocamedes and Menongue. However, rail transport is very irregular due to the uncertain political situation.
Bus
There are bus connections between the main cities and especially in the coastal region of the country.
Roads, rental cars
A large part of the road network of around 8,000 km was destroyed in the civil war. But in recent years, hundreds of kilometers of roads have been tidied up and often paved. An international driver’s license is required for rental cars.
Ferry connections
Angola has a total of 1,300 km of navigable waterways.
International license plate
Angola’s international license plate is:
| ANG |
Angola: entry and exit regulations
Formalities, visas
To enter Angola, tourists need a passport that is still valid for at least 6 months, a visa and a return or onward ticket. A valid yellow fever vaccination must be proven when entering from a yellow fever infection area. Issuing of visas in Germany
Visa department of the Embassy of Angola
Wallstrasse 58
10179 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 240 89 70
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 24 08 97 57
Email: botschaft@botschaftangola.de
Import and export of foreign currency
Local currency
The import of the local currency is allowed up to an amount of 15,000 Kwanza, the export is prohibited.
Foreign currencies
The import of foreign currency is permitted without restriction, but must be declared. Export is permitted up to the declared amount.
Import and export of goods
The following articles may be imported into Angola duty-free:
400 cigarettes or 500 g cigars or other tobacco products
1l spirits and 2l wine for people aged 18 and over
250 ml eau de toilette or 5 ml perfume or after shave
personal items as well as gifts with a total value of up to US $ 500.
There is a ban on the import of firearms, ammunition, explosives, medicines and foods that are harmful to health, drugs, pornographic material, 100% alcohol, slot machines, plants from infected areas, postage stamps and valuables. A special permit is required for animal products, animals and parts of animals. There are no known restrictions on the export of goods.
Angola: Travel Medicine, Vaccinations, and Warnings
Infectious Diseases
In Angola, the following infectious diseases, which are not or less common in Germany or Central and Northern Europe, are to be expected:
- Malaria: There is a high risk of infection throughout the country, including cities, all year round. Up to 90% of the infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
- HIV infection, AIDS
- Amoebic dysentery
- Schistosomiasis mainly in the Maharashtra area
- cholera
- Dengue fever disease
- Intestinal infections from contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
- Ebola: There are frequent outbreaks of the hemorrhagic Ebola disease.
- Filariasis
- Typhus, especially in the northeast of the country
- Yellow fever, especially in Luanda and Bengo provinces
- Hepatitis A and B
- Marburg fever: There are frequent outbreaks of the hemorrhagic Marburg fever.
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Polio, polio
- Sleeping sickness
- tetanus
- rabies
- typhus
- Tick bite fever
Vaccination recommendations
- Diphtheria – a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist, also in the home country.
- Yellow fever – absolutely !!
- Hepatitis A and B
- Polio, polio – vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country.
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Tetanus – a vaccination against tetanus should always exist, also in the home country.
- Rabies – but only for high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals.
- Typhoid – but only for travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Compulsory vaccination
For all persons older than one year and coming from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO, there is a compulsory vaccination against an illness with yellow fever. Since the country itself is one of the yellow fever infection areas designated by the WHO, vaccination is always strongly recommended.
Malaria prophylaxis
When traveling in the country, it is strongly advised to undergo malaria prophylaxis. However, if the side effects seem questionable to you, you should at least have a “stand-by preparation” with you.
Who pays for vaccinations in Germany?
Most people in Germany are vaccinated against a number of infectious diseases at an early age. However, the vaccination protection only lasts up to 10 years, in some cases even shorter. Therefore, before traveling abroad, you should carefully consider against which infectious diseases a vaccination is necessary or useful in the country concerned and whether the vaccination protection, if applicable, was not too long ago.
Most statutory health insurances have been reimbursing the costs for the following vaccinations since June 2007. There is even no 10 € practice fee – but the insured usually have to pay the statutory additional payment, which is 10% of the vaccine price – that is at least 5 € and a maximum of 10 €. Under these conditions, the following vaccinations are free of charge. Some health insurance companies also reimburse the cost of malaria prophylaxis. As a rule, private health insurance companies (inquire beforehand) also cover the costs mentioned.
- cholera
- diphtheria
- Early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE)
- Yellow fever
- Hepatitis A and B
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Pneumococci
- Polyo (polio)
- Tetanus (tetanus)
- rabies
- typhus
Current warnings
Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
Citizens Service
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 2000
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 51000
www.auswaertiges-amt.de
Angola: currency, shopping and exchange rate
The national currency of Angola is the
Kwanza (AON) = 100 Lwei.
The following banknotes are valid and in circulation in the country:
- 5
- 10
- 50
- 100 AON
Exchange rate
The exchange rate to the euro and other currencies can be found at the following URL:
http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic
Bank opening times
Banks in Angola are open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Shop
Shop opening times
The shops in Angola are usually open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays sometimes from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Inexpensive or country-specific goods, souvenirs
Souvenirs from Angola are wood carvings, jewelery made of ivory, wood and shells as well as plates painted with sand.
Angola: embassies and consulates
Representations of Angola in Germany
The embassy of the Republic of Angola in Berlin is located on Wallstrasse in the immediate vicinity of the Brazilian embassy. On May 28, 2001, the Angolan embassy moved into the first floor of the commercial building built between 1999 and 2000 by the Berlin architects Pysall, Stahrenberg und Partner together with the building of the Brazilian embassy. If you want to visit the embassy by public transport, you can use the underground line 2 – Bahnhof “Märkisches Museum” or the bus line 265. Both stops are less than 100 m from the embassy.
Embassy of the Republic of Angola
Wallstrasse 58
10179 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 2408 970
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 2408 9712
Email: botschaft@botschaftangola.de
botschaftangola.de
Consulate General of the Republic of Angola in Frankfurt am Main
Lyoner Strasse 34, 6th floor
60528 Frankfurt/Main
Tel: 0049 – (0) 69 – 6605 3780
Fax: 0049 – (0) 69 – 6605 37810
Email: info@generalkonsulat-angola.de
Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Angola in Bremen
Utbremer Straße 67 (in the house of B&O Gebäudetechnik GmbH & Co.KG)
28217 Bremen
Tel: 0049 – (0) 421 – 3802 3929
Fax: 0049 – (0) 421 – 3802 3917
Email: jens.bruns@online.de
German representations in Angola
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Luanda
Avenida 4 de Fevreiro
120, Luanda
Embaixada da República Federal da Alemanha
Caixa Postal 12 95
Luanda, Angola
Tel: 00244 – (0) 222 – 334 773
00244 – (0) 222 – 399 269
00244 – (0) 222 – 334 516
Fax: 00244 – (0) 222 – 37 25 51
Email: info@luanda.diplo.de
Austrian representations in Angola
The Federal Republic of Austria does not have a diplomatic representation in Angola; the embassy is responsible in:
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Austria in Harare
13, Duthie Road, Alexandra Park
Harare, Zimbabwe
POBox 4120
Harare
Tel: 00263 – (0) 4 – 702 921
00263 – (0) 4 – 702 922
00263 – (0) 4 – 707 648
Fax: 00263 – (0) 4 – 705 877
Email: harare-ob @ bmeia.gv.at
The Austrian Embassy in Zimbabwe is still responsible for:
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Zambia
Representations of Angola in Austria
Embassy of the Republic of Angola
Seilerstätte 15/10 – 11
1010 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 718 7488
Fax: 0043 – (0) 1 – 718 7486
Email: embangola.viena@embangola.at
www.embangola.at
Swiss representation in Angola
Embassy Harare, Embassy of Switzerland in Luanda
Rua Agostinho Tomé das Neves 8
Bairro da Maianga
Luanda
Angola
Embaixada da Suiça
Caixa Postal 3163
Correio central
Luanda
Angola
Tel: 00244 – (0) 222 – 353 710
00244 – (0) 222 – 352 316
Fax: 00244 – (0) 222 – 353 689
Email: luanda@sdc.net
www. swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/southernafrica
Representations of Angola in Switzerland
Embassy of the Republic of Angola in Bern
Laubeggstrasse 18
3006 Bern
Tel: 0041 – (0) 31 – 351 8585
Fax: 0041 – (0) 31 – 351 8586
berna@ambassadeangola.ch
www.ambassadeangola.ch
