Immigration law in Mozambique

SENAMI, the migration authority within Mozambique's Ministry of the Interior, handles border control, visas, residence permits, DIRE documents, residence checks, repatriation and expulsion. Visa and entry matters can also involve Mozambican embassies, consulates and official border posts. INAR, IP supports refugees and asylum processes, while the Administrative Court hears challenges to administrative expulsion. Entry normally requires an official border crossing, a passport or travel document valid for at least six months, sufficient means of support, evidence of onward or return travel, and proof of accommodation or a term of responsibility. The applicable visa depends on nationality and purpose, unless a visa exemption applies. Entry can be refused for an invalid, forged or different passport, a prohibition on entry, risks to public order, national security, public health or international relations, unpaid criminal or migration penalties, or missing funds, accommodation or return travel. A refused traveller may be held temporarily until return; the carrier must arrange transport, care and related costs. Mozambique recognises several visa categories. Tourist visas can cover up to 90 days, business visas allow multiple entries for up to 90 days but do not authorise work or residence, and transit visas can cover up to seven days. Student visas are issued for recognised educational institutions for up to 12 months and can be renewed. Work visas can cover multiple entries for up to one year and are generally tied to the applying employer and the required labour-law approvals. A business or tourist visa does not itself create permission to work. Temporary-stay visas can cover eligible family members of work or investment visa holders and certain medical, religious or volunteer activities. Investment visas depend on an approved project, with stated investment thresholds of at least US$500,000 for up to two years or at least US$50,000,000 for up to five years. Other categories include visitor, border, sport and cultural, humanitarian-assistance, diplomatic, official, courtesy and crew-transfer visas, each with its own duration and restrictions. SENAMI's official portal supports eVisa and electronic travel authorisation applications where the nationality and purpose qualify. The process generally involves an online application, document upload, payment and downloading and printing a preliminary approval document. Portal guidance indicates about five working days for an eVisa and at least 48 hours for an electronic travel authorisation, although the applicable category and case can affect timing. Fees are generally not refunded after refusal. Consular visas generally require SENAMI prior authorisation, except for diplomatic, courtesy and official visas. Supporting documents depend on the visa category. Common requirements include a passport valid for at least six months, a photograph, proof of funds or a term of responsibility, and the fee. A criminal-record certificate, medical certificate, invitation, enrolment confirmation, accommodation evidence, employment contract, work authorisation, commercial licence or investment approval may also be required. Criminal-record and medical documents that are not in Portuguese generally require a sworn Portuguese translation. Work migration can follow separate labour-law regimes for short-term work, quotas, investment projects or work visas, handled by the competent labour authority. Employers must report relevant changes and can bear repatriation costs under the applicable rules. A residence permit is available only to an admitted resident. Temporary residence normally lasts one year and can be renewed for one-year periods while the original ground continues. After more than ten consecutive years, a temporary resident may qualify for permanent residence if that original ground still exists. Permanent residence lasts five years and can be renewed for further five-year periods. Applications, renewals and appointments use the DIRE and SENAMI procedures. Changes to identity or personal status must be reported within 30 days, and a loss of a passport or residence document should be reported immediately. A temporary absence of more than 90 days or a permanent-resident absence of more than one year without prior written notice can cause the residence right to lapse. Failing to renew within 30 days after expiry can also cause it to lapse. Lawfully present foreign citizens generally receive the same legal rights, guarantees and duties as Mozambican citizens, except for rights and duties reserved to nationals, including specified civil and political matters. They must comply with the Constitution, immigration law and public-order rules, declare their residence, report a change of domicile, and report relevant personal-status changes. Accommodation providers and hosts must maintain the Boletim Individual de Alojamento. A minor travelling alone or with only one parent generally needs notarised parental authorisation and a Portuguese translation. Mozambique's protection system includes asylum and refugee procedures under the Refugee Act and related regulations. SENAMI can receive and triage asylum requests, while INAR supports the process. An asylum applicant and covered household members can receive provisional residence documentation; temporary identification is issued for two years and revalidated every six months. Recognised refugees can receive identity and travel documents. Expulsion of a refugee requires lawful grounds and procedural safeguards, and immigration law does not permit removal to a state where the person faces political, religious, racial or ethnic persecution. Mozambican citizenship may arise through marriage, naturalisation, adoption or full filiation under constitutional and statutory rules. Marriage-based acquisition generally requires at least five years of marriage to a Mozambican citizen. Naturalisation generally requires habitual and regular residence for at least ten years, age over 18, Portuguese or a Mozambican language, self-support and civic probity, subject to statutory exceptions. Loss and reacquisition follow legal rules, and another nationality may have no domestic effect for Mozambican citizens where national law so provides. Visa refusal, irregular entry or stay, false documents, unauthorised work, failure to report required changes, failure to renew, accommodation violations, unpaid fines and breaches of public order or national security can lead to sanctions or expulsion. A person normally receives the reasons for refusal or removal, and an administrative-expulsion order can be challenged before the Administrative Court. That appeal does not automatically suspend enforcement. An expulsion order can include an entry ban of at least ten years. The fine rules allow voluntary payment within five days where applicable.