General Information on Mozambique Pt 2

Current Services
Mozambique has been going through a huge re-integration with the rest of the world after 17 years of brutal civil war. The country is developing incredibly fast and most services can be found in the major towns and cities
New restaurants and accommodations are being developed all over the country.
Markets are full with fresh fruits, vegetables are hard to miss, particularly in major cities and along the national roads
Music and arts are now allowed to be expressed and amazing carvings, paintings and crafts can be found in markets or along main roads. The Mozambican music uses traditional instruments made with fruit shells and wood, seeds and animal skins and the sounds produced by those instruments are lively and at times hypnotic. Music, dance and football are the main entertainments

Typical foods
Typical Mozambique cuisine is delicious. It basically consists of some traditional Portuguese dishes added to Arabic influences and Indian spices. Coconut milk, cashew (caju-nut) and peanuts are used on curries and vegetarian dishes. Beans and cassava leaves will never go to waste producing Matapa and Nhangana. There is a very nice cookery book called, 'Receitas de Mozambique' (Mozambique Recipes) that was put together by Brazilian missionaries. It has been translated to English.

Land Mines
Land mines do not represent a risk to tourists these days. We spoke to the authorities and land mine clearing contractors
Visa Requirements

Mozambique Consulates:
Mozambique Consulate in S.A.: +27 (0) 12 40110300/4
Mozambican Consulate in Swaziland: +268 (0) 40 41296
Mozambican Consulate in Malawi: +265 (0) 1 774100
Mozambican Consulate in Tanzania: +255 (0) 22 2116502
Mozambican Consulate in Zimbabwe: +263 (0) 4 253872

Visas can be obtained from Mozambique consular offices at the countries of origins. Consular visas can be renewed twice allowing you to visit the country for 90 uninterrupted days (a visit to an immigration office for a renewal stamp is required)
30 day visas are issued on these border posts (Kosi Bay, Naamacha, Komatipoort), this visa can only be renewed once to give you 60 days in total
Passports must be valid for 6 months
These days Visa's can be obtained directly at the borders and cost US$29. Two photographs are required when getting your visa at the Embassy or Consulate

Borders and Border Post Procedures
Border Post opening times:
Ressano Garcia (06h00-22h00 and 24hrs a
day during S.A. School holidays)
Namaacha (07h00-20h00)
Kosi Bay (07h00-17h30)
Machipanda (06h00-18h00)
Chuchamano (06h00-18h00)
Zobwe (06h00-18h00)
Milange (06h00-18h00)
Mandimba (06h00-18h00)
It is recommended that visitors arrive well before
the stipulated closing times
Do not give bribes!
Do not pay any fees without receiving an officially stamped receipt

Anti Corruption Contact Numbers:
S.A.: 080 000 1190
Maputo: 00258 21 307 437 / 324 143
Beira: 00258 23 323 293
Northern Region: 00258 26 526 834 / 526 181

Customs:
Customs S.A.: +27 (0) 82 55652470
Customs Mozambique: 00258 82 3061580
Original or certified copies of registration documents must be shown at the border in order to obtain temporary import permit valid for 30 days. Temporary import permit for vehicles is compulsory, it costs R120 per vehicle
Personal items are not subject to tax
Allowances:
200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars.
1 litre of spirits and 2.25 litres of wine.
50ml of perfume
Other articles up to the value of US$50 or equivalent (The total cost must not exceed US$200)
Insurance:
Vehicle insurance is compulsory when entering Mozambique. If coming from Nelspruit across the Komatipoort border post, it is easier to buy insurance for vehicles, boats, etc., at the service station 500 meters before the border post
Hollard - South African Insurance Company: info@hollard.co.mz
/ www.hollard.co.za
Otherwise there are insurance offices at the border:
EMOSE - Mozambique Insurance company: +58 21 422095/9
Insurance costs US$25 for 30 days and is renewable at any insurance office
Getting There
International Airlines:
LAM - Linhas Aereas de Moçambique www.lam.co.za

TAP - Air Portugal www.flytap.com
tap@teledata.mz

SAA - South African Airways www.flysaa.com

Swazi Express www.swaziexpress.com

Air France www.airfrance.com

Air Mauritius www.airmauritius.com

Metavia Airlines S.A. Airlink 00258 21 465487
Domestic Airlines:
Air Corridor
[From Maputo return to, Quelimane,
Beira, Nampula & Pemba] 00258 21 311580/2/3
00258 82 3621540

Trans Airways
[Maputo to Inhaca, Inhambane,
Vilanculos, Cuamba and Nampula] 00258 21 465108
transairways@virconn.com

STA 00258 21 491765
00258 21 492022

By Air:
A tax of US$20 is payable, at the airport, by passengers departing on international flights
The most common gateway into Mozambique is through South Africa; there are regular flights into Johannesburg from Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Middle East and Far East. From Johannesburg there are regular flights to Maputo. There are also a few charter companies flying from JB to Inhambane, Beira, Nampula and Pemba
Regional flights to Mozambique are also available from Durban and Mpumalanga in South Africa, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Harare in Zimbabwe. LAM's domestic service connects Maputo with the countries major cities and tourism destinations
Domestic air travel within Mozambique is safe. LAM is one of the longest running airlines in the world and has had no major accidents. Unfortunately, the airport system makes the journey twice as long as it need be, the airlines fly from one city to the next, so if you want to reach Pemba from Maputo then you will have to stop and disembark at Beira, Quelimane and Nampula first. The airports of Maputo, Inhambane, Beira, Nampula and Pemba have international status. There are talks to expand this, allowing Nacala airport to receive domestic and international flights
Visitors coming from Europe will find the most affordable flights are from Lisbon or Paris flying directly into Maputo International Airport. Judging by the fast growth of the country over the last 10 years, the prediction is that flights to Mozambique will become more and more frequent and cheaper. It is now possible to get a return flight to Maputo for around US$700

By Sea:
British, European, American, Japanese and South African cargo vessels call at Maputo and Beira, but there are no regular passenger services

By Rail:
Rail services are sometimes sporadic and unreliable.
A train runs six times a week from Johannesburg to the Mozambique border of Komatipoort (Ressano Garcia) where there is a connection to Maputo (travel time 15 hours)
An overnight train runs regularly from Durban to Maputo
There is a service from Harare to Beira
There are connections from Malawi to Nampula and Nacala Port this railway section has been worked on and cleared but services are not regular yet

By Road:
Visitors from South Africa will find the nearest crossing points are Ressano Garcia (Komatipoort) and Kosi Bay. If you wish to cross through the beautiful Swaziland the best crossing is on the Namaacha boarder post. The EN1 (Estrada Nacional 1) is the main artery through Mozambique.