How to Enter Mozambique
Do I need a passport or visa to enter?
A visa is required for entry into Mozambique. It is recommended that travelers acquire the appropriate visa prior to departing for Mozambique, although a one-entry visa can be purchased for $82 at country points of entry, including airports. Foreigners in Mozambique without a valid visa can expect to pay a substantial fine ($33) for each day they are in Mozambique illegally. The fine can be assessed upon travelers’ departure or if travelers are caught by authorities while still in Mozambique. Please pay close attention to the period you are authorized to stay in Mozambique on your visa ("Autorizado a permaneçer pelo período de [number of days]"). This is the maximum number of days you may stay before you must depart Mozambique. The passports of all travelers who wish to enter Mozambique must be valid for six months upon arrival and must contain at least three clean (unstamped) visa pages each time entry is sought. The Mozambican Embassy and Consulates in South Africa charge up to five times the amount charged in the United States or at border crossing points for a tourist visa to Mozambique. Visit the Embassy of Mozambique website for the most current visa information.In September 2007, the Mozambican Interior and Health Ministries decreed that all travelers entering Mozambique who had previously visited a country where yellow fever is present must present a valid certification of vaccination against yellow fever. We recommend all travelers be vaccinated to avoid complications at the border. Any passenger who cannot present such a certificate at the port of entry will be vaccinated at a cost of $50 US dollars or the equivalent in metical, Mozambique’s currency. Additionally, all travelers entering Mozambique must carry their yellow vaccination book.
Special Travel Circumstances in Mozambique
Mozambican law requires that all persons carry an identity document such as a passport when out in public and that they present it to police upon request. Notarized copies of both the biographic page of a passport and a valid Mozambican visa are acceptable forms of identification, although police will occasionally demand original documents. There are certain areas in Mozambique where pedestrian traffic is prohibited and the ban is strictly enforced. These areas include the front of the presidential offices located north of the Hotel Polana on the seaside of Avenida Julius Nyerere and the Praça dos Herois on Avenida Acordos de Lusaka near the airport, both in Maputo.
It is against the law to destroy Mozambican currency; offenders can expect a jail sentence or fine. The limit for an undeclared amount of U.S. dollars one can take out of the country is $5,000. The maximum amount of local currency one can take out is 500 metical, which is less than 20 U.S. dollars. Some U.S. travelers have reported having difficulties cashing traveler’s checks and have relied instead on ATMs and credit cards for money withdrawals in Mozambique. Travelers have reported that banks in Mozambique will only accept new U.S. bills. Outside of the major hotels and restaurants, credit cards are not widely accepted in Mozambique. The South African rand and U.S. dollar are sometimes accepted as legal tender, although this is more common in the southern part of the country or in tourist areas; all transactions must have a local currency (metical) payment option.
All U.S. citizens are prohibited, by U.S. federal law, from patronizing any businesses located within the Maputo Shopping Center. This shopping center is owned by Mohamed Bachir Suleman (MBS), a notorious drug baron, who, on June 1, 2010, was designated by the White House as a “Drug Kingpin.” This makes any U.S. citizen who frequents his businesses subject to the Kingpin Act. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties, to include up to 10 years in prison, and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code, for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.
Disclaimer
You are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. Information provided is subject to change without notice. One should confirm content prior to traveling from other reliable sources. Information published on this website may contain errors. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us.