Visas for Mozambique

The process of getting a visa for Mozambique varies depending on your nationality. Visitors from SADC countries and nationals of exempt countries, like the USA, Germany, and the United Kingdom, can enter Mozambique visa-free for 30 days. Visa-free visits are limited to tourism, visitation, and business purposes. For nationals of non-exempt countries, there is slightly more paperwork involved.

Short-term visas for Mozambique

If you’re travelling to Mozambique for 30 days or less, you have a number of visa options to choose from. All short-term visas require broadly the same documents, including a passport (valid for six months or more), proof of accommodation and financial means, as well as a return ticket. The types of short-term visas for Mozambique are:

• Tourist visas: Travelling to see Mozambique’s many beautiful beaches? The tourist visa is the right choice. If there’s no Mozambican embassy or consulate in your home country, it can be issued on arrival. Otherwise, you can apply ahead of time using Mozambique’s eVisa system.
• Visit visas: This visa is primarily for those visiting family or friends in Mozambique. You’ll need to include a letter of invitation from your host.
• Business visas: In order to receive a business visa, you’ll need to submit both your normal travel documents and a letter of invitation from the Mozambican business you’re visiting.
• Work visas: Work visas grant initial entry into Mozambique while work permits are processed. Criminal record and medical certificates are required on top of normal travel documents.

Find out more about obtaining Work Permits for Mozambique

Useful links

• National Institute of Social Security (INSS)
• eVisa Mozambique

Long-term residence in Mozambique

If you’re looking to settle in Mozambique, you’ll need a residence visa, which is a prerequisite for a residence permit. The validity of the visa is 30 days, and the required documents are broadly similar to those for the work visa.

Residence permits for Mozambique

A residence permit, also called a Documento de Identificação e Residência para Estrangeiros (DIRE), is required for any stays in Mozambique exceeding the validity period of your visa. A DIRE can only be obtained from immigration services offices in Mozambique.

The first-time DIRE, effectively a temporary residence permit, is valid for one year. The holder must renew it for 10 consecutive years to become eligible for a permanent residence permit, which, in turn, is valid for five years at a time.  Lifelong permanent residence is only granted to permanent residents older than 65.

A significant amount of paperwork is required to apply for a DIRE – you’ll need to provide documents including copies of your passport, authorisation to work, business licence of the company you’re working for, and housing and criminal record certificates.

Upon arriving in Mozambique, you have 30 days to obtain your DIRE. It is also worth noting that immigration services will hold your passport for the duration of the application process, meaning you will not be able to leave the country until your DIRE is issued.

Investment visas

If you’re investing more than a set amount into a Mozambican business, you become eligible for a multiple-entry investment visa, valid for two years. Take note that you’ll still need a DIRE if you intend to stay in the country for longer than 30 days at a time. Consulting with your local Mozambican embassy is recommended, as a significant amount of paperwork is required.

Useful links

• National Immigration Service (SENAMI)

Permits for accompanying spouses or children

An expat with a valid work or residence permit can have their spouse and/or children accompany them. In Mozambique, life partners are also eligible to accompany their partners, though they will need to prove that they have been in a common-law union for at least one year.

Take note that same-sex marriage is still not recognised in Mozambique. This means that even if the couple has been legally married elsewhere, the spouse in a same-sex couple will not be able to obtain a visa in Mozambique as a dependant.

Parents need to declare financial responsibility in order for children younger than 18 to qualify for a residence permit.

*Visa requirements can change at short notice, and expats are advised to contact their nearest Mozambican embassy or consulate for the latest information.