Safety in Angola: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 20 April 2026.
Safety
- Landmines — A large clearance programme is running, but Angola is still one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. The worst areas are the inland regions hit hardest by the war, Cuando Cubango province above all, where many roads are closed to traffic and generally marked with signs. Do not leave the road.
- Cabinda enclave — Non-essential travel to the Cabinda enclave is advised against, because armed independence movements could attack foreigners as they have done in the past. If you are in Cabinda, keep away from crowds and demonstrations and follow what the local authorities say; avoiding gatherings applies in the rest of the country too.
- DRC border and Lundas — Avoid the areas bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, where operations to expel irregular migrants and transfers of returning refugees from Lóvua take place. If you have to go near the border, head only for official crossing points. Non-essential travel in Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul is to be avoided, and any movement there should be flagged to your own embassy in advance.
- Crime in Luanda — Thefts and snatchings of phones, money and valuables, armed robberies and kidnappings happen in every district of Luanda at any time of day, the Ilha de Luanda beach area popular with foreigners included. Be careful going in and out of bars and restaurants, avoid the outlying districts of the big cities, and bear in mind the risk rises sharply after dark. If you are attacked do not resist, because the attackers are usually armed and will use their weapons: carry no large sums but keep some kwanza ready to hand over without hesitating.
- Guides in isolated areas — The ministry says not to make trips into isolated areas without local guides with you. In rural areas far from towns, help can be very slow to arrive simply because of the distances.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 20 April 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Angola before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 20 April 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.