Working in Mozambique
Short-term or long-term work authorisation, work visa, business visa and residence permit, from Maputo. DI-Africa Mozambique prepares and follows up the file with the labour administration and prepares your people's visa file.
Request a Mozambique quoteKey figures
Short term or long term: the assignment decides
In Mozambique, the employer first obtains approval from the labour administration, then the employee applies for a work visa at the embassy or consulate. The regime depends on duration, role, employer and worksite.
Short term
- Discrete assignments, consecutive or intermittent, up to 120 days per calendar year
- Notification to the labour administration with a short file: passport, justification, employer licence
- Then a work visa from the competent embassy
Long term
- Within the employer's quota: a notification, if quota is available
- Outside quota: a justified work authorisation, with a union opinion
- Degrees recognised by equivalence; contract of up to 2 years, renewable
Oil, gas and mining: a special regime may allow longer assignments, up to 180 days. Eligibility depends on the project and the employer; we check it before proposing it.
Four steps, from assignment to arrival
1. In Mozambique: the labour file
- Scoping: nationality, country of residence, employer, worksite, dates, rotation and filing embassy
- Choice of regime, employer compliance and quota check
- Filing, payment of the fee and issue of the work certificate
2. At the embassy: the work visa
- Visa file prepared in parallel, with the employer's letters
- Filed by the employee at the embassy, or online where possible
- On arrival: DIRE where required, NUIT, INSS and renewal tracking
Good to know — a business or tourist visa does not allow work in Mozambique. The employee travels only once the work visa is in hand; we check the visa, dates and entries before confirming mobilisation.
The right route for each profile
| Profile | Route |
|---|---|
| Business visit | Visa exemption, electronic travel authorisation (ETA) or Business eVisa depending on nationality; no salaried work. |
| Short assignment, up to 120 days a year | Short-term regime: notification to the labour office, then work visa. |
| Long-term role, employer with available quota | Quota notification, degrees with equivalence, approved contract, then work visa. |
| Long-term role, outside quota | Justified work authorisation, union opinion, then work visa. |
| Approved investment project | Foreign headcount set by the project approval; quota file plus project documents. |
| Oil, gas or mining project | Special regime possible, up to 180 days; eligibility to confirm for the project and employer. |
| Change of employer or worksite | To check before the change: authorised employer, province, worksite and activity. |
Business visit: which access by nationality?
For a short business trip, the procedure depends on the passport. A few pointers from DI-Africa countries, to check before each trip on the official portal:
- South Africa, Namibia, Mauritius, Angola, Kenya and most southern African countries: visa-exempt.
- France, Switzerland, Portugal, Côte d'Ivoire, United Kingdom, United States: electronic travel authorisation (ETA) before departure, for a business stay of up to 30 days.
- Congo, Gabon, Madagascar, Morocco, Tunisia, DR Congo, Cameroon: Business eVisa with pre-authorisation, to print before boarding.
DI-Africa Mozambique provides the invitation letter, the guarantee letter (termo de responsabilidade) and the mission programme, and files the ETA or eVisa application for you.
Official source: evisa.gov.mz (SENAMI).
What the administration charges
Labour fees are calculated on the minimum wage of the employer's sector: 1 minimum wage for a short-term assignment, 5 for a quota notification, 10 for a work authorisation outside quota. The visa fee depends on the embassy. Our quote itemises official fees, translations, legalisations and DI-Africa fees.
Source: Decree 88/2024 of 17 December 2024 · current minimum wages (INSS).
What to prepare
From the employee
- Passport valid for more than 6 months, with blank pages, and a colour copy
- Updated CV and certified degrees; degree equivalence for a long-term role
- Criminal record and medical certificate, translated into Portuguese and legalised
- Two recent ID photos and the signed visa form
From the employer
- Employment contract in Portuguese signed by both parties
- Alvará or licence, commercial registration and NUIT
- Tax clearance and INSS compliance certificate
- Visa request letter and ID of the legal representative
The exact list depends on the regime and the filing embassy: we confirm it before asking for originals or couriers.
Get the list for my caseFrom Maputo, we manage the whole cycle
- Choice of regime and quota check before any filing
- Employment of your staff by DI-Africa Mozambique (Employer of Record)
- Preparing, filing and following up the file with the labour administration
- Portuguese translations, legalisations and degree equivalence
- Employer letters and a visa file ready to submit
- ETA and eVisa applications for business visits
- DIRE, NUIT and INSS after arrival, 120-day counter and renewal alerts
Frequently asked questions
Which permit should we use for an assignment in Mozambique?
It depends on duration, role, employer, worksite and the applicable regime. Up to 120 days per calendar year, the short-term regime is enough; beyond that, a long-term route is needed: quota, work authorisation or investment project. We review the assignment before recommending a route.
When can the employee mobilise?
Once the file is complete, the labour office responds within 5 working days for a short assignment or a quota notification, and within 15 working days for an authorisation outside quota. A long-term role also needs several weeks of preparation (translations, legalisations, equivalence). Then allow about 30 days at the embassy. We give a stage-by-stage timeline after reviewing the documents.
Can someone start work on a business or tourist visa?
No. A business visa covers meetings and visits, not work. The employee needs the labour approval and the work visa before starting.
Can the process be expedited?
The labour stage can sometimes be, but not always the visa: the two are checked separately. The best lever remains a complete file from the start, which we prepare with you.
Can a short-term assignment be extended or switched to long term?
Not automatically. The short-term regime is capped at 120 days per calendar year. If the assignment grows, we assess the long-term route and the documents already collected, as early as possible.
Are degrees and original documents required?
For a long-term role, yes: certified degrees with equivalence, or a recognised skills certificate. For a short assignment, the file is lighter. We confirm the list with the embassy before any originals are sent.
Does a permit cover a new employer or worksite?
Not necessarily. The authorised employer, province, worksite and activity must be checked before the change.
What happens after arrival?
Depending on the case: residence permit (DIRE), tax number (NUIT) and INSS registration. We track validity dates and start renewals in time.
A project in Mozambique?
Itemised quote: official fees and DI-Africa fees, by regime and filing embassy.
Request a quoteOr write to our Mozambique team: mozambique@di-africa.com