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Entering by boat: Mozambique

What to do to enter Mozambique by sea: the procedures, the papers to present and the ports where you can clear in.

Check with the authorities before you leave (last checked on 28 October 2026).

The steps

  1. Consider an agent (recommended, few officials speak English).
  2. Immigration first (30-day embarkation card or visa).
  3. Maritime authority (capitania): navigation fees and 30-day licence.
  4. Customs and Health; declare firearms, held until departure.

Papers to have on board

  • Passports for the whole crew
  • Visas, if your nationality requires them
  • Crew list
  • Boat papers (registration certificate)
  • Outward clearance from the previous country

Good to know

  • Cabo Delgado province (Pemba, Ibo, Quirimbas, Mocímboa da Praia, Palma): the French foreign ministry advises against travel except for essential reasons, and strictly against some districts and the Ibo and Quirimbas islands.
  • Piracy is rare in the Mozambique Channel but yachts have been attacked: register with MSCHOA and follow Best Management Practices (BMP).
  • Boardings and threats reported at Bazaruto, Inhambane/Ponta Barra and Inhaca; corruption is common.
  • Stopping without clearing in is tolerated only to shelter from weather. A courtesy flag smaller than the national flag has led to a US$100 fine.

Ports of entry

The ports where you can clear in, and the services available there.

Prepare your arrival with Hullteam

In the app, free: the map of every port of entry and its offices with their contacts, the crew list and the entry forms filled in for you, ready to print or send to an agent.

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Sources

This information is gathered from public sources and sailors’ experience. It does not replace the country’s authorities, whose word is final: check before you leave.