Employer of Record in Angola

An Employer of Record (EOR) in Angola helps you hire employees there without setting up a local entity. This means you can build a team in Angola while the EOR handles all the legal and HR work. An EOR, like Rivermate, becomes the legal employer for your team members, managing payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance with Angolan labor laws. You still manage your employees' day-to-day work and responsibilities.

How an Employer of Record (EOR) Works in Angola

Using an EOR in Angola simplifies your expansion. The process is straightforward and lets you onboard new talent quickly.

Here is how it works:

1. You Find the Talent: You recruit and select the best person for the job in Angola.
2. The EOR Hires Them: The EOR legally hires your chosen candidate through a local, compliant employment contract.
3. Onboarding Starts: The EOR manages all the necessary paperwork for the new hire. This includes registering them for social security and other mandatory contributions.
4. Payroll and Benefits are Managed: The EOR processes payroll, ensuring your employee gets paid correctly and on time. They also handle taxes and benefits according to Angolan law.
5. You Manage Your Team: You direct your employee's daily tasks and projects. The EOR remains in the background, handling all HR administrative duties.

Why use an Employer of Record in Angola

Expanding your business into a new country like Angola can be complex. An EOR removes many of these challenges, saving you time and money. It allows you to enter the Angolan market and hire local talent without the major step of establishing a legal entity in the country.

Here are some key benefits:

• Avoids Local Entity Setup: You can hire employees in Angola without the cost and time required to register a local company.
• Ensures Legal Compliance: EORs are experts in Angolan labor law. They make sure your employment contracts, payroll, and benefits all follow local regulations.
• Simplifies HR and Payroll: The EOR handles all administrative tasks. This includes processing salaries, managing tax withholdings, and making social security contributions.
• Faster Market Entry: You can onboard new employees in a matter of days instead of the months it might take to set up a business.
• Reduces Risk: An EOR takes on the legal responsibilities of an employer, which lowers your risk of non-compliance with local labor laws.

Rivermate's transparent pricing model eliminates complexity with a single, competitive monthly fee per employee. Unlike traditional PEO providers, our pricing in Angola includes comprehensive HR support, benefits administration, compliance management, and access to our proprietary dashboard for real-time workforce analytics. No hidden costs, no setup fees—just straightforward pricing that scales with your business needs while ensuring full legal compliance in Angola.

Hiring in Angola means tapping into a growing economy, but it also means navigating a unique set of labor laws. To hire compliantly, you need to understand the local rules, from employment contracts to payroll taxes. For companies expanding into Angola, it's important to get these details right to ensure a smooth and legal employment process.

Employment contracts & must-have clauses

When you hire an employee in Angola, a written contract is the standard. For foreign employees, it's a requirement. Contracts should be in Portuguese and use the local currency, the Angolan Kwanza (AOA).

There are two main types of employment contracts in Angola:

• Indefinite-term contracts: These are for permanent positions and are the most common type of employment agreement.
• Fixed-term contracts: You can use these for temporary work or specific projects, but they must be justified.

Your employment contracts must include several key clauses to be compliant:

• Full names and addresses of both you and the employee
• Job title and a clear description of duties
• The workplace location
• Salary, benefits, and how payments will be calculated
• The start date of employment
• Whether the contract is for an indefinite or fixed term
• Details on the probationary period, if you have one
• Information on annual leave and other types of leave

Probation periods

In Angola, you can include a probationary period in your employment contracts to see if a new hire is a good fit. While not mandatory, it's a common practice. The length of the probation period depends on the type of contract and the employee's role.

During the probation period, either you or the employee can end the contract without notice.

Working hours & overtime

The standard workweek in Angola is 44 hours, typically eight hours per day. Anything beyond these hours is considered overtime.

Here are the limits on overtime:

• 2 hours per day
• 40 hours per month
• 200 hours per year

Overtime pay rates depend on the size of your company and the number of overtime hours worked. For the first 30 hours of overtime in a month, the additional pay rates are:

• Large companies: 50% of the regular pay
• Medium companies: 30% of the regular pay
• Small companies: 20% of the regular pay
• Micro companies: 10% of the regular pay

Public & regional holidays

Angola has a number of public holidays that your employees are entitled to take off. The holidays for 2024 are:

• January 1: New Year's Day
• February 4: Day of the Armed Struggle
• February 12-13: Carnival
• March 8: International Women's Day
• March 23: Southern Africa Liberation Day
• March 29: Good Friday
• April 4: Day of Peace and Reconciliation
• May 1: Labour Day
• September 17: National Heroes Day
• November 2: All Souls' Day
• November 11: Independence Day
• December 25: Christmas Day

Hiring contractors in Angola

Hiring independent contractors in Angola can give you flexibility and access to specialized skills without the commitment of a full-time employee. Contractors work on a project basis and are responsible for their own taxes and social security contributions.

However, it's important to get the relationship right. If you treat a contractor like an employee, you risk misclassifying them. This can lead to serious consequences, including fines and being required to pay back taxes and benefits.

An Employer of Record (EOR) can help you avoid these risks. An EOR can legally hire employees on your behalf, taking on the responsibility for compliance with local labor laws. This means you can work with talent in Angola without having to set up a local entity or worry about misclassification. An EOR handles payroll, taxes, benefits, and employment contracts, ensuring everything is done by the book.

Navigating compensation and payroll in Angola requires a clear understanding of the local rules. You need to pay your employees on time and follow all regulations for taxes and contributions. This ensures you stay compliant and can focus on growing your business.

Payroll cycles & wage structure

In Angola, the payroll cycle is typically monthly. You should pay your employees by the last working day of the month. Payments are usually made through bank transfers.

Your wage structure must include a 13th and 14th month salary. The 13th month salary is a vacation bonus, and the 14th is a Christmas bonus.

Overtime & minimums

The standard work week in Angola is 44 hours, with a maximum of 8 hours per day. Overtime is limited to two hours per day, 40 hours per month, and 200 hours per year.

Overtime pay rates depend on your company's size and when the overtime occurs:

• Up to 30 hours per month:
  • Large companies: 150% of the regular rate.
  • Medium companies: 130% of the regular rate.
  • Small companies: 120% of the regular rate.
  • Micro companies: 110% of the regular rate.
• Over 30 hours per month:
  • Large companies: 175% of the regular rate.
  • Medium companies: 145% of the regular rate.
  • Small and micro companies: Rates are 120% and 110% respectively.

The national minimum wage was increased to AOA 70,000 per month. A lower rate of AOA 50,000 may apply to smaller businesses. Be aware that a further increase to AOA 100,000 is expected to take effect in September 2025.

Employer taxes and contributions

As an employer in Angola, you are responsible for social security contributions. A significant change is happening in July 2025, when the employer contribution rate increases.

Employee taxes and deductions

You must withhold taxes and social security contributions from your employees' salaries. The employee's social security contribution remains unchanged.

Employees are also subject to a progressive income tax, known as Imposto sobre o Rendimento do Trabalho (IRT). You must withhold this from their monthly pay. The rates for 2025 are as follows:

In Angola, your employee benefits package is a mix of required entitlements and extra perks. The law sets the minimums for things like paid time off and social security. But many companies offer more to attract and keep the best people. Understanding both the mandatory and common supplemental benefits is key to building a competitive and compliant workforce.

Statutory leave

Angolan law provides employees with several types of paid leave.

• Annual Leave After one year of work, you are entitled to 22 days of paid vacation. In your first year, you build up two days of leave for each month you work. If you have children under 14, you get an extra day of leave for each child.
• Sick Leave If you work for a medium or large company, you can get up to six months of fully paid sick leave. After that, you receive half pay for up to a year. For smaller companies, you get half pay for the first 90 days. A doctor's note is required to authorize the leave.
• Maternity Leave Mothers get three months of paid maternity leave. This usually starts four weeks before the expected birth date. For high-risk pregnancies, a pre-maternity leave of up to 180 days is available.
• Paternity Leave The law also provides for paternity leave, though it is for a shorter duration than maternity leave.
• Education Leave You can take up to 60 days of unpaid leave for education or training, as long as you give your employer 30 days' notice.

Public holidays & regional holidays

Angola has a number of national public holidays where employees get a paid day off.

Typical supplemental benefits

To stay competitive, many employers in Angola offer benefits beyond what the law requires. Here’s a look at how statutory and non-statutory benefits compare.

How an EOR can help with setting up benefits

Setting up a benefits plan in a new country can be complex. Angolan labor laws have specific requirements that you must follow to stay compliant. An Employer of Record (EOR) simplifies this process for you.

An EOR already has a legal entity in Angola, so you don't have to set one up yourself. We handle all the administrative work of managing payroll and benefits. We make sure your employees get the correct statutory benefits and can help you create a competitive supplemental benefits package to attract top talent. This frees you up to focus on your business goals.

Let's break down what terminating an employee and handling their offboarding looks like in Angola. Navigating this process correctly is key to staying compliant with local labor laws and avoiding problems. It involves specific rules for notice periods, severance pay, and the reasons you can end an employment contract.

Notice periods

When you end an employment contract in Angola, you need to give the employee advance notice. The length of this notice period changes depending on the situation.

• Indefinite Contracts: For employees on an indefinite contract, the standard notice period is 30 days.
• Fixed-Term Contracts: If the contract is for a fixed term of more than three months, you must give 15 working days of written notice.
• Collective Dismissal: For layoffs involving a group of employees, the notice period is 60 days.
• Individual Dismissal for Objective Reasons: If you are dismissing an individual for economic or structural reasons, a 30 day notice is required.

It's important to give this notice in writing. Failing to provide the correct notice can lead to legal issues.

Severance pay

In most cases, you must pay severance to an employee when you terminate their contract. The only exception is if the termination is a disciplinary dismissal for a serious offense.

How you calculate severance pay depends on the size of your company and the employee's time with you:

All final payments, including any unused vacation days, must be paid to the employee within three days of their termination date.

How Rivermate handles compliant exits

Working with an Employer of Record like Rivermate simplifies the entire offboarding process. We take the guesswork out of Angolan labor law so you can be confident every termination is handled correctly.

Here’s how we help:

• Ensuring Compliance: We stay up to date with Angolan labor laws to make sure every termination follows the correct legal procedure.
• Managing Notice Periods: We make sure the right notice periods are given to employees, protecting you from potential legal claims.
• Calculating Final Pay: We handle the calculations for severance pay, unused vacation, and any other final payments to ensure your former employee receives exactly what they are owed.
• Handling Documentation: We prepare and manage all the necessary termination paperwork, making the process smooth and professional.

We manage the complexities of employee exits so you can focus on running your business.

Navigating visas and work permits in Angola requires a clear understanding of the local rules. If you plan to hire employees or send team members to Angola, you need to know how the system works. This guide breaks down the essentials for you.

Employment visas & sponsorship realities

To employ someone in Angola who is not a citizen, you will need to secure a work visa for them. The process involves several steps and specific requirements.

Work Visa Basics

• Types of Work Visas: Angola has different work visas for various industries, such as oil and gas or civil construction. The most common is the ordinary work visa, which is typically valid for one year and can be renewed.
• Local Workforce Rules: A key rule is that your workforce in Angola must be at least 70% Angolan citizens. You need to show that you could not find a qualified local candidate for the job.
• Processing Times: While the official processing time for a work visa is 15 days, it often takes two to three months in practice.

Sponsorship and EOR

An Employer of Record (EOR) can sponsor work visas for your employees in Angola. This is a practical solution if you do not have a legal entity in the country. An EOR handles the entire visa application process, ensuring everything is done correctly and in compliance with local laws. They manage the necessary paperwork and legal requirements, which simplifies the process for you.

Here is a look at the documents typically required for a work visa application:

Business travel compliance

For short-term business trips, you have a few options. It is important to choose the right one to stay compliant.

Short-Term Visits

• Tourism Visa: This visa covers business visits, allowing you to prospect for business or attend meetings. It is typically issued for 120 days and allows multiple entries.
• Business eVisa: An online option, the Business eVisa is valid for 120 days with multiple entries, permitting a stay of up to 30 days at a time. You apply for a pre-visa online and get the final visa upon arrival.
• Short-Term Visa: For urgent work, there is a Short-Term Visa. It is valid for up to 10 days and can be extended for another 10 days.

For any short-term business visit, you will generally need to provide:

• A valid passport with at least six months of validity.
• Proof of your travel itinerary.
• Hotel reservations or a letter of invitation.
• Proof of sufficient funds for your stay.
• An international certificate of vaccination (Yellow Fever).