Getting in and visas for Mozambique

Visas

Most nationalities need a visa, and while there are rumors that some borders and airports may issue them on arrival, don't count on it and obtain a visa before arrival. They usually cost around $25. Multiple entry visas are also available. South Africans do not require visas for holiday, only for business. At the South African land border (Lebombo/Ressano Garcia) you can choose the currency in which you want to pay for your visa, meticais being slightly cheaper than rand.

By plane

Most international flights arrive from South Africa, although direct international routes also exist between Mozambique and Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and Portugal. There are several flights daily from Johannesburg to Maputo, operated by South African Airways (SAA) and the Mozambican flag-carrier Linhas Aereas de Moçambique (LAM). These and other airlines such as Kenya Airways, Swazi Express Airways, TAP Portugal also fly from Durban, Swaziland, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Nairobi and Lisbon. In addition, local carrier Air Corridor may start operating one or more international routes soon. After checking in you need to get a tax stamp on your boarding card. For internal flights the tax is 200 Mts and for International flights 500 Mts to be paid in cash.

By train

From Malawi There is only one train line in Mozambique, which connects Nampula with Cuamba (near the Malawi border). The train carries first, second and third class passengers and is usually packed. From Nampula, the train leaves around 5-6AM, although you should arrive earlier to buy tickets from the booking office at the station. The area is packed with people traveling towards Malawi so expect queues. Once on board the journey is long and slow but fairly efficient and will get to Cuamba mid-afternoon. From here chapas will take you to the border (Entre Lagos) as only freight trains use this bit of the line. Be warned that even hardened African travelers will likely find this stretch of road very rough - expect it to take a fair amount of time. Once at Entre Lagos, the border formalities are located within the station building (easy to find as the town is a typical small border town). The process can take some time as this is a little used crossing. From here it is about a 1km walk to the Malawi side of the border. BE WARNED - the Malawi border closes before the Mozambique one, although there is a guesthouse if you get trapped. The easiest way to get from here to Liwonde is by train - sweet-talk the guards and they may let you share their compartment.

By car

From Johannesburg The highway from Johannesburg to Maputo is very good. From Johannesburg, take the N4 towards Nelspruit. From Nelspruit, continue following the N4 to Komatipoort, the last town on the South African side. Just past Komatipoort is the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia border post. NB: current car registration papers (or good facsimile thereof) are required to get a car past the border. If you are not the owner of the car, you will need a letter of permission from the owner. On the Mozambican side, just follow the N4 (now called EN4) for a further 100km or so to reach Maputo. There is another border crossing at Giriyondo. From the South African side, the access is via the Kruger National Park and takes one past Letaba Camp to the new Giriyondo border post. It is new, clean and staffed by friendly officials and is a refreshing change from Lebombo. Be warned however that this border post is definitely only recommended for 4 x 4 vehicles as the road is truly off road. Once past the border post you enter the Limpopo National Park (Mozambique). Entrance fees are Meticais 200 per person and per vehicle. The next town is Massingir. From Swaziland The road from the Swazi border to Maputo is in reasonable condition. Avoid driving after dark due to the high amount of traffic without proper lights. The border ceremonies are similar to those on the South-African border, although there is less traffic and you should be able to pass quite fast.

By bus

From Malawi There are a number of border crossings to/from Malawi. By far the easiest and most frequently plied is at Zóbuè. The road is in good condition. Daily chapas run to/from Tete to the border, where you will have to walk about 300m to get to Malawian transport. Daily through buses from Chimoio and Beira also use this crossing. There is another border crossing to the north, at Dedza, which may be more convienient for Lilongwe but the public transport on either side can be sporadic. To leave/enter Malawi to the east, there are two crossings, Milange and Mandimba. Milange is in the south-east of Malawi, and to get there you need to catch one of the daily vehicles that run between Mocuba and Milange. At Milange there is a 2km walk to the border, and then another 1km to where Malawian transport leaves. Mandimba is further north, used mainly to get to Malawi from Lichinga. Several vehicles run daily between Lichinga and Mandimba, from where it is another 7km to the border. Hitching is relatively easy, or bicycle-taxis do the trip for about $1. From South Africa You can take the Intercape Mainliner, +27 861 287 287, from Johannesburg to Maputo. These buses run in both directions on a regular basis, one in the morning, and another overnight, and are safe and affordable. Other carriers include Greyhound and Translux. Three times per week there are bus connections to and from Durban. There is also a service from Nelspruit and Komatipoort to Maputo. There are the "taxis" to and from any destination in South Africa at affordable prices, now from 4 am to 24 pm. From Swaziland The border at Namaacha is west of Maputo, and heavily traveled. Chapas travel direct between Maputo and Mbabane and also Manzini. Otherwise you can do the trip in stages, swapping vehicles at the border. Chapas run throughout the day between Maputo and Namaacha. From Tanzania The border between Mozambique and Tanzania is formed by the River Rovuma. Daily pick-ups connect Moçimboa da Praia with Palma and Namiranga, the border post on the Mozambique side. The main route runs from Moçimboa da Praia (on the Mozambiquan side), via Palma (Mozambique), to Mtwara (on the Tanzanian side) and vica versa. It is recommended to take 2 days over this trip due to the low quality of the roads on the Mozambique side, and the low level of traffic. When coming from Tanzania, lifts depart from Mtwara and Kilambo to the Rovuma river. Kilambo is a small place with one road running through it, so lifts should be easy to find. Mtwara is much larger however, so ask the locals where and when lifts leave from. When coming from Mozambique, your lift to the river will normally start from either Palma (more likely), or - if you're lucky - Moçimboa da Praia and go to the border post at Namiranga. It will generally wait for you to have your passport stamped at the border post (a mud hut in Namiranga). During the wet season, your lift will then probably drive to the banks of the Rovuma. During the dry season it will drive you to the end of the road, from which there is a walk of between 1 and 2km's (depending on the water level that day) to the Rovuma river. At the moment there is an unreliable ferry that goes across the river. Typically however, the crossing is done by dugout canoes or slightly larger wooden motorboats. The trip across the river shouldn't cost more than around 8USD, but can only normally be paid for using Tanzanian shillings, although if you find yourself without these, there are plenty of locals who will offer you "generous" exchange rates for your hard-earned Dollars and Meticais. If water levels are low you may have to wade to get to and from your boat on the Tanzanian side, so possessing a heavy-duty waterproof sack may be a good idea, but it is by no means essential. On the Tanzanian side you will often find yourself mobbed by people offering you transport. Pick-pocketing is common on both sides of the river, so care must be taken whilst finding transport to the nearby towns, a good method of reducing your trouble is to befriend a local on the boatride over, you will find most of your fellow travellers are willing to help you in one way or another. Transport then carries you on to the Tanzanian border post at Kilambo, and normally, further on to Mtwara, the capital of Southern Tanzania. For further information and up-to-date news on this crossing, go to "Russell's Place" (also known as Cashew Camp) in Pemba. There are other crossings to Tanzania, but these all require long walks. Ask around for local information. From Zambia The main crossing is at Cassacatiza, north-west of Tete. This border is in good condition, but lightly traveled. Daily chapas run between Tete and Matema, from there the public transport is sporadic. The best way to travel from Mozambique to Zambia is to go via Malawi. From Zimbabwe There are two crossings - Nyamapanda (south-west of Tete), and Machipanda (west of Chimoio). Both are heavily traveled, especially Machipanda due to its location at the end of the Beira Corridor.

By boat

Currently there is no scheduled sea travel to and from Mozambique. You might be able to hire a dhow from Tanzania, and then travel southwards along the coast. The best places to ask in Tanzania are the dhow ports of Mikindani, Mtwara and Msimbati. For travel from Mozambique to Tanzania, ask at Moçimboa da Praia and Palma. To/from Malawi, it is possible to cross Lake Malawi (aka. Lake Nyassa), via Likoma Island, which lies about 10km off the Mozambique coast, but belongs to Malawi. Local boats make the trip between Likoma Island and Cóbuè, Mozambique, leaving roughly every other day - the route is slow. Boats also sail from/to Metangula, further south, but they all stop at Cóbuè to take care of passport formalities. Be aware that the lake crossing can be risky, as squalls blow up suddenly.