Every way into Mozambique.

The tourist e-Visa is issued online through evisa.gov.mz for nationals who are not eligible for the ETA and travel for tourism, holiday or visiting family for 90 days or less. It can be issued for 30, 60 or 90 days with single- or multiple-entry options depending on the itinerary, and standard processing takes about five business days after payment. Visa-exempt tourists may usually request one 30-day extension in-country. The e-Visa does not authorise employment or residence. Fees vary by nationality and validity and are paid during the online process; reported pricing has ranged up to about USD 190 for longer/multiple-entry e-Visas.

Processing time

5 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Mozambique has historically issued a single-entry tourist visa on arrival at major airports (Maputo, Vilanculos, Pemba, Beira) and key land borders for travellers from many countries. As of 2026 it remains available in some cases but is described by official channels as unreliable, with processing and fee handling varying by entry point, and pre-travel ETA/e-Visa is strongly recommended. The visa on arrival typically grants a stay of up to 30 days, extendable once. Travellers must present a passport, return ticket, proof of accommodation and the applicable fee in cash or card; the fee is not published consistently (figures around USD 50 have been reported).

Processing time

1 day

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

Under the SADC framework, nationals of Southern African Development Community member states (including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Angola, Mauritius and others) may enter Mozambique without a visa for tourism and short visits, generally for up to 90 days per year (some passports are limited to 30 days). Entry permission does not grant the right to work or reside: SADC nationals taking up employment still need a work permit and DIRE, and those intending to stay beyond the exemption must obtain a residence visa. Visa-exempt travellers may still be required to register online before arrival.

Government fee

$0

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The Electronic Travel Authorisation is a pre-travel approval that visa-exempt nationals must obtain online before arriving in Mozambique. It is processed through the national e-visa portal launched on 11 February 2026 (operated with VFS Global support) and is recommended to be applied for at least 48 hours before departure. It is not a visa: it confirms eligibility to enter for tourism for a short stay (typically 30 days, extendable once for visa-exempt tourists). The headline ETA price is around USD 48 depending on nationality. The ETA does not authorise work or residence.

Government fee

$48

Processing time

2 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

The transit visa is a single-entry visa for travellers passing through Mozambique en route to a third country. It is valid for a short transit window, generally 3 to 7 days depending on nationality, and cannot be reused once the holder departs. Applicants must hold a valid entry visa or residence permit for the final destination and an onward ticket. It is issued by Mozambican embassies/consulates; the urgent-mode state fee under Ministerial Diploma 18/2024 is about MZN 9,837, with lower normal-mode fees.

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

7 days

Validity

7 days

The business visa is for short-term business activity such as meetings, negotiations, conferences and investment prospecting, and does not authorise formal employment. It is typically issued for 30 or 60 days and can be granted on a multiple-entry basis up to about 90 days. It is obtained from a Mozambican embassy or consulate (and, where available, through the e-visa portal) on the strength of an invitation from a Mozambican company or proof of the business relationship. The simple-visa state fee scales with validity under Ministerial Diploma 18/2024 (urgent-mode example: about MZN 9,837 for 1-30 days, MZN 19,673 for 31-60 days, MZN 29,509 for 61-90 days); normal-mode fees are lower.

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The temporary stay visa covers a range of longer non-tourist purposes that do not fit the work, study or business categories - including medical treatment, religious or missionary activity, family circumstances and other temporary residence reasons. It is issued by a Mozambican embassy/consulate and is generally valid for one year and extendable, with the holder registering and obtaining a DIRE after arrival for stays over three months. Specific fees follow the visa fee schedule of Ministerial Diploma 18/2024 and the DIRE fee tables.

• Residency after 10 years

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

The study visa is granted to foreign nationals admitted to an accredited Mozambican educational or training institution (university, vocational or other recognised programme). It is obtained from a Mozambican embassy/consulate before travel on the strength of an acceptance letter, and after arrival the student must register with the immigration service (SENAMI) and obtain a DIRE for stays over three months. The urgent-mode state fee for a student visa under Ministerial Diploma 18/2024 is about MZN 9,837 (lower in normal mode), with separate DIRE fees thereafter. The visa is tied to the studies and is renewable while enrolment continues.

• Study: Full enrolment at the admitting institution.
• Residency: Held via DIRE during studies; long-term residence requires years of continuous lawful residence on temporary permits.

Processing time

7 days

Validity

365 days

The work visa authorises entry for long-term employment with a Mozambican entity and is applied for at a Mozambican embassy/consulate after the employer has obtained labour authorisation from the Ministry of Labour (MITESS). It is generally valid up to one year and renewable; entry must occur within 30 days, and after arrival the holder must register and convert to a DIRE residence permit to work lawfully. The work-visa state fee scales with the authorised period under Ministerial Diploma 18/2024 (urgent-mode example: about MZN 13,279 for 1-90 days, MZN 26,558 for 91-180 days, MZN 53,115 for 181-365 days), with lower normal-mode rates.

• Work: Authorises employment for the specified employer once the DIRE is issued; conditioned on Ministry of Labour authorisation.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study alongside work.
• Residency after 10 years
• Family: Spouse and dependent children may apply via the accompanying/temporary-stay visa.

Processing time

21 days

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

The short-term work visa covers temporary assignments and is the route most used in the extractive sector. It allows work for a limited period per year - commonly up to 180 days per year for mining, oil and gas projects and up to 90 days per year in other sectors - through a simplified communication (comunicacao) to the labour authorities rather than a full work permit and DIRE. It still requires the employer to respect the foreign-worker quota framework (broadly 5% of staff in large companies, 10% in medium and 20% in small companies). It is intended for short technical missions and does not by itself lead to residence.

• Work: Authorises short-term work for the named assignment under the communication regime; capped days per year.

Processing time

14 days

Max stay

180 days

Validity

180 days

Mozambique runs an active-investment residence route rather than a passive golden visa: an investor or company director implementing an approved project receives a residence visa tied to the investment. The project must be submitted to and approved by the Investment and Export Promotion Agency (APIEX) or the relevant sector ministry. In 2025 the government announced a tiered investor visa - from US$500,000 for a residence visa of up to five years, and from US$5,000,000 for up to ten years - aimed at tourism, infrastructure, agriculture and renewable energy, with a largely digitised process. There is no citizenship-by-investment programme. The five-year residence is administered through the DIRE system.

• Work: Authorises the investor/director to operate the approved project.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 10 years
• Family: Family generally included via accompanying/temporary-stay permits; specifics pending the formal programme rules.

Validity

1,825 days

Min. investment

$500,000,000

The accompanying visa allows the spouse and dependent children of a work-permit, investor or other long-term resident to join them in Mozambique. It is applied for at a Mozambican embassy/consulate and, after arrival, the family member registers and obtains a DIRE on the temporary-stay basis (generally valid one year and extendable). The principal applicant signs a term of responsibility for the dependents. Foreign documents (marriage and birth certificates) must be translated into Portuguese by a sworn translator and notarised. Whether the spouse may work depends on obtaining a separate work authorisation.

• Study: Dependent children may attend school; adults may study.
• Residency after 10 years
• Family: Designed for the spouse and dependent children of the principal resident.

Validity

365 days

Missionaries and religious workers enter Mozambique on the temporary-stay visa issued for religious activity, sponsored by a recognised religious organisation operating in the country. It is generally valid one year and extendable, with a DIRE obtained after arrival for stays over three months. Religious activity is permitted under the sponsoring organisation; paid secular employment would require a separate work authorisation. Fees follow the standard visa and DIRE schedules under Ministerial Diploma 18/2024.

• Residency after 10 years
• Family: Family may accompany via the accompanying visa.

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

The DIRE (Documento de Identificacao e Residencia para Estrangeiros) is the residence-and-identity document foreigners must obtain to live in Mozambique for more than three months, issued by the National Migration Service (SENAMI). Temporary-residence DIRE is generally valid one year and renewable annually while the underlying basis (work, study, investment, family) persists. Holders must register arrival within 5 days and apply within 30 days of entry, with daily fines for delay. Under Ministerial Diploma 18/2024 the urgent-mode temporary-residence fee is about MZN 53,115; CPLP (Portuguese-speaking) nationals pay a reduced fixed rate of MZN 29,310.

• Work: Work permitted where the DIRE is on a work/investment basis with the corresponding labour authorisation.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 10 years
• Family: Dependents hold their own DIRE on the accompanying basis.

Validity

365 days

Precarious residence is the first, probationary residence tier in Mozambique's residence ladder. Foreigners begin on a precarious residence authorisation, generally valid one year and renewable up to five times, before they can move up to ordinary temporary residence. It is the entry stage of the DIRE system for new residents and confirms lawful stay while the longer residence history is built. Specific standalone fees are not separately published; they follow the DIRE fee schedule of Ministerial Diploma 18/2024.

• Work: Work permitted where the underlying basis and labour authorisation allow it.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 10 years
• Family: Dependents hold their own residence document on the accompanying basis.

Validity

365 days

Permanent residence is granted to foreigners who have completed Mozambique's long residence ladder - the precarious-residence phase followed by roughly ten consecutive years of temporary residence. Despite its name, the permanent-residence DIRE is issued for five years and is renewable for equal periods. Processing typically takes six to twelve months at the National Directorate of Migration. Under Ministerial Diploma 18/2024 the urgent-mode permanent-residence DIRE fee is about MZN 106,230, while CPLP nationals pay a reduced fixed MZN 29,310; reported all-in costs are roughly USD 200-400 per applicant.

• Work: Permanent residents may work without a separate employer-tied permit.
• Study: Full access to education.
• Residency: This is permanent residence (5-year renewable DIRE); naturalisation is governed separately by nationality law.
• Family: Dependents may be included subject to their own residence history and documentation.

Processing time

270 days

Validity

1,825 days