Visa or No Visa?

Zimbabwe - Zambia border crossing

Good thing I checked.

American citizens need a visa to enter Mozambique. This may seem obvious to you but in my defense there does not seem to be a hard nor a fast rule as to whether or not someone holding an American passport - even one with a South African permanent residence visa attached - needs an additional country travel visa to cross into another African country. Zimbabwe and Zambia require a visa. Botswana and Namibia do not. Not sure about Rwanda and Malawi. But Kenya and Tanzania? Yep. No for Lesotho and Swaziland.

You can get your tourist visa right at the point of entry in many cases - the airport or at the entry border if you're driving - but who wants to waste the time? Processing a visa can take hours if you're driving into Mozambique. It is the stuff of legends. Best to do as much in advance as possible.

Here is a handy-dandy chart which breaks it down by whether one needs a tourist visa, business visa or official visa. Better double-check before you head out though. I have a feeling it may change with the political wind.

Luckily Vince found a great place in Pretoria that can expedite a visa application in a day. Sometimes while you wait. Which is just what we needed for our Easter weekend road trip to Mozambique.


Good thing I checked.

PS if you are driving there in a rented 4 by 4 as we are, you need more than just a visa. You will also need a letter from the rental car company saying it is okay to bring the car into Mozambique, a ZA sticker on the car, a copy of the car registration, reflective clothing in case you get a flat, and a partridge in a pear tree.