July 2011
Visa
Cannot be obtained at any of the borders with Tanzania yet. Apply at embassy in Dar at GPS: S 6.813581, E 39.290747. Need 2 passport photos, yellow fever certificate. Single entry costs USD45, valid for entry within 3 months allowing up to 30 days stay.
Process takes 5 working days. The visa fee must be paid at the Samora Av branch of NBC bank at GPS: S 6.820327, E 39.285366 (account details must be obtained from Embassy first, but currently are:
Mozambique Embassy
P.O. Box 9370 – DSM
Account #: 0121050004290
NBC Bank
Samora Branch
Samora Avenue)
Take receipt from bank (one per person) back to embassy with application documents.
The passport needs to be left at the embassy for this period. If you are going to Zanzibar while waiting, take note, as the passport is needed for immigration there. The Moz embassy gave us a receipt stating they they were in possession of the passport together with a copy of the Tanzanian visa, and passport details page as proof for Zanzibar immigration. We didn’t try to find out whether it sufficed, and bypassed immigration.
ENTRY
Entry point (from Tanzania): Unity Bridge, immigration and customs just after the bridge on the right at GPS: S 11.419159, E 38.496093
Time taken: 1 hour, including 30 mins waiting for Customs officer to be fetched from home.
Costs
MZN 198.88 (can be paid in USD or Tanzanian Shillings if you don’t have Meticais) for vehicle importation fee
Money change
None available at border. Apparently illegal to change money on the street.
Process
Immigration: after stamping passport, pay MZN 198.88 (can be paid in USD) for vehicle importation fee.
Customs: Carnet stamped
Insurance: Third party insurance required -Comesa yellow card not valid in Mozambique. None available at border. Bought at Emoge in Pemba (GPS: S 12.964798, E 40.499713) for 30 days. Cost MZN 530/ USD 23/ ZAR 150. Vehicle needs to be present at purchase.
EXIT
Exit point: Mandimba (to Malawi): at GPS: immigration and customs in one building at GPS: S 14.369433, E 35.618263. Process straightforward.
Costs
None
Money
Mocimboa da Praia: Barclays – GPS: S 11.341313, E 40.359888 accepts international VISA cards
Fuel
With exchange rate at MZN 27.70 = 1 USD
Mocimboa da Praia: Diesel MZN 41.75/litre ($1.49), Petrol MZN 52.46/litre ($1.87)
Pemba: Diesel MZN 39.91/litre ($1.43), Petrol 51.50/litre ($1.84)
Mandimba (border with Malawi – filled up here due to shortage in Malawi): Diesel MZN 42.95
Camping
Mucojo: On the way to Pangane, Massano Flower lodge at GPS: S 12.068181, E 40.501786 allows camping on the resort grounds. Good facilities.
Car workshops
None used
Communications
Vodacom has decent coverage but mCel is better in certain areas in the North e.g Ibo island. Vodacom has internet bundles at MZN49 for 125MB valid for 24hours, as well as weekly and monthly packages. For internet access to be enabled on Vodacom, dial *111# and follow the instructions. Even though the system tells you that your internet settings are being sent by SMS, they never arrived – seems to be a common issue. The following manual settings work:
APN: internet
username: <leave blank>
password: <leave blank>
Useful GPS
For Ibo island dhow, can park in stockade in Tandanhengue at GPS: S 12.395822, E 40.519539 for MZN 50/day.
Roads
Unity Bridge (Tanzania border) – Mueda: 160km. 3.25hours. Reasonable dirt road with occasional patch of deep dust.
Namupla – Cuamba via Malema: 350km / 6.25hours. The road is currently mildly corrugated, well graded dirt except for the 75km stretch between Malema and Lurio which has some ruts. Much improved relative to previous reports.
Cuamba – Mandimba (Malawi border): 150km / 2.5hours. Well graded dirt.
The road South from Aldeia (on the Mueda – Mocimboa da Praia near Diaca) towards Macomoa is badly potholed tar for the first 35km