Business in Angola

Angola’s formal business sector exists alongside a predominantly informal employment and micro-enterprise economy. At the end of 2025, 69.4 percent of employed people worked informally; the share was 88.8 percent in rural areas, 65.6 percent in cities, 76.0 percent among women and 63.5 percent among men. Formal establishment typically improves legal certainty, access to financing, social protection and certain benefits for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Outside Luanda, service points, internet access and municipal implementation can make access more difficult. The GUE at the Ministério da Justiça e dos Direitos Humanos handles the establishment, amendment and dissolution of businesses. Available forms include individual trader (Comerciante em Nome Individual), private limited company (Sociedade por Quotas) with one or more members, public limited company (Sociedade Anónima) with one or more members, cooperative (Cooperativa) with at least ten members, branch (Sucursal) or representative office (Escritório de Representação), and group of companies (Agrupamento de Empresas) with at least two companies. The GUE offers online and in-person procedures; the online route is available nationwide, while in-person offices include locations in Luanda, Huíla, Benguela, Bié and Malanje. The simplified procedure is available online or in person, but a public deed (Escritura Pública) can only be completed in person. The GUE states a maximum completion time of 24 hours if the documents are complete. For a private limited company, capital of at least 1 kwanza is sufficient; payment may be deferred until the end of the first financial year. A public limited company requires capital equivalent to US$20,000 in kwanza, and that capital must be paid in. Current GUE fees are 9,500 Kz for an individual trader plus 11,880 Kz at the commercial registry (Conservatória), 11,000 Kz for a private limited company and 41,000 Kz for a public limited company. A public deed, notary, commercial registry and certifications may create additional costs. Foreign founders do not need special prior approval to establish a business. They do, however, need legal residence or legal representation, and depending on the case, a passport and visa or residence permit, NIF, email address and telephone number. For corporate shareholders, an up-to-date commercial registry certificate, the NIF and a shareholder resolution are also required; married shareholders must additionally provide their spouse’s details. Before starting a commercial or industrial activity, registration takes place in the General Taxpayers Register (Registo Geral de Contribuintes) with the General Tax Administration (Administração Geral Tributária (AGT)). Individuals are typically subject to IRT Group C (IRT Grupo C), while legal entities are subject to Industrial Tax (Imposto Industrial). Depending on the applicable conditions, the General Regime (Regime Geral) or Simplified Regime (Regime Simplificado) applies. Under the VAT regime, tax audit files for invoice and purchasing data (SAF-T(AO)) and proper invoicing and accounting records are among the ongoing requirements. Accounting records must be kept for at least five years; specific tax deadlines and rates should be checked against the current tax calendar and the individual case. Trading and service businesses regularly need a Single Commercial License (Alvará Comercial Único) or a sector-specific license. Responsibility and procedure depend on the activity and location. Higher-risk activities include food, live animals and plants, fishing, medicines, motor vehicles, fuels, lubricants and chemicals. For lower-risk activities, operations may in some cases begin without a prior Alvará. Typical documents include a commercial certificate (certidão comercial) and identification of the management. For retail and wholesale, fees depend on floor area: 20,000 Kz for 0 to 199 m², 40,000 Kz for 200 to 499 m², 80,000 Kz for 500 to 999 m², 205,000 Kz for 1,000 to 1,999 m² and 355,000 Kz from 2,000 m². The amount and procedure should be confirmed in advance because implementation depends on the activity and municipality. Industrial projects may require project and facility licenses as well as environmental, safety and health requirements. Depending on the activity, imports require an Industrial License (Alvará Industrial) or a wholesale Alvará, together with tax-compliant and INSS-compliant requirements. Prior authorization by the DNI at MINDCOM is free of charge. Registration with the National Social Security Institute (INSS) is mandatory for employers and employees. Under the applicable rules, deadlines are often 30 to 60 days from establishment or the start of work; monthly contributions and notifications concerning the start, changes and end of employment follow. INAPEM classifies formal businesses as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MPME) based on the effective number of employees and gross annual turnover, with turnover taking priority. A micro enterprise has up to ten employees or turnover up to the equivalent of US$250,000; a small enterprise has 11 to 100 employees or turnover above US$250,000 up to US$3 million; and a medium-sized enterprise has 101 to 200 employees or turnover above US$3 million up to US$10 million. Classification generally requires at least six months of activity as well as contracts with and INSS registration of employees. The Certificado MPME is valid for approximately twelve months and must be renewed. Typical evidence includes the NIF, commercial certificate, company and articles-of-association documents, Alvará or equivalent evidence, an employee declaration and tax compliance. If a threshold is exceeded, differentiated treatment ends from the following year. INAPEM offers formalization, training, management advice, business-plan and feasibility support, and assistance with access to financing. Twendy offers incubation and acceleration lasting approximately ten weeks. FUNEA provides repayable financing for employment and self-employment, with microcredit preferably provided through national banks. Credit Amigo targets cooperatives in agriculture, fishing and small-scale industry. PREI supports the local formalization of informal small businesses and may improve access to credit, skills and social protection; actual access depends on the relevant program or call for applications. During operation, businesses must comply with tax returns and payments, invoices and, where applicable, SAF-T, valid licenses, INSS notifications and sector-specific reports. Industrial businesses must submit reports to MINDCOM; missing reports can block further licensing services or lead to suspension of the Alvará. Formal activity provides greater legal, financing and social-protection security, but also creates a greater burden of fees, documentation and compliance than informal activity. The registered office, corporate purpose, capital, shareholders, quotas and legal form can be changed through the GUE. Depending on the transaction, documents may include minutes (Acta), a commercial certificate, identification documents, proof of capital, a new company-name approval, AGT compliance and financial statements. An acquisition or disposal should be legally structured through quotas, assets or a shareholder act; an informal handover does not replace this review. To end a business, the GUE procedure Dissolution and Liquidation (Dissolução e Liquidação) is used. Typical requirements include certified minutes, the latest articles of association or public deed, the commercial certificate, identification documents, an account or balance report and an AGT tax-clearance certificate. The GUE states a completion target of 48 to 72 hours; the procedure is subject to fees. For tax purposes, the General Regime must file Modelo 1 within 60 days, while the Simplified Regime must file its return or Livre within 30 days. Liquidation generally lasts no more than three years from dissolution and may be extended by shareholder resolution by no more than two years. Tax, social-security and licensing obligations continue until proper completion.