Angola opens up, put into place visa-free entry to nationals from over 90 countries

**Angola has joined the growing list of countries in Africa allowing visa free entry.**The new policy passed in a resolution last week will allow visa-free entry for 90-day stays to nationals from over 90 countries.

The resolution is contained in Presidential Decree Number 189/23 dated 29 September 2023.  President Joao Lourenco also directed foreign affairs ministry to communicate to the beneficiary countries about the exemption from tourist visas. The 90-day visa-free stay is however granted to people arriving in the country exclusively for tourism purposes.

It comes as the southern African country opens its borders to visitors from a large number of countries to boost its tourism sector.

Fourteen African nations are on the list for the visa-free entry. They include Tanzania, Eswatini, Morocco, Lesotho, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Cape Verde and Algeria. 

Since December 2017, South Africans have not needed visas to visit Angola  when an abolition agreement was signed between both nations.

Only five African countries (Seychelles, Mozambique, Rwanda, Comoros and Madagascar) offer visa-free access or visas on arrival to citizens of all African countries. Europe has 35 countries on the list while Asia has 11 countries.

The United States, Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Russia and China were listed as the country's priority foreign countries.

Angola is the second largest oil producer in Africa. Some of its famous tourist attractions include the National Museum of Slavery, tropical Atlantic beaches, the Sub-Saharan Namib desert and several rivers.