The Maputo City immigration services are on Av Ho Chi Min in the centre of the city. Parking is difficult. The street is one way and as you drive down it, the DIRE issuance office is on your left. It is usually busy as they also issue Mozambican passports here.

I will take take you through your appointment one step at a time.

The DIRE Appointment step by step

Step One – The DIRE application form

On the right-hand side of the outside of the building there are a few steps and a ramp leading into a large, covered seating area. The first desk you get to is at the front of the room. This is where you collect a DIRE application form if you have not printed one online or collected it previously. It currently costs 50 meticais – have cash to hand.

Collect the form and move to the back of the room. There is fixed seating that forms a queue for citizens getting passports, so try to stay out of the way further back than the end of the queue. Complete your form if you haven’t already done so. The form is surprisingly simple and not likely to cause any challenges.

Step Two – Getting your documentation checked

Once the form is complete, look at the back right of the room for another desk. If that desk is staffed, take your form and full pack of (well organised and easy for the officer to review) papers. He will do a first review of your papers and if he is happy with them, he will direct you out of the seating area to a new waiting area. If that desk at the back of the first room is not staffed and no one appears after 10-15 minutes move onto the next stage.

Step Three – Move to the next area

You will be directed to either just outside or just inside a second building (back left out of the first building).

If there was no-one here in step two you will need to make your own way here go inside to the reception desks. Hand your documents over here and ask for a review.

If you got your document reviewed at step two then that will immediately put you in the wait for the next stage.

The immigration officers are usually quite helpful, and will explain any problems with your documents. But they usually speak minimal English, so if you don’t speak Portuguese, ask a friend to go with you.

The officers will retain most of your documents, but they will return some of your originals, and only keep the copies.

Step Four – Photograph and Data Entry

You are now in a queue to have your photo taken. You will be called inside to do this. This can take 20 minutes and involves several stages.

• A photo (if you have long hair, it must be tied back and kept well away from your face).
• Electronic fingerprinting.
• Typing of details into a computer (usually painfully slow).

You will be asked to confirm your details are correct – please check very carefully because you will be responsible for any mistakes.

Step Five – Paying

Once the photograph stage is complete, you will be issued a receipt slip with your visa fee on it and your passport will be retained. You must take the receipt slip to the cash desk which is obvious just outside the photo room. You pay your fee (cash or card) and get your receipt stamped. That receipt acts as your ID in Mozambique until you get your passport back.

The receipt will have a collection date for your passport, but the standard is 1 week (and they’re often ready sooner). If you need to have it back sooner, then you can request the express service, which costs slightly more and reduces the 7 days to 2 days (and possibly quicker).

Returning to collect your passport and DIRE

To collect your passport, which should now include your DIRE stuck inside, just return to your immigration office and show your receipt to collect it. You don’t hand anything over at this stage (keep the receipt). In Maputo, you collect the passports from the first desk you see as you enter the large, covered waiting area.

Finally, check your DIRE is correct as mistakes are hard (and usually very costly) to correct later.

Workers’ DIRE’s should say “Prorrogação de Visto de Trabalho”

DIREs for dependents should say “Prorrogação de Visto de Permanência Temporária”.

Your DIRE should have 365 days of validity (unless it is shorter because of an expiring work contract).

You’re now done for another year. You are required to carry your passport with DIRE with you as a foreigner in Mozambique.

Note that you will come across some foreigners with DIRE cards, separate to their passports. These are either for diplomats or for people who have been expatriates in Mozambique for a long time. The process used to be to issue separate DIREs and they are retained for people who already have one. If you are new to Mozambique, though, you do not need a separate card.

Getting you DIRE in Mozambique

This is a series of articles about getting and renewing your work / residency permit (DIRE)

DIRE Article 3: Your DIRE appointment

by Zoe | Sep 14, 2024 | DIRE application, Resident information