Documents required at Mozambique's Border Posts

Summary Index:

1. Covid 19 Requirements (UPDATE 2023)
2. Passport & Visa Requirements
3. Drivers' license
4. 3rd Party Vehicle Insurance
5. Temporary Import Permit (TIP)
6. Vehicle registration documents (including towed applications such as boats)
7. Cross-border cover with your vehicle's current insurance policy
8. New child policy for children under 18 years (only applies to South Africa exit / entry)
9. Both Parents traveling with a child
10. One Parent traveling with a child
11. Child traveling with an adult who isn't his or her biological parent
12. Applying for an unabridged birth certificate (UBC)

Covid 19 Requirements (UPDATE 2023):

It is no longer required to provide any Covid PCR (or Rapid) Tests or Vaccination Certificates to enter into Mozambique and return back into South Africa.

Passport & Visa Requirements:

Firstly, take a look at the SADC countries that apply here.
SADC stands for "Southern African Development Community":

*A list of the SADC countries / residents / members: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, eSwatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

SADC Residents*: Valid Passport with at least 2 months (60 days) remaining until expiry date with sufficient pages (minimum 3 blank pages) for entry and exit stamps. Citizens of SADC countries won’t need a visa for crossing a Mozambique border post, however a visa is required (which can be acquired from the Mozambican border) if you are travelling with a temporary / emergency passport or any other official document that's not your passport.

NON-SADC Residents: Valid Passport with at least 6 months remaining until expiry date with sufficient pages (minimum 3 blank pages) for entry and exit stamps. A visa is required for Non-SADC Residents - which can be acquired from the Mozambican border.

Make sure your passport has been stamped!

Drivers' license:

South African, SADC and international drivers' licenses are accepted. If your drivers license is not written in English, then you must provide a certified written translation for officials.

3rd Party Vehicle Insurance:

Compulsory Third Party Liability Insurance Certificate (valid for 30 days from date issued and can be obtained from the border) per vehicle & per towed application.

Temporary Import Permit (TIP):

A temporary import permit (TIP) is required to bring a registered vehicle outside of Mozambique into Mozambique. A TIP permit can be filled in at the Mozambique Border Post.
Important: Make sure the TIP permit has been stamped by officials.

Vehicle registration documents:

*The following ALSO applies to boats being towed / brought into Mozambique.

If you own the vehicle: If the vehicle is your own and fully payed up, then you are required to bring original vehicle registration & vehicle license papers / documents (be sure to print extra copies of these documents and file them in a protective plastic sleeve).

Note: You will have to contact your current bank with a signed certified letter by a Commissioner of Oaths (the certified letter must state dates of travel) giving you authorisation to take the vehicle across the border into Mozambique.

If you DON'T own the vehicle: If the vehicle is not yours; not registered in your name; is rented or not yet fully paid (still under finance) then you must acquire an affidavit from the police giving you permission from either the vehicle owner, rental company or financial institution in order to take the vehicle across a Mozambican border post. You are also required to bring the original vehicle's registration & vehicle's license papers / documents (be sure to print extra copies of these documents and file them in a protective plastic sleeve). All vehicle registration documents and the affidavit must be certified & signed by a Commissioner of Oaths and the letters must state dates of travel.

Cross-border cover with your vehicle's current insurance policy:

It's important to verify if your insurance policy has cross-border cover for your vehicle in Mozambique & abroad and obtain a letter from your insurance company to confirm cross-border cover. Remember to disclose your travel dates with them to avoid any potential claims from being rejected.

Important Update - New child policy for children under 18 years
(only applies to travellers entering or exiting South Africa for whatever reason):

If you are unaware - a relatively new regulation was enforced by the South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) on the 1st June 2015 for children under the age of 18 years travelling into and out of South Africa. All adults travelling with children under the age of 18 (regardless if the parents are South African or non South African passport holders) are required to produce a copy of an unabridged birth certificate for each child who accompanies the adult. The introduction of this new regulation by the DHA is an attempt to decrease cases of child trafficking in and out of South Africa. Continue reading below ...

Both parents (or legal guardians of the child) traveling with a child:

If both parents or both legal guardians are travelling with a child then they are required to produce and provide:

• A copy of an unabridged birth certificate (for each child).
  *See how to apply for an unabridged birth certificate below.

One parent traveling with a child without the presence of the other parent:

If you are a single parent, widow(er) or are travelling with a child under the age of 18 years without the presence of the other parent / legal guardian, then the parent or legal guardian of the child is required to produce and provide:

• A copy of an unabridged birth certificate (for each child).
  *See how to apply for an unabridged birth certificate below.
• An affidavit (for each child) from the other parent / legal guardian with written consent / permission for the accompanying parent to transport / travel with the child across the border. The affidavit must not be older than 3 months.
• Divorced / Single parents (or legal guardians of the child) must acquire legal guardianship or full parental rights / responsibilities from a court order for the child in question, and if you are a widow or widower, then you must additionally acquire a death certificate of the deceased parent.

Child traveling with an adult who isn't his or her biological parent:

If you are a parent or legal guardian who's child under the age of 18 years is attending an excursion, tour or merely travelling with their friend's parents into or out of South Africa (without the biological parent's presence), then the parents or legal guardians of the child are required to produce and provide:

• A copy of an unabridged birth certificate (for each child) for the accompanying adult(s) to transport / travel with the child across the border.
  *See how to apply for an unabridged birth certificate below.
• An affidavit (for each child) with written consent / permission for the accompanying adult(s) to transport / travel with the child across the border. The affidavit must not be older than 3 months.
• Copies of their ID documents or passports for the accompanying adult(s) to transport / travel with the child across the border.
• Their contact details for the accompanying adult(s) to transport / travel with the child across the border.

The scenarios provided above are the most common, however we ask that you kindly visit the DHA website (links below) for clarity, much more information and various other scenarios you may fit in regarding the new Regulations on Traveling with Children into and out of South Africa:

https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/civic-services/traveling-with-children
https://www.dha.gov.za/files/Brochures/Immigrationleaflet.pdf

Applying for an unabridged birth certificate (UBC):

If you don't have an unabridged birth certificate and are planning to travel with a child(ren) in the near future, then please visit your nearest Home Affairs office as soon as possible because the process can take 8 weeks or even as long as 6 months (worst case scenario).

An Unabridged Birth Certificate costs ZAR 75 per child (price is subject to change). To get the process underway, you will need to bring your ID Book, child's ID Number and Biometrics (palm, foot or fingerprint) of the child to be registered to your nearest Home Affairs office (and perhaps a black ball point pen too in case the offices don't have any available at the time).

Please click the following link for more detailed information regarding applying for an unabridged birth certificate:
https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/civic-services/birth-certificates

If your infant(s) / child(ren) was born after 13th March 2013, then you should already be in possession of an unabridged birth certificate. If not - please enquire with Home Affairs or apply for a new UBC.