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Is Mozambique safe to travel?

Updated October 2026

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 20 September 2026.

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Safety

• Cabo Delgado insurgency — An armed insurgency by a self-styled Islamic group has been running in Cabo Delgado, in the north, since October 2017, and the local security forces have not yet brought it under control. Despite the intervention of the EU-trained Mozambican armed forces, Rwanda and the SADC, some villages and stretches of road, even close to the provincial capital Pemba, keep being exposed to armed attacks. The whole province is high risk, the districts of Mocimboa, Macomia, Muidumbe, Nangade, Mueda, Quissanga, Chiure and Palma above all. Armed actions flared up in 2024, especially around Pemba (still considered relatively safe) and on the border with Nampula, and in the first half of 2025 attacks kept rising: violence against civilians persists, tourist sites included, and has more recently reached the neighbouring provinces of Niassa and Nampula along the border with Cabo Delgado. Travel in Cabo Delgado, above all outside Pemba, and in the border areas with Niassa and Nampula is strongly advised against. The ministry recommends avoiding all travel and any stay in Cabo Delgado, with Pemba the only exception for now, unless things change, and only if you reach it by air. Pemba does not currently appear to be directly threatened, but infiltration by hostile groups and limited violent actions cannot be ruled out, so avoid gatherings, demonstrations and non-essential trips outside the town.
• Landmines in rural areas — The government says the thousands of mines laid during the war of independence have all been cleared, but in some rural areas you can still find signs marked with a skull indicating mined ground. Heading into the savannah without a reliable guide is advised against, and if you have no specific information about the route you intend to take, stick to the main roads, in daylight if possible.
• Unrest and roadblocks — The security picture, disturbed in recent months by disorder, roadblocks and strikes, is expected to stay volatile although it has gradually improved; keep movement down, especially in suburban and out-of-town areas and in the evening and at night, and stay away from gatherings. Clashes with the security forces were particularly sharp across Maputo province, Nampula and Beira in 2024. The Ressano Garcia crossing into South Africa is not currently a flashpoint.
• Crime — Maputo is not free of petty crime, mostly in the outer districts and the historic Baixa. The other large cities and the main tourist areas — Vilankulo, Ilha de Moçambique, Tofo, Ponta do Ouro — have high rates of extreme poverty, which characterises the country and makes petty crime more likely. Avoid walking in peripheral districts in the evening and at night, keep valuables, phones and cameras out of sight, and be careful when withdrawing cash at ATMs. Kidnapping for extortion continues in Maputo; its victims are mainly Mozambican traders of Asian origin, and so far no foreign nationals have been involved.
• Cyclones and flooding — During the rainy season, roughly November to April, take care and avoid the areas most exposed to flooding and cyclones, checking with your travel agent and forecast sites before you set off. After cyclone Chido, cholera and malaria outbreaks emerged in Nampula and Cabo Delgado, but they have been effectively contained.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 20 September 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. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise 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 20 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.