Mozambique Government announces 30-day Tourist Visas
Yes, visa for Mozambique can be obtained at the border.
Accommodation providers and tour operators throughout Mozambique are hailing the government's announcement that all visitors to Mozambique are now eligible for visas at borders equipped with the equipment necessary to issue biometric visas.
26 border posts have been issuing these visas since 2005 but there has been considerable confusion regarding which country's nationals were eligible with many Mozambican Embassies telling travellers that must get them before travelling to Mozambique.
In the height of Mozambique's boom in 2014, before the current economic crisis, confusion in the law led to some travellers being refused visas at Maputo airport. The current law in its literal form is still unclear leaving the decision open to interpretation. But this announcement has cleared the way for increased visitors from countries other than our neighbours who currently account for more than 80% of leisure tourists to Mozambique.
Border posts in Mozambique Issuing 30-day Tourist Visas:
Maputo Airport, Inhambane Airport, Vilankulo Airport, Beira Airport, Tete Airport, Nampula Airport, Nacala Airport, Pemba Airport, Ponta do Ouro Border (South Africa), Goba Border (Swaziland), Nama Acha Border (Swaziland), Ressano Garcia Border (South Africa), Giriyondo Border (South Africa), Chicualacuala Border (Zimbabwe), Machipanda, Border (Zimbabwe), Nyampanda Border (Zimbabwe), Chimefusa Border (Zambia), Zobue Border (Malawi), Milange Border (Malawi) and Mandimba Border (Malawi).
"This is an important step in opening Mozambique as a popular tourism destination rather than just a destination for hardy travellers, its a very important first step by the government," an impressed Blake Gray from Mozambique's largest Tourism Publicity company, Connection Lda, told us. "This question has caused so much confusion to people planning their holidays and countless potential travellers have just decided to go elsewhere. We have been campaigning for clarity with this with INATUR for some time.
What is most strange is that our research has shown over the last three years that travellers have been getting their visas at the border anyway, this announcement finally shows potential visitors that they are welcome".
A total of 44 borders will now being issuing biometric visas to visitors with the remaining 14, in many of the least-crossed land borders, to be able to issue them in the near future.
The cost of the visa is 2.000 mtn which with the current exchange rate is about $28 USD. The announcement also stated that High Commissions and Consulates will no longer be issuing 30-day tourist visas further reinforcing that border visas are open to all visitors irrespective of whether there is Mozambican representation in your home country or not.
Many Mozambique tourism stakeholders celebrated the announcement on social media.
