The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Palmeirinhas · Luanda · Parc national de Cameia · Benguela · Soyo
- Best season
- May to February, from Luanda’s normals
- Length
- Allow at least 10 days for these 5 essentials, one stop every two or three days. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Ideal
November
Luanda: mean maximum 29 °C, 32 mm of rain · dry and mild.
- Mean maximum
- 29 °C
- Rain
- 32 mm
- Station
- Luanda
Source: Wikipedia (climate normals)
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/angola/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive in Angola and have at least 2 blank pages. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
- You do not need a visa to visit Angola for up to 30 days, if visiting for tourism. If travelling for work, study or business, you must get a visa in advance. If you do not have a visa, or if you have the wrong visa, you may be stopped from boarding or detained at the airport on arrival.
- There is a risk of yellow fever transmission in Angola. This means you will need a certificate of yellow fever vaccination for some onward travel, including to South Africa. For full details about health entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Angola guide.
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- At least 8 weeks before your trip: Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of Angola. Read more about altitude sickness on TravelHealthPro.
- There are several competent private clinics in Luanda. They charge high fees in advance. Outside Luanda healthcare is very limited. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
Vigilance zones published by France Diplomatie (in French) · page updated on 15 Sept 2026 · see the official map
- Orange · Zones déconseillées sauf raison impérative (en orange)
Lunda Sul et Lunda Norte
Les déplacements dans les provinces diamantifères de Lunda Sul et Lunda Norte sont déconseillés, sauf pour raison impérative, du fait de la présence de trafiquants.
- Yellow · Le reste du pays est en vigilance renforcée (en jaune)
Il convient néanmoins d’être vigilant à Luanda, en fin de journée, dans le secteur d’Ilha, très fréquenté pour ses restaurants et clubs de nuit.
- There is a high level of crime in Luanda, some of it violent. Muggers can be armed and some attacks have been fatal. If you are attacked, hand over your money and valuables immediately. Most international companies and organisations operating in Angola have security rules for staff.
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- Drug taking and smuggling are offences. Punishments can be severe and prison conditions are very poor.
Currency
kwanzaViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Angola. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 39,040,039
- Time zone
- no time difference with Paris
- Plugs and voltage
- Type C plugs · 220 V
- Driving side
- Driving on the right
- Calling code
- +244
- Languages
- Portuguese
- Area
- 1,246,700 km²
- Highest point
- Mount Moco, 2,619 m
- Main religions
- Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%, other 8.6%, none 12.3%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- LADQuatro de Fevereiro AirportLuanda2.4 M passengers · official site
- NZANzagi AirportNzagi (Andrada)
- ARZN'zeto AirportN'Zeto
- CXMCamaxilo Airport
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- If you are planning to drive in Angola, see information on driving abroad. Road conditions vary significantly, particularly outside major urban centres, where infrastructure may be poor and emergency response capacity limited.
Destinations
The essentials.
Palmeirinhas
Luanda
Luanda is the capital and largest city of Angola.
Parc national de Cameia
Cameia National Park is a national park in the Moxico Leste province of Angola, located about 1100 m above sea level.
Benguela
Benguela (Portuguese pronunciation: [bẽˈɡɛlɐ]; Umbundu: Luombaka) is a city in western Angola, capital of Benguela Province.
Soyo
Soyo (formerly known as Santo António do Zaire) is a city, with a population of 200,920 (2014 census), and a municipality, with a population of 221,555 (2024 census), located in the province of Zaire in Angola, at the mouth of the Congo River.
Luanda
Filmed by usMust-try food
Six dishes, and where to taste them.
Muamba de Galinha
Moambe chicken (French: poulet à la moambe or simply poulet moambe, Portuguese: moamba de galinha) is a savory chicken dish popular in Central Africa and considered the national dish of Angola, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Cong
Calulu
Calulu is a typical dish from Angola (Angolan cuisine) and São Tomé and Príncipe (Cuisine of São Tomé and Príncipe). Preparations of it can include fish or meat.
Funge
Funge or fúngi (Angola) or mfundi (Congo - DRC and the Congo Republic) is a traditional African swallow made of cassava flour whisked into boiling water. It can also be made with sorghum, maize, or millet. It can be served with textured vegetable, fish, or mea
Mufete
Poisson grillé servi avec haricots, manioc et bananes plantains. (summary in French)
Kizaca
Feuilles de manioc cuisinées avec arachides et parfois poisson. (summary in French)
Catatos
Catatos is a traditional Angolan dish made with fried caterpillars and garlic. It is often served over rice. The dish is a specialty of the Uíge Province in northwestern Angola.
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Bom diagood morning
- Obrigadothank you
- Por favorplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%, other 8.6%, none 12.3%.
- Languages: Portuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, Fiote 2.4%, Kwanhama 2.3%, Muhumbi 2.1%, Luvale 1%, other 3.6% (2014 est.).
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Independence Day, 11 November (1975) ; independence: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal).
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
The country’s highest point, Mount Moco, reaches 2,619 m.
39,040,039 inhabitants in 2025 on 1,246,700 km², about 31 per km².
Independence on 11 November 1975 (from Portugal).
The country on video
Angola, in motion.
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank). No investment advice.
GDP per capita (current US$)3.1World Bank · 2025GDP growth3.1 %World Bank · 2025Inflation (consumer prices)20.2 %World Bank · 2025Unemployment (ILO estimate)14.1 %World Bank · 2025International tourist arrivals218World Bank · 2019
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
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Sources and verification dates · 20 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Wikidata · Angola (Q916)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Angola · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Angola · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Angola · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (Portuguese)
- Wikipedia · Moamba de galinha (pt article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Calulu (fr article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Funge (fr article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Mufete (pt article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Quizaca (pt article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Catatos
- Wikipedia · Luanda
- Wikipedia · Parc national de Cameia
- Wikipedia · Benguela
- Wikipedia · Soyo
- CIA World Factbook · Angola (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Angola · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Luanda · monthly normals (Deutscher Wetterdienst (rain, humidity and sun 1961–1990){{cite web) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.
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