Rules for overlanding in Mozambique

Driving is allowed on an international licence or a local Mozambican one. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

Alongside the licence you need your passport, a valid visa or DIRE residence permit, the vehicle's registration document and insurance valid for Mozambique.

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.

Driving at night outside the main cities is advised against.

Supplies of fuel (petrol and diesel) are short in the country, so factor that into planning any journey by car.

For journeys by car, particularly in remote areas and anywhere outside the towns, the ministry advises travelling as a group with more than one vehicle, because help is hard to get after a crash.

In tourist spots such as Ponta do Ouro and Vilanculo rented mopeds and especially quads cause a lot of accidents: poorly maintained roads, worn-out machines, many inexperienced and reckless local drivers and little regard for the traffic code. Quads in particular need real skill to avoid sliding and rolling over, which can have very serious consequences, so ride carefully and wear a helmet, ideally full-face.

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.

A passport with at least six months' validity and at least two blank pages is required; with less than six months' validity entry is refused and you are sent straight back. Since 30 April 2023 Italian citizens travelling for tourism or business no longer need to apply for a visa and receive an authorisation for stays of 30 days with multiple entries, renewable for another 30 days on request at the local Immigration Office by appointment, provided they hold an ordinary passport with at least six months' validity. The authorisation needs an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), requested on the evisa.gov.mz portal at least five days before departure with the travel documents (return tickets, accommodation papers and proof of your financial means); the ETA costs 3,050 meticais in total, about 40 euros. Keep the receipt issued at payment: it must be shown on entry and on exit, or you may have to pay the fee again and face further fines. The portal is not yet fully operational: if it does not work, the fee is paid at the border, but keep proof of the failure (a screenshot or photo of the portal's message) and warn your airline beforehand, because airlines can refuse boarding to those without an ETA. Visas for purposes other than tourism or business must still be requested through the portal or at the Mozambican embassy. Check what applies to the passport you hold.

To enter Mozambique with a child under 18 you must present a full birth certificate showing both parents. If the child travels with only one parent, or with neither, a sworn declaration of parental consent authenticated by a notary and issued no more than three months earlier is required.

Under the 1997 narcotics law, trafficking and dealing carry 24 to 30 years in prison and fines of 10 to 40 million meticais.

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. Cards are generally accepted in the main hotels, restaurants and shopping centres: Visa is the network most used in southern Africa, Mastercard generally is not accepted and Amex and Diners even less. ATMs are relatively few, above all outside Maputo, so carry enough cash in euros or US dollars to change at banks and bureaux. Mobile payment platforms such as M-Pesa, Emola and Mkesh are widespread: they work with a phone and a local SIM card and are easily topped up at agents all over the country.

Never photograph or film police barracks, airports or military installations. Photographing people is fine as long as you ask permission first.

Some local handicraft objects, in stone or wood, can be judged illegal by the control authorities at Maputo airport, because they may be considered made from material whose trade is illegal, such as ivory. Be very careful about what you buy from markets and street sellers.

The state of health and rescue facilities calls for particular caution, above all for diving, safaris, trekking or excursions in remote areas. Public institutions on the ground cannot mount adequate emergency responses after accidents; private ones are better but very expensive. A health policy with adequate cover, medical evacuation included, is recommended.

Mozambique's insurance supervisor (ISSM), in its insurance FAQ (2017 edition), lists compulsory motor vehicle civil liability insurance (Seguro Obrigatório de Responsabilidade Civil Automóvel) among the compulsory insurances in Mozambique. The FAQ does not describe the rules for foreign-registered vehicles. (Instituto de Supervisão de Seguros de Moçambique (ISSM) — Perguntas Frequentes sobre Seguros)

A notice dated June 2020 from Mozambique's civil aviation authority (IACM) says that owners of unmanned aerial vehicles must comply with Safety Directive 09-2018. It also says that all users and owners must email the authority the owner's name, the drone's details, advance notice whenever they intend to fly (with the coordinates and area to be covered) and the purpose of the flight. The notice adds that a decree making registration and insurance mandatory was still being drafted. It does not mention visitors specifically. (Autoridade Reguladora da Aviação Civil de Moçambique (IACM) — Anúncio VANTS (10 June 2020))

Mozambique's communications regulator (INCM) announced on 22 February 2022 that it had authorised the licensing process of Starlink, a provider of commercial satellite internet services, with the licence handover scheduled for 23 February. (INCM Moçambique — INCM atribui licença a nova operadora de Internet (22/02/2022))