Rules for overlanding in Mozambique
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 25 February 2026.
Which licence you need
- All vehicles — Driving is allowed on an international licence or a local Mozambican one. Check what applies to the licence you hold.
An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.
At the wheel
- Documents to carry — Alongside the licence you need your passport, a valid visa or DIRE residence permit, the vehicle's registration document and insurance valid for Mozambique.
- Police checks — Checks are frequent and meticulous. Police do not accept certified photocopies, they merely tolerate them, and if you are stopped with copies they can require the originals within 48 hours, so keep calm and follow their instructions.
- Night driving — Driving at night outside the main cities is advised against.
- Two vehicles, not one — For journeys by car, particularly in remote areas and anywhere outside the towns, the ministry asks you to travel as a group with more than one vehicle, because help is hard to get after a crash. Public emergency services cannot mount an adequate response and private ones, while better, are very expensive.
- Rented mopeds and quads — In tourist spots such as Ponta do Ouro and Vilanculo rented mopeds and especially quads cause a lot of accidents: broken roads, worn-out machines, inexperienced and reckless riders and little regard for the traffic code. Quads in particular need real skill to avoid sliding and rolling over, which ends badly, so ride carefully and wear a helmet, ideally full-face.
- Border opening hours — The land border at Ressano Garcia for South Africa is normally open 06:00 to 22:00, and Namaacha for Eswatini 07:00 to 20:00.
What catches travellers out
- Drugs — Under the 1997 narcotics law, trafficking and dealing carry 24 to 30 years in prison and fines of 10 to 40 million meticais.
- Cash and customs — Bringing in or taking out more than 5,000 USD in cash is prohibited, as is importing more than 500 ml of perfume, more than 20 packets of cigarettes, or plants; customs often search luggage with the owner present. Visa is the card network that works here, Mastercard generally is not accepted and ATMs are scarce outside Maputo, so carry enough euro or US dollars to change at banks and bureaux.
- Photography — Never photograph or film police barracks, airports or military installations. Photographing people is fine as long as you ask permission first.
- Handicraft souvenirs — Stone and wooden craft objects can be treated as made from material that is illegal to trade, such as ivory, and travellers have been stopped over them at Maputo airport. Be very careful about what you buy from markets and street sellers.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 25 February 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 Mozambique 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 25 February 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.