Mozambique

MOZ

Mozambique is a Lusophone nation on the southeastern coast of Africa, bordered by Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini. Portuguese is the official language, a legacy of colonial rule that ended in 1975. The country is at an early stage of a major LNG development boom, with offshore gas fields in the Rovuma Basin attracting billions in international investment from TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, and others. Maputo is the commercial hub, offering a relatively low cost of living by African standards. Dual citizenship is not recognised, and naturalisation requires ten years of continuous legal residence. The Mozambican passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 44 destinations, primarily within Africa.

Passport Rank

#99

Visa-Free

destinations

Country Details

Capital: Maputo
Currency: MZN
Languages: Portuguese
Population: 33,897,000
Tax System: Residence Based
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed
Naturalisation: 10 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Tropical to subtropical; wet season November–April

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

Tax Summary

Tax System: Residence Based
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 10 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Maputo	—	—	—	—	—
Beira	—	—	—	—	—
Nampula	—	—	—	—	—

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Climate

Maputo

27°J

27°F

26.5°M

24.5°A

22.5°M

20.5°J

20°J

21°A

22.5°S

23.5°O

25°N

26.5°D

Rainfall range: 15–170 mm/month · Daylight 10.5h (winter) to 13.5h (summer)

Beira

28°J

28°F

27.5°M

25.5°A

23.5°M

21.5°J

21°J

22.5°A

23.5°S

25°O

27°N

27.5°D

Rainfall range: 25–300 mm/month · Daylight 11h (winter) to 13.3h (summer)

Nampula

26.5°J

26.4°F

26.1°M

24.8°A

23.4°M

21.8°J

21.3°J

22.6°A

24.4°S

26.3°O

27.6°N

27.6°D

Rainfall range: 6–230 mm/month · Daylight 11.2h (winter) to 13.2h (summer)

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Tourist
Business
Work DIRE
Investor
Family
Student
Residence Permit

Authority: Serviço Nacional de Migração (SENAMI)
Official Portal: www.sernam.gov.mz
Phone: +258 21 490 849
Email: info@sernam.gov.mz

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years: 10
Language Test: Yes (Portuguese)
Civic Test: No
Oath Required: Yes
Dual Allowed: No
Fee: $75
Processing: ~18 months

Safety

GPI Rank

#107

Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)

Common Risks

⚠Chapa (minibus) conductors quote expats 2–5x the local fare — observe what locals pay and match exactly
⚠Unsolicited 'friendly guide' hustles near Praça 25 de Junho and Mercado Central, demanding payment for services never agreed upon
⚠Street currency exchange short-change scams — use only banks or official bureau de change

Examples of areas to avoid: Mafalala — dense informal settlement with elevated petty crime and phone snatching, avoid after dark, Xipamanine — higher-than-average street crime around the market area, unsafe for unaccompanied expats at night, Cabo Delgado province — active Islamist insurgency (ISIS-affiliated Ansar al-Sunna, locally 'Al-Shabaab') since 2017; UK FCDO and US State Dept advise against all travel; 1.3 million displaced, attacks increased in 2024–2025 targeting transport corridors and LNG infrastructure

Related Guides

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Sources & last verified

Last verified 2026-06-15