🇲🇿 Mozambique visa requirements

Most passports need a visa for Mozambique, but a few get lucky with visa-on-arrival. Don't assume you're one of them.

Who gets a visa-free pass to Mozambique?

Short answer: not many. If you hold a passport from USA, UK, Canada, Australia, or any EU country, you'll need to sort out a visa beforehand. This usually means applying through a Mozambican embassy or consulate in your home country or a nearby one. It's not difficult, but it adds a bureaucratic hoop to jump through before you even book your flight.

Then there's a small group who get the visa-on-arrival treatment. This includes citizens of countries like South Africa, Eswatini, and Tanzania. You can get your visa stamped directly at the airport or border crossing. The fee is payable in cash on the spot, so check the current amount with a Mozambican consulate before you fly and carry it in small notes. Border posts rarely give change. A third group, for whom a visa is strictly required before travel, includes a much longer list of nationalities. If your country isn't listed above or you're unsure, assume you need to apply in advance.

How long can you actually stay, and what are the traps?

Standard tourist visas for Mozambique are usually issued for 30 days. This can often be extended, but the process isn't always straightforward and can require a trip to the immigration office. This is where things get tricky. If you plan a longer stay, research the extension process thoroughly before you arrive.

The real gotcha is around exit stamps and multiple entries. If you leave Mozambique and plan to re-enter, you might run into issues if your initial visa wasn't set up for multiple entries. Some border guards are stricter than others. Overstaying is a serious no-no. Penalties are steep: a fine accrues for each day you're over, it has to be settled before immigration will stamp you out, and detention or deportation are both on the table for anything beyond a slip of a day or two. The current daily rate is set by Mozambique's national migration service (SENAMI), which is the only place to get it. It's not worth the risk.

What's new with Mozambique visas?

Mozambique has been slowly rolling out an eVisa system, primarily for tourism. This is a massive step forward, aiming to streamline the application process and reduce reliance on embassies. The eVisa is generally for single-entry, 30-day stays, and the application is done entirely online. Fees for the eVisa are broadly comparable to the visa-on-arrival or standard visa fees, and the portal quotes yours before you pay.

The availability of the eVisa can fluctuate, and it's not always guaranteed for all nationalities or all entry points. Always check the official government portal or a trusted visa service for the latest information before you travel. While the eVisa is the future, it's crucial to verify its current status and applicability to your specific situation. Some older visa processes might still be in play, especially at certain land borders.