Testbed 2 – Mozambique: Useful Information

Visa requirements

UK passport holders can travel without a visa to Mozambique for tourism or business for up to 30 days.
On arrival, you must be able to show border control a written invitation from your host, or a confirmed hotel reservation, and a return or onward air ticket. You must pay a fee of 650 Mozambican meticais using cash or card.

Vaccine requirements

Travellers should be up to date with routine vaccination courses and boosters as recommended in the UK. These vaccinations include for example measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine.

Vaccination for Hepatitis A are also recommended.

Malaria

There is a high risk of malaria in Mozambique: atovaquone/proguanil OR doxycycline OR mefloquine recommended.

Antimalarial recommendations map

Laws and cultural differences

Personal ID

As a foreigner, you must always have your passport with you. Police patrols and checkpoints are common, and they will not accept copies or photos.

Do not hand over your passport to anyone other than an official. Ask to see their ID if in doubt.

Alcohol laws and bans

It is illegal to drink alcohol on public beaches.

Illegal drugs and prison sentences

If you are convicted of drug use, possession or trafficking, you can expect to get a long prison sentence and a fine.

Landmines

All known minefields in Mozambique have been cleared. In the central and southern provinces of Sofala, Tete, Manica, Gaza, Inhambane and Maputo, mines may still exist in remote areas away from main routes. Get advice from district authorities if you plan to travel in these areas.

Using cameras in secure areas

It is illegal to photograph government offices, airports, military establishments, residences and police or officials without special permission. If in doubt, do not take pictures.

LGBT+ travellers

There are no laws against same-sex sexual activity. Attitudes in Maputo tend to be more liberal than in more remote rural or religious areas of the country. Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.

Money

Make sure you can access money in a variety of ways. Travellers’ cheques are not commonly accepted, Mastercard is not always accepted across the country. US dollars and South African rand are the main exchange currencies.

Credit cards, are increasingly accepted in the larger cities. You should tell your bank before using your card in Mozambique.

 

 

MPox

There have been reports in the News recently about MPox being brought back to the UK from Africa. Currently the affected countries are Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi

Mpox does not spread easily between people unless there is close contact.

Spread between people may occur through:

• direct contact with rash, skin lesions or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or other skin-to-skin contact)
• contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, snot or mucous
• contact with clothing or linens (such as bedding or towels) or other objects and surfaces used by someone with mpox

For the current clade I outbreak vaccination indications for pre-exposure travel vaccination are being reviewed by the JCVI travel sub-committee, but vaccination is not currently recommended for travellers.