Angola

Sending items to Angola – general advice

All shipments must be accompanied by the original Commercial Invoice – Proforma Invoices are not accepted. All invoices must be typed in both English (for export process and manifesting) and in Portuguese for the clearance process. Delays may occur if a shipment only includes an English invoice.

The Commercial Invoice should be on company letterhead and include the Customs Harmonised tariff code and country of origin. The invoice value must be accurate – avoid writing “zero value”.

The receiver’s Tax ID number should be indicated on the invoice. It should state the total CIF value and be itemised showing the quantity with the cost per item and total charge.

Generic descriptions such as “Personal effects” are not accepted. Shipments must be accompanied by a complete inventory of individual contents with quantities and values per item. The total charge on the Commercial Invoice should be the same as the declared value on the Waybill.

Importers of non-document (goods) shipments must be registered taxpayers. The receiver’s name on the Waybill must match the name on the Commercial Invoice and Tax ID card. Shipments with discrepancies will experience additional delays of at least 72 hours. The Waybill, Invoice and other accompanying paperwork must be originals – photocopies are not acceptable.

BIVAC (Bureau Inspection Valuation Assessment Control) is contracted to Angola Customs. Please check with BIVAC  prior to shipping for inspection requirements. Products with a CIF value larger than USD 5,000.00 may incur an optional inspection fees.

For DDP (Deliver Duty Paid) inbound shipments, you must inform DHL before shipping. DDP requests made after the shipment has arrived will not be accepted.

For shipments transiting through Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD) into the provinces, Customs will issue a transit process locally known as ‘Regime 51’. Once at the final destination, the receiver will have to finalise the process with ‘Regime 11’ or ‘Regime 12’ to complete the import clearance process and pay the duties to receive the shipment. This new process will lead to an anticipated processing time of 24-48 hours.

Shipments with a CIF value of up to USD 360.00 will experience no additional delays and will be cleared on the day of arrival (COA). Shipments with CIF value up to USD 2,500.00 will be cleared informally and may experience delays of 2-3 days. Shipments with a CIF value up to USD 4,999.00 will experience delays of 3-4 days. Shipments with a CIF value of more than USD 5,000.00 will experience High Value Formal Clearance, which can take 5-7 days. These shipments must be stamped by the Angola Trade Ministry before they are submitted to Customs, and must include a written request to CIDAC including all relevant support documentation before it is submitted to the SIMINCO system.

For very high value shpt sent to Angola (500.000,00), a ministry of commerce license of importation is needed. Therefore an intention to ship such to Angola needs to be addressed in writing to CIDAC (Centro Integrado de desenvolvimento das Actividades Comerciais) prior to shipping.

Communications and telecommunications equipment including mobile phones and laptops; computer components and parts; other electronic equipment and electronic games: Please pre-alert DHL before sending these items. List transit stations and seal numbers as part of the shipment.

Drones: Can only be imported by government entities. Toy drones will be retained by Angola Customs.

Temporary imports: Pre-authorisation is required from the Angola Customs Manger. Please contact DHL prior to shipping.

X-ray machines: Please contact the destination prior to shipment for any licenses or permit requirements.

Commodities considered as Documents

Angola Customs defines a document as general correspondence (business or private) as well as the items listed below. Please take notice of the limited quantities:

• Advertising brochures and pamphlets ²
• Airline tickets, issued or validated
• Annual reports
• Artwork including drawings / proofs / layouts
• Blank forms
• Blueprints
• Booklets, brochures (non-advertising) ¹
• Books: hardback or paperback for non-commercial use ¹
• Business cards ³
• Calendars
• Catalogues
• Charts and graphs
• Cheques, cashier (NI)
• Credit card blanks (NI)
• Credit cards (NI)
• Deeds
• Documents, general business
• Invoices, not blank
• Labels
• Magazines, periodicals, journals
• Manuals, technical
• Manuscripts
• Maps
• Music, printed or manuscript
• Negatives, including x-rays and films
• Newspapers
• Pamphlets
• Passports
• Personal mail
• Photographs
• Photographs as part of business reports
• Plans and drawings – architectural / industrial / engineering purposes
• Playing cards ²
• Price lists
• Price tickets for garments
• Publications for public resale
• Shipping schedules
• Transparencies
• Visa applications

 

1. Max quantity: 5 sets
2. Max weight: 20 kg (44 lb)
3. Max quantity: 500 items

 

NI = A negotiable instrument is a document guaranteeing the payment of a specific amount of money, either on demand, or at a set time, with the payer named on the document

Items requiring pre-shipment inspection

A pre-shipment inspection is required for the following items:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Animals and animal products
  • Animal oils
  • Fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic invertebrates
  • Live animals
• Chemical products including organic chemicals, fertilisers, miscellaneous chemical products, and inorganic chemicals
• Foodstuffs:
  • Animal meats
  • Beverages
  • Cereal products, including grain samples, malt, starch, gluten, pastry
  • Citrus peel
  • Cocoa and cocoa products or preparation
  • Confectionery
  • Creamers (mate)
  • Eggs (all kinds)
  • Fodder
  • Fruit
  • Honey
  • Nuts
  • Seeds, grains
  • Spices
  • Straw
  • Sugars
  • Tubers
  • Vegetables
  • Vinegar
• Mineral fuels, oils, waxes, other products of distillation, and bituminous substances
• Motor spares and equipment from H8407,8408,8426,8427,8430, as well as used motor vehicles, tractors, bicycles, other terrestrial vehicles, and their machine and electronic parts and accessories (HS8707,8708,8710,8713,8714,8715 are except)
• Organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals and rare-earth metals containing radioactive elements or isotopes (these may be contained in prescription and non-prescription drugs as well as medical samples)
• Pharmaceutical products, including medical and dental supplies and equipment
• Plant products (not strictly meant for human consumption):
  • Bulbs
  • Cut flowers
  • Fodder
  • Grains
  • Live trees
  • Ornamental and false foliage
  • Plants
  • Plants for medicinal or industrial use
  • Roots
  • Seeds
  • Straw
• Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes
• Toys
• Waxes and oils (animal or plant)

 

Prohibited items

The following items are specifically not allowed to be sent with DHL to Angola. This is in addition to DHL’s Globally standard list of prohibited items which can be found here.

• Antiques
• Asbestos
• Dangerous goods, including hazardous or combustible materials
• Firearms, parts of
• Furs
• Gambling devices
• Isopropanol
• Jewellery
• Military equipment
• Oil products
• Perishables
• Plants
• Precious metals and stones

 

Size and Weight notes

The maximum weight per shipment is 300 kg (660.0 lb). The maximum weight per piece is 70.0 kg (154.0 lb). The maximum dimensions of each shipment are length: 120.0 cm (47 in); height: 120.0 cm (47.0 in); width: 100.0 cm (39.0 in). Pallets are accepted. If you are planning to send shipments exceeding these limits, please contact DHL.