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How to start a business in Angola as a foreigner (2026)

Starting a business in Angola as a foreigner: moderate.

Angola significantly liberalised foreign business entry through the 2018 Private Investment Law (No. 10/18), abolishing the prior mandatory local-partner requirement and removing minimum investment thresholds, enabling 100% foreign ownership in most sectors. Company formation is channelled through the one-stop Guichet Único de Empresa (GUE), which offers online and in-person simplified registration that can be completed in hours for straightforward cases. Practical impediments, including corruption, foreign-exchange controls, and sector-specific restrictions in oil, mining, maritime, and banking, temper the formal openness and place overall ease of entry at a moderate level.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Angola with other countries

Legal framework

Private Investment Law No. 10/18 of 26 June 2018 (as amended by Law No. 10/21 of 22 April 2021); Lei das Sociedades Comerciais (Lei No. 1/04 of 13 February 2004); Lei de Simplificação No. 11/15; administered by AIPEX (investment certificates) and Guichet Único de Empresa, GUE (company registration)

Key points: starting a business in Angola

  1. Foreign ownership liberalised

    Law No. 10/18 (2018) abolished the prior requirement that at least 35% of share capital be held by Angolan nationals, enabling 100% foreign ownership in most sectors. Sector-specific restrictions persist: the oil/petroleum sector is governed by the Local Content Law (Presidential Decree No. 271/20 of 20 October 2020), Angolan nationals must hold a majority stake in maritime shipping agencies, and banking and mining retain their own special regulatory regimes.

    investmentpolicy.unctad.org state.gov investmentpolicy.unctad.org

  2. One-stop registration via GUE

    The Guichet Único de Empresa (GUE), operating at gue.gov.ao, is the official single-window for company formation, alteration, and dissolution. Simplified incorporation of an LDA or SA can be done online or in-person and completed in a matter of hours; practical operational setup including corporate bank account opening typically extends to several additional weeks.

    gue.gov.ao gue.gov.ao

  3. Minimum capital requirements

    For a Sociedade por Quotas (LDA), minimum share capital is the Kwanza equivalent of approximately USD 1,000; for a Sociedade Anónima (SA), the equivalent of USD 20,000, with at least one-third paid at formation. The Simplification Law (Lei No. 11/15 of 17 June 2015) relaxed mandatory minimum capital for LDAs formed through the simplified GUE procedure.

    lex.ao angolex.com

  4. AIPEX foreign investment certificate

    Foreign investors may incorporate a company without prior AIPEX registration. After incorporation, investors must register with the Angola Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AIPEX) to obtain a Private Investment Registration Certificate (CRIP), which is required to legally repatriate dividends and access tax and customs incentives. Applications are submitted via AIPEX's electronic SETIP platform, with supporting documents including proof of funds and company articles.

    practiceguides.chambers.com state.gov

  5. Large-investment contractual regime

    Investments exceeding USD 10 million fall under the contractual regime introduced by amending Law No. 10/21 (22 April 2021): a negotiated investment contract must be authorised by the Council of Ministers and signed by the President, adding significant procedural complexity and time for large foreign investments.

    investmentpolicy.unctad.org investmentpolicy.unctad.org

  6. 2023 licensing simplification

    Presidential Decree No. 172/23 (August 2023) replaced multiple prior commercial authorisations with a single indefinitely valid commercial licence, further streamlining the process for commencing commercial activity following company registration.

    investmentpolicy.unctad.org

Timeline of decisions

  1. Law
    National Assembly Unanimously Passes Landmark Startup Law

    Angola's parliament approved the Startup Law, creating the country's first legal definition of a startup, a pre-seed financing mechanism, and a 75% tax reduction for business angels, building the legal scaffolding for an AI and tech-startup ecosystem.

    TechAfrica News

  2. Law · official
    Presidential Decree 148/25: Informal Economy Reconversion Programme (PREI) approved

    Approved the Programa de Reconversão da Economia Informal (PREI), valid through 2027 under the National Development Plan 2023-2027, to integrate informal traders and micro-enterprises into the formal economy via simplified registration and tax compliance pathways. Directly addresses Angola's large informal sector, which suppresses formal business creation.

    Lex Angola – Diário da República

  3. Decision · official
    EU-Angola SIFA enters into force

    The first-ever EU Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (signed 17 November 2023 in Luanda) became legally operative, committing both parties to streamlined FDI procedures, enhanced transparency, and reduced administrative barriers for investors. Provides an external anchor for continued business-environment reforms and signals Angola's alignment with international investment standards.

    EUR-Lex – European Union

  4. Guidance · official
    UNCTAD Third Investment Policy Review of Angola published

    UNCTAD's third IPR assessed Angola's investment climate and made recommendations on company registration, licensing reform, and FDI facilitation, highlighting remaining procedural bottlenecks and endorsing continued one-stop-shop digitalisation. The review benchmarks Angola's progress and shapes donor-supported reform priorities.

    UNCTAD Investment Policy Hub

  5. Law
    Regulatory Decree 172/23: Single indefinite commercial licence introduced

    Replaced the previous system of multiple sector-specific licences requiring periodic renewal with a single commercial licence valid indefinitely, significantly cutting the time and cost of activating a new business after company registration. Recognised as one of the most concrete business-entry reforms of the 2023-2027 NDP cycle.

    U.S. Department of State – 2024 Investment Climate Statement

  6. Decision · official
    Presidential Decree 167/20: Janela Única de Investimento (JUI) single investment window created

    Established Angola's Single Investment Window, a unified portal coordinating all public agencies involved in approving foreign investment projects and eliminating the need for separate filings with multiple ministries. Administered by AIPEX, the JUI became the central digital entry point for FDI registration and incentive applications.

    GUE – Guichet Único da Empresa (Angola)

  7. Law · official
    Law 10/18: New Private Investment Law, ANIP replaced by AIPEX

    Replaced the prior private investment law, eliminating the USD 1 million minimum capital threshold for foreign investors, removing the mandatory local-partnership requirement, and restructuring ANIP into AIPEX (Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency) as the single investment-approval authority. One of Angola's most significant post-independence liberalisation steps for new business formation.

    UNCTAD Investment Policy Hub

  8. Law · official
    Lei 11/15: Law on Simplification of Commercial Company Formation

    Eliminated the mandatory notarial public deed for company acts and abolished the statutory minimum share capital for limited-liability companies (Lda.), allowing founders to set any capital amount freely, and enabled same-day company incorporation through the GUE. The most consequential procedural reform since the foundational 2004 Companies Law, cutting registration from weeks to hours for standard structures.

    Lex Angola – Diário da República

  9. Law · official
    Lei 1/04: Commercial Companies Law, foundational modern statute enacted

    Replaced Angola's colonial-era 1888 Commercial Code with a comprehensive framework defining all company types (Lda., SA, and others), governance structures, shareholder rights, and registration requirements. Established the legal architecture on which all subsequent business-registration reform has been built.

    Lex Angola – Diário da República

Sources

  1. investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-laws/laws/252/angola-private-investment-law
  2. investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-policy-monitor/measures/3705/amendments-to-the-private-inv
  3. state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/638719_2025-Angola-Investment-Climate-Stat
  4. gue.gov.ao/portal/empresas-e-negocio-constituicao
  5. gue.gov.ao/portal/public/assets/pdf/folheto_informativo_abertura_ingles.pdf
  6. lex.ao/docs/assembleia-nacional/2015/lei-n-o-11-15-de-17-de-junho/
  7. practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/investing-in-2025/angola/trends-and-developments
  8. investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-policy-monitor/7/angola
  9. investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-policy-monitor/measures/3264/angola-adoption-of-new-privat
  10. angolex.com/paginas/leis/lei-das-sociedades-comerciais.html

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Orientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026