How long can I work in Angola as a foreign national?
Contract duration, two renewals and a work visa of up to 365 days: what to track to remain lawfully employed.
There is no single number of years that applies to every foreign national. The answer depends on the person’s employment regime, contract term and current immigration authorisation. For a non-resident foreign worker, the contract and work visa follow different rules and must be tracked together.
1. The contract: agreed term and renewal limit
Article 7 of Presidential Decree 49/25 provides for a fixed-term contract for a non-resident foreign worker, with duration freely agreed between the parties, and permits only two renewals. That renewal count is not a universal two-, three- or five-year limit.
Check the initial term, renewals already used, written terms and applicable registration. A project change or new document should not be assumed to restart the count automatically. Assess any successive relationship before formalising it.
2. The visa: up to 365 days per period
Article 55 of Law 13/19 permits stay on a work visa for up to 365 days, renewable for an equal period until the underlying employment contract ends. Work is tied to the activity and employer for which the visa was issued; it does not automatically confer residence.
A contract longer than a year does not mean the visa already covers that entire period. Record the actual expiry date and arrange the necessary extensions in advance. Renewing the contract does not itself renew the visa.
3. Before continuing work, leaving or returning
Keep a calendar covering the contract, visa, passport, supporting documents and family permits. Assign responsibility for preparation, submission and follow-up. Confirm with SME how a pending application affects work, stay, departure and re-entry.
For rotations, account for mobilisation days and check the next entry. Periodic overseas travel does not replace a required extension. If the employer or activity changes, confirm the necessary immigration steps before starting the new role.
4. Residence, family and the end of employment
A foreign resident or temporary-stay holder with work rights may have a different framework from a non-resident worker on a work visa. Confirm the actual status before applying Presidential Decree 49/25. Residence does not arise automatically from time spent under an employment contract.
When employment ends, coordinate authority notifications, final payments, agreed accommodation, return travel and dependants’ status. Confirm the applicable deadlines; do not assume a visa continues to permit the same work after its underlying basis ends.
Templates and checklists
AKIU planning resources in Portuguese, reviewed on 13 October 2026. Follow the competent authority’s current forms and instructions.
Declaration to respect Angolan laws
Editable template with fields and signing instructions.
General checklist and sector appendices
Worker, employer, documents, offshore, family and reception arrangements.
Mobilisation cost planner
Initial and recurring expenses, official charges and guarantees.
Supporting templates, not government-issued forms. The applicable file depends on the person, purpose, sector and consular post.
Sources and further reading
- Presidential Decree 49/25 — non-resident foreign worker rules ↗
- Law 13/19 — Article 55 (Official Gazette; copy from LEX.AO) ↗
- Presidential Decree 163/20 — extensions and procedures ↗
General planning guidance, published on the date shown. Confirm the current requirements and arrangements for your particular operation before committing to a contract or mobilisation.
Turn your plan into a defined request.
Share your operating context with AKIU so that the scope, responsibilities and next steps can be assessed.
Plan employment continuity →