2025-05-28
The Bank of Angola issued Notice No. 2/2025 to update and simplify licensing requirements for hotels, travel agencies, tourism firms, and free shops to partially conduct foreign currency purchase operations. The regulation mandates prior authorization from the central bank, restricts these entities to purchasing foreign currency exclusively for their clients without selling it, and requires them to apply freely negotiated rates, display public exchange tables, and submit monthly statistical reports. Furthermore, it establishes strict anti-money laundering compliance proportional to business complexity, mandates a ten-year digital archiving period, and repeals the previous 2010 notice while defining clear penalties for non-compliance.
PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE, FIRST SERIES, NO. 092, OF MAY 21, 2025 NOTICE NO. 02/2025 SUBJECT: FINANCIAL SYSTEM − Foreign Currency Purchase and Sale Operations Carried Out by Hotels, Travel Agencies, Tourism Firms, and Free Shops
Whereas it is necessary to update and simplify the requirements for obtaining a license to partially exercise foreign exchange trading activities, conducted on a professional basis by operators whose main non-financial commercial activity may involve purchasing foreign banknotes and currency, by hotels, travel agencies, tourism firms, and free shops, as well as the operational rules for this purpose. In accordance with the combined provisions of Article 36 of Law No. 14/21, dated May 19, the General Regime of Financial Institutions Law; Articles 6 and 11 of Law No. 40/20, dated December 16, the Payments System Law of Angola; Article 11 of Law No. 05/97, dated June 27, the Foreign Exchange Law; and letters a) and f) of paragraph 1 of Article 31, and paragraph 1 of Article 98, both of Law No. 24/21, dated October 18, the Bank of Angola Law.
I HEREBY DETERMINE: Article 1. (Subject and Scope)
Article 2. (Authorization) The exercise of the activity provided for in this Notice depends on prior authorization from the Bank of Angola.
Article 3. (Application Procedure)
Article 4. (Purchase Procedure) In operations purchasing banknotes, foreign currency, or other payment instruments from their clients, hotels, travel agencies, tourism firms, and free shops must issue respective receipts containing at minimum the following: a) Client's name; b) Client's identification document number; c) Amount; d) Currency identification; e) Applied exchange rate; f) Date of the operation; g) Client's signature.
Article 5. (Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing)
Article 6. (Exchange Rate) Hotels, travel agencies, tourism firms, and free shops must apply freely negotiated rates in their foreign banknote and currency purchase operations.
Article 7. (Public Information) Hotels, travel agencies, tourism firms, and free shops must display in a highly visible and easily accessible location for the public the exchange rate table applied to client operations, including any associated fees.
Article 8. (Information Duties)
Article 9. (License Expiry)
Article 10. (Archiving) Hotels, travel agencies, tourism firms, and free shops must maintain digitized copies of documents and records related to their operations for a period of 10 (ten) years.
Article 11. (Penalties) Non-compliance with the provisions of this Notice constitutes a regulatory offense punishable under Law No. 14/21, dated May 19, the General Regime of Financial Institutions Law, and Law No. 05/20, dated January 27, the Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorist Financing, and Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Law.
Article 12. (Repeal) Notice No. 07/10, dated December 15, regarding Foreign Currency Purchase and Sale Operations, is hereby repealed.
Article 13. (Interpretation and Omissions) Doubts and omissions arising from the interpretation and application of this Instruction shall be resolved by the Bank of Angola.
Article 14. (Entry into Force) This Notice enters into force on the date of its publication.
PUBLISH. Luanda, May 7, 2025. THE GOVERNOR MANUEL ANTÓNIO TIAGO DIAS
ANNEX I Application for Authorization to Exercise Foreign Exchange Activities To assess compliance with the legal requirements established in letter c) of Article 40 of Law No. 24/21, dated October 18, the Bank of Angola Law, and in accordance with Article 4 of this Notice, applicant(s) wishing to establish a Non-Bank Financial Institution must submit the following information and documentation: a) General information (Section I); b) Application for authorization to exercise foreign exchange activities (Section II); c) Identification of the technical manager responsible for leading the authorization process (Section III).
Section I – General Information
Section II – Application Form Honorable Governor of the Bank of Angola In accordance with letter c) of Article 40 of Law No. 24/21, dated October 18 - Bank of Angola Law, the undersigned(s), as legal representative(s) of the Institution [fill in corporate name], with headquarters at [fill in address], hereby request from the Bank of Angola approval of the project for [authorization to exercise foreign exchange activities]. The undersigned(s) declare, under oath of honor, that the provided information is true and that no facts relevant to the evaluation of their project have been omitted. They further declare awareness that failure to comply with information, communication, or clarification duties towards the Bank of Angola may lead to refusal of the authorization request for exercising foreign exchange activities, and that false declarations constitute a legally punishable offense under Law No. 14/21, dated May 19, the General Regime of Financial Institutions Law, without prejudice to applicable criminal penalties. They further commit to immediately notifying the Bank of Angola of any facts likely to modify the aforementioned information. Accordingly, they request and await approval, Place and date:
Signature(s) of applicant(s): (Signature as per identification document) x6 (Note: the application must be signed by the applicant(s) or their legal representative(s)). 2. The authorization request for establishing a Non-Bank Financial Institution is accompanied by the following documents: a) Certificate issued by the competent entity, proving legal establishment and authorization to exercise its activity; b) Declaration of honor.
ANNEX II Foreign Exchange Purchases - Daily Volumes and Applied Rates Company | Tax Identification Number | Day | USD / Euro / Other Currencies | Amount Exchange Rate Value Exchange Rate Equivalent in USD Average Exchange Rate 1 to 30 | Totals