Key facts
Key facts for business in Angola
The short answer
We could not confirm the company registry’s website for Angola. Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Angola before you act.
| Legal system | Civil law |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Portuguese |
| Currency | Angolan kwanza (AOA) |
| Regional blocs | SADC, ECCAS |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 2017 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 2022 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Not a party – documents usually need legalization |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Angola
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) – National Bank of Angola | bna.ao |
| Work and residence permits | Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME) – Migration and Foreigners Service | sme.gov.ao |
| Courts and justice | Tribunal Supremo – República de Angola – Supreme Court of Angola | tribunalsupremo.ao |
We could not confirm an official website for: registering a company, investment promotion, tax. We only link to sites we could open and confirm as the body’s own in October 2026.
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: the national company registry.
- Register for tax. Tax registration: the national tax administration.
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: the national investment agency.
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME).
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA)) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Angola is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Angola for business matters
ALC Advogados
Luanda
BMF – Sociedade de Advogados
Luanda
Fátima Freitas & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados
Luanda, Benguela, Cabinda
LRA Advogados
Luanda
4 firms in Angola list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Angola.
Checking a lawyer in Angola
Who admits lawyers: Ordem dos Advogados de Angola (OAA)
Professional title: Advogado
Official roll: portal.oaa.ao
Search the OAA's online member register (portal.oaa.ao/AssociadosOaa) by name or cédula number; it shows each lawyer's category and status (activo, suspenso, etc.).
Sources: portal.oaa.ao. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Angola: questions
Is Angola a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 2017 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Angola accept apostilles?
Angola is not a party to the Apostille Convention (HCCH status table, checked October 2026), so foreign public documents usually need legalization – typically through the issuing country’s foreign ministry and Angola’s embassy or consulate. Confirm with the authority that will receive the document.
What currency is used in Angola?
Angolan kwanza (AOA).