Common urban offences include pickpocketing, bag-snatching, mugging and robbery involving knives or firearms. Carjacking also occurs. In Maputo, criminal kidnapping for ransom can affect business owners and other people perceived as financially able to pay. Walking alone at night or in isolated places increases exposure. Tourist destinations, beaches and offshore islands may have little or no police presence. Cabo Delgado and adjoining areas of Niassa and Nampula carry additional abduction and protection risks linked to the conflict context; these risks should not be treated as ordinary urban theft. Gender-based violence includes domestic violence and sexual violence. It affects women and girls particularly often, and child protection concerns also include early marriage, physical or sexual abuse, abduction and the recruitment or use of children by armed groups in the north. Police structures include GAFMVV services for violence against women and children. Centros de Atendimento Integrado (CAI) can connect police, health, social and legal support, but local availability and response capacity vary. Digital crime includes fraud through payment channels, telecommunications, Facebook, WhatsApp, email and banking services, as well as digital disinformation and online abuse of children. SERNIC, the Serviço Nacional de Investigação Criminal, handles specialised criminal investigations, including organised crime, trafficking, kidnapping and digital offences. SERNIC reported 912 cybercrime cases in 2023, compared with 560 in 2022; this figure does not establish the current national level in 2026. Child online abuse can also be reported through Linha Fala Criança, a free child-protection line reached at 116. Mozambique recorded 13,626 violence-related cases from January to September 2025: 9,855 were classified as criminal, 2,944 as civil and 827 as other cases. More than 10,600 principal affected persons were women, girls or older women. These registrations show reported cases, not the true prevalence of crime. In Maputo Province, 3,459 criminal cases were recorded during that period, 6.2% fewer than in 2024; 2,879 affected persons were female and 580 were male. For immediate danger, contact the nearest PRM station or police patrol. PRM means Polícia da República de Moçambique, the public police service responsible for public order, patrols, first contact and receiving reports. Published emergency numbers are inconsistent: some official travel information gives 112 for police, ambulance and fire, while other guidance lists 112 or 122 for police and 119 for police. Calls may not connect reliably, so go to the nearest police station or medical facility when necessary. SERNIC is the more suitable contact for organised crime, trafficking, kidnapping and digital offences; its published central contacts are 21 421 824 and denuncias@sernic.gov.mz, with provincial directorates and operational duty teams also available. After an incident, request a police report and keep its reference details. Preserve screenshots, messages, phone numbers, transaction references, photographs and other digital evidence without confronting the suspected offender. Do not use self-help violence. For sexual or physical abuse, a CAI, GAFMVV unit or health facility can begin medical, psychosocial, social and legal referrals. Linha Fala Criança at 116 provides free child-focused counselling and referral. Linha Verde at 1458 provides free information, assistance and referral, but no nationwide 24-hour coverage guarantee has been verified. Reduce exposure by avoiding isolated routes at night, keeping cash, jewellery and phones out of sight, using ATMs during daylight at a bank, securing valuables in a safe and keeping vehicle doors locked and windows closed. Do not pick up strangers or stop for an alleged breakdown without assessing the situation. For online meetings, use a public place, verify the other person by video, transfer no money in advance, avoid isolated rooms, keep drinks attended and share a communication plan. Foreign visitors should carry the original passport; a copy or photograph may not satisfy an identity check. Hand the passport only to an official authority. Avoid photographing government buildings, airports, military sites, police facilities or officials without permission. If an official demands money and the legal basis is unclear, request a written fine and arrange payment through a police station rather than handing over cash informally. Hotline availability, transport and follow-up medical costs vary locally, and compensation arrangements are not uniform across Mozambique.
Crime in Mozambique
Crime in Mozambique includes theft, robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, gender-based violence, child abuse and digital fraud. Risks differ by place and situation: street crime is reported in Maputo and other cities, while remote areas, beaches, offshore islands and conflict-affected northern districts may have limited police access. Safe conduct, prompt reporting and suitable victim support reduce the consequences of an incident.
VivAVia can make mistakes. Check important information.