Mozambique Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Mozambique.
State hospitals run on empty; Maputo, Beira, and Pemba private clinics cover tourists but want cash up front.
Maputo private hospitals stabilise you and fly you on to South Africa. Coastal lodges patch up sunburn, cuts, and dehydration.
Farmácia Popular and corner drugstores in Maputo carry global brands. Bring prescription labels translated into Portuguese.
Complete medical insurance with evacuation coverage is strongly advised.
- ✓ Pack a full course of antibiotics for stomach bugs, tap water outside the big hotels is a gamble.
- ✓ Bring twice the sunscreen you expect to burn through. Imported SPF 50 costs a fortune and may already be out of date.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Pickpockets work crowded Maputo traffic and the packed aisles of Mercado Central.
Unlit trucks, wandering livestock, and potholes on EN1 north of Inchope.
Strong currents, occasional shark sightings, and sea urchins in reef shallows.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Uniformed police north of Xai-Xai flag down cars and invent traffic fines on the spot.
Vilanculos boatmen quote one price at the dock, then tack on extra days or gear fees once you're at sea.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • In Maputo use Uber or metered yellow taxis. Agree a fare before you climb into the old blue-and-white chapas.
- • Book LAM or Airlink domestic flights and skip the overnight buses that detour around flood damage.
- • ATMs in Maputo malls (Shoprite, Polana) work fine; carry USD or EUR for rural lodges that only take cash.
- • Change money at banks or hotel desks, street traders near the Maputo ferry sometimes palm off worn South African rand.
- • Check that dive boats carry emergency oxygen and show a valid SAMSA permit.
- • Swim at Tofo only when lifeguards are on duty. Beach boys offering surf lessons in Portuguese may lack insurance.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Women travelling alone report cat-calls in central Maputo and occasional groping in crowded markets. Coastal lodges feel calmer.
- → Pick a guesthouse with 24-hour reception on Avenida Julius Nyerere instead of an isolated back-street room.
- → Toss a sarong over swimwear when you leave the sand in Muslim-majority northern towns such as Ilha de Moçambique.
Same-sex relations are legal, same-sex marriage is not, and no anti-discrimination law exists.
- → Book twin beds in smaller guesthouses unless explicitly LGBTQ-friendly.
- → Steer clear of public debates on LGBTQ rights, local activists already face harassment.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Private medevac to Johannesburg costs more than most safari packages. Insurance is non-negotiable.
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