International convention and customs procedures of Angola

International Conventions

Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Party to the Kyoto Protocol
Party to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Party to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
Party to the International Coffee Agreement

International Economic Cooperation

Member of African Union (AU)

Member of Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Member of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Member of Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)

Member of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Non Tariff Barriers

Non-tarif barriers include: heavy bureaucracy, corruption, long delays in customs control of goods and the legislation on agricultural and food products.

Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports

6.95%

For more details on custom tarifs, see the website of the Customs (in Portuguese).

Customs Classification

Yes

Import Procedures

The process of importing goods into Angola is time-consuming and highly bureaucratic. The World Bank ranks Angola among the countries with the most time-consuming import procedures worldwide in the category of “Trading Across Borders”. Foreign exporters are advised to enquire about customs broker capacities and importing experience when selecting a distributor. Angolan import regulations are subject to periodic changes requiring foreign exporters to maintain close contact with their importer/distributor to avoid customs entry delays.

Importers must be registered with the Ministry of Commerce for the category of product they are importing. Only registered companies can apply for an import license which is required for imports of sensitive products such as food, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, agricultural inputs. To minimise customs problems and delays, foreign companies should ensure that their prospective Angolan distributor holds import registration status for the appropriate product category and has experience importing and representing international products. A competent importer company will have either in-house customs broker capacity or work with a licenced customs broker. Only customs brokers approved by the Angolan government can process customs documentation for imports. Custom broker rates are regulated and cannot exceed 4% CIF value of the product, though the average rate is 2%.

Documentation required for import into Angola includes:

• Original Air Way Bill (AWB) / Bill of Lading (BL)
• Original Commercial Invoice (listing HTS codes for each item)
• Packing List
• - Angolan Loading Certificate issued in the country of shipment
• Import License and/or phytosanitary certificate issued by the relevant Ministry, if required based on product
• Angolan loading certificate
• Shipments bound for Angolan ports require a Loading Certificate (Certificado de Embarque) issued by the National Council of Angolan Shippers (CNCA) authorized agent in the country of origin. 

For more information, please visit the website of the Angolan Tax Authority.

Importing Samples

The import of samples must be authorised by the Customs.

To go further, check out our service Import controls and Export controls.

For Further Information

Angolan Customs Directorate
Business Portal for Africa