The Angolan government launched on Wednesday, 4 November, in Luanda, the Extraordinary Regularisation Programme for Foreign Workers (PRETE), an initiative designed to legalise approximately 50,000 foreign nationals currently in irregular employment status at legally registered companies.

The programme was presented by the Migration and Foreigners Service (SME), which has made a digital platform available for the submission of regularisation applications. Companies covered by the scheme will have three months from the platform's opening date to submit their files.

The SME's national director, Katiana Vitorino, explained that the programme stems from a nationwide study involving domestic and international companies and partners, conducted to assess the situation of foreign workers in the country.

According to Vitorino, once applications are submitted, cases will be reviewed within a maximum period of one year, during which the SME intends to issue work visas to nationals who meet the legal requirements.

At the programme's launch, Minister of the Interior Manuel Homem said the PRETE reflects the government's commitment to modernising migration management, strengthening legal compliance, and creating a more organised and attractive economic environment.

Homem recalled that in recent years Angola has approved several legislative and administrative instruments aimed at simplifying procedures, facilitating international mobility, stimulating tourism, attracting investment, and reinforcing migration control mechanisms.

Among the measures cited is the exemption and simplification regime for tourist visa procedures, the results of which, according to Homem, are reflected in the increased number of foreign nationals entering the country.

Between 2023 and 2026, more than 4.124 million entries by foreign nationals were recorded in Angolan territory. Of that total, approximately 371,000 corresponded to nationals covered by the tourist visa exemption and simplification regime.

Workers account for 43.66% of registered foreigners

SME data on the controlled foreign population indicate that, in 2025, Angola had 189,651 registered foreign nationals distributed across different migration statuses.

Of that total, 82,793 were classified as workers, corresponding to approximately 43.66% of the overall figure. A further 53,513 held resident status, while 44,712 fell under the temporary stay category.

For Homem, these figures demonstrate that the presence of foreign nationals in Angola is directly linked to economic activity, professional practice, and participation across different sectors of national life.

The minister clarified, however, that the programme does not seek to promote migratory informality or render non-compliance with the law acceptable. The initiative aims to ensure that cases falling within its scope are identified, assessed, and brought into line with current legislation.

"We cannot accept that the need for labour be used to justify precariousness, labour exploitation, the absence of documentation, or non-compliance with migration rules," he stated.

SME Director-General José Baptista Coimbra, in turn, called on the diplomatic community, international organisations, and business associations to support the dissemination and implementation of PRETE in accordance with the established regulations.

Coimbra said the initiative would strengthen migration controls, safeguard the rights and obligations of foreign workers, provide greater legal certainty for companies, and bolster trust between the state and economic operators.