Passport holders from many countries now have a visa waiver to enter Mozambique. You can see the list of countries here. Until May 2025, a straightforward process could be followed on arrival at the border. During May, however, there have been multiple changes, and this system has become confused.

In early May, a new process was introduced whereby all visa waiver visitors had to pre-register several days before travel. Airlines were informed and we have reports of airline staff checking that passengers have their new documentation before allowing them to board.

However, on the 16th of May, the government issued a statement saying that this pre-registration process had been paused due to problems in the system. That means that, at the current time, there is officially no need to pre-register before travel to Mozambique. That may be the official situation, but it will take time for border staff in Mozambique and airline staff around the world to become aware of this change. So, although officially this pre-registration process is no longer valid, the airline staff and Mozambican border staff may ask to see it in the short term while the new rules become known.

Recommendations for travel

Given the current situation (as outlined above) I recommend the following when travelling to Mozambique from a visa waiver country

1. If you have already applied to the visa waiver registration process (details below) and been approved, travel with your approval printed on paper.
2. If you are travelling within a few weeks of the 16th May I suggest attempting to register your trip (as outined below).
   1. If your registration to travel is approved, travel with a printed version of the approval.
   2. If your application is not approved, I suggest you travel with:
   • A printed copy of all documents requested in the registration process
   • A printed copy of the government press release stating that the visa waiver pre-travel application process has been suspended.

This blog will be updated as we get reports from visitors arriving in Mozambique from visa waiver countries. Please be aware that airlines will vary, and while some may update their pre-boarding document checks quickly, others may be much slower.

Press release stating that the system has been suspended

Get the press release and translation emailed to you as PDF

Having this document with you should help to make your journey smoother. Get the press release and its translation into English sent to your inbox.

Press release translation

“REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL MIGRATION SERVICE

PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF THE EFFICACY OF THE NOTICE OF APRIL 24, 2025 – 48 HOURS PRIOR NOTICE

The National Migration Service (SENAMI) informs the general public, and in particular citizens from the 29 countries exempt from visa requirements for entry into Mozambique, as provided for in Decree No. 10/2023, of March 31, that the requirement for 48 hours’ prior communication to enter the national territory is suspended, with immediate effect, as referenced in the statement issued by the Mavalane Crossing Post on April 24, 2025.

This decision follows technical restrictions found in the registration system, which have prevented normal access and submission of data by citizens covered by the measure.

It is important to mention that, although this obligation arises from the aforementioned legal provision, which regulates the regime for facilitating the entry of foreigners into Mozambique, SENAMI understands that it is necessary to protect the rights of users during the period in which technical improvements are made to the system.

Therefore, while work is underway to fully restore the functionality of the platform, the requirement for prior notification will be temporarily suspended. After this period, and as soon as the technical conditions have been met, a new official communication will be made regarding the reestablishment of the measure.

SENAMI appeals for everyone’s understanding and reiterates its commitment to efficiency, accessibility and safety in the services provided.

Maputo, 16 May 2025″

The visa waiver pre-trip registration process

The process is quite quick (sometimes instant) and easy once you have practice, but it requires a lot of documents and there are some steps that are not obvious. Here is a step by step guide to help you navigate the process.
Please understand that at the current time, we are unsure if applications will be approved, but we recommend trying the process.

Step 1: Create an account

Visit https://evisa.gov.mz/

Click on the green “Login or Register” box.

If you are a new user, click on the link at the top to create an account which takes you to a standard website account opening page.

Once you have an account, login using your Username and password. Ensure you very carefully note down your username as well as your password. The password reset process is poor so better to remember your username and password and avoid it.

Step 2: Create an application

When you login, you will be on a home page with rotating images.

On the menu on the top left of the screen, click “Create Application”, circled in the image.

This will bring you to the first screen to complete, as below:

When you fill in this page, it will automatically review your passport type and then follow the appropriate process.

The drop-down menu on the Passport Type box gives a long list of letters. I chose the first simple “P” and that works.

British passport holders note that there is a choice of British Citizen or British Subject. I don’t believe there is a difference, but using British Citizen definitely works.

Visa Type is strange because visa waiver visitors don’t need a visa, so it is odd to ask what type of visa is needed. For most visitors, selecting Tourism will be appropriate.

The Number of Entries and Duration of Stay boxes will populate automatically, based on your previous answers.

Once completed, visitors from visa waiver countries should see a screen like the one above with a fee of 650,00MZN in the bottom right-hand corner.

Click Next to move to the next screen, as follows:

Tick the box to confirm you understand the visa requirements and click Accept.

Step 3: entry details

Accepting the box above brings you to the following screen:

Complete the details required.

The only complexity here is the issuance location (this is the place you will arrive in Mozambique). There is a long list of borders here and the borders do not all have obvious names. Maputo International Airport is listed first in the list, as “Aeroporto Mavalene” which is the official, but rarely used, name for the airport.

Click Next and move to the next screen.

This screen is long and requires a lot of information, so I have split it into 2 parts. Here is a first part:

The details required should all be simple, except that format issues sometimes arise.  For example, the Postal Code box only accepts postal codes formatted for Mozambique. In Mozambique, postal codes are a series of numbers. I have found simply using 12345  should be accepted.

Here is the second half of the same screen:

Select Purpose of Visit – there are multiple reasonable choices here.

Then complete the address details for where you will be staying in Mozambique. This can be tricky again due to box format issues (the box wanting a house number does not appear to accept numbers) and the form requires the district you will be staying in. For visitors to Maputo City, choose Cidade de Maputo as the province and then for the district, try to find a likely district on Google Maps. Districts are not commonly used in addresses, and this is unlikely to be in a hotel confirmation. The most likely districts for visitors will be Kampfumo or Kamaxaquene.

The contact number box may only accept Mozambican phone numbers. It should not be used, and your host’s or hotel’s number should be fine.

There is a section at the bottom if you are applying for someone else. Click here for more information about what to do if you are applying for someone else or a child needs to apply.

Once complete, click Next to move on.

Step 4: Photo upload

Click on the Browse button to upload a file from your computer or phone.

The file must be a maximum of 2MB and can be in PDF or JPG (and a couple of other) formats.

Click Next

Step 5: Document upload

This is probably the most difficult step, because you need to have all documents ready and organised to upload.

Each file must be under 2MB in size and you need the following documents:

1. Passport copy
2. Proof of financial means: there are no defined rules for this, but a recent bank statement is acceptable.
3. Proof of paid hotel reservation:
   • If staying in a hotel, ensure the reservation lists the name of the traveller applying for the ETA.
   • If staying with a host, in place of the hotel reservation, upload a Termo de Responsibilidade. We have a prepared template of this letter for you to complete here.
4. Return ticket: this is your return flight ticket for travellers arriving by air

Every document must be uploaded and then you need a Document Date, Document Number and Issuing Authority. Not all documents have form dates and numbers or issuing authorities. But these fields are comlusary. You just have to put something in here. So, for example for a bank statement the issuing authority could be the name of your bank. The document number is more challenging. Try and find a number on the document you could add here, such as a passport number or bank account number.

Once all documents are uploaded, click on Next to go to a summary screen showing all the information you input. If you are happy with the information and there are no error messages, click Submit.

Your application has now been submitted, and you should see a screen message to say your application will be reviewed within 5 working days. In reality, expect it to be much quicker.

Step 6: Receiving ETA

When you have submitted your application, you can see the application status on the “My Applications” menu on the visa website home page. You may be lucky and see the status immediately showing as “Ready for issuance”. If this is the case, click the “action” button on the right and your ETA will download to your computer.

You will also receive an email to the address you provided with the ETA attached.

The official response time is up to 48 hours; I have had applications approved instantly or after 1.5 days so far.

Arriving in Mozambique

In theory everything should be simple, as your arrival has been pre-approved. You will need to bring a printed version of the ETA approval you have sent. Mozambique does not usually accept documents shown on devices.

However, I would strongly advise travelling with a printed copy of every document you were asked to upload.

On arrival you will need to show your ETA. You will then need to pay 650 Mts. In cash or on card. Ensure you get a receipt for the payment. You may be asked for it when you leave the country.

Applying for someone else or travelling with children?

The system asks if you are applying for someone else at step 3. Avoid ticking this box if you can. If you are applying for someone else and they are an adult, you do not need to tick the box. Just fill in the form as if you are the person travelling. You can add several different applications to a single evisa account with no problems. If the person you are travelling with is a child then it becomes compulsory to state you are applying on behalf of someone else. This adds to the complexity of the process as you then have to answer questions and add documentation about yourself. We are currently working on an article to go through the extra steps needed here. This will be published very soon.