How to get to Mozambique: airports, flights and border crossings

For a first trip, Maputo (MPM) is the airport to aim for: it sits in the far south near the South African and Eswatini borders, and it feeds the southern beaches, Maputo National Park and Ponta do Ouro. If your plan is the Bazaruto Archipelago or Vilankulo, fly straight to Vilankulo (VNX) instead of driving up from Maputo.

Almost every long-haul route lands first in Johannesburg (JNB), Nairobi (NBO), Addis Ababa (ADD), Doha (DOH) or Dubai (DXB), then continues on a regional flight. Flying into Johannesburg and crossing by road is also common from South Africa.

Maputo International (MPM) is the main gateway and the only airport with a wide spread of regional and intercontinental connections. Vilankulo (VNX) and Beira (BEW) take smaller aircraft from Johannesburg and Maputo; Nampula (APL) and Pemba (POL) serve the north, but treat those as check-first destinations given current security advice.

From the US, expect two connections and 20–30 hours door to door. From the UK, one stop in Johannesburg, Doha, Dubai or Addis Ababa is typical, around 14–18 hours total. From Canada, add a North American leg first. From Australia and New Zealand, routing through Johannesburg or the Gulf gives roughly 24–35 hours. Fares swing widely; a return from Europe in the low season often lands in the US$700–1,100 band (2026 estimate).

The busiest crossing is Ressano Garcia / Komatiepoort from South Africa, on the Maputo–Johannesburg road; long-distance coaches and minibuses run it daily. From Eswatini, the Namaacha / Lomahasha crossings are short and straightforward. From Zimbabwe, Mutare–Machipanda links to Beira; from Malawi, the Zóbuè and Milange crossings reach central and northern Mozambique; from Tanzania, the Unity Bridge at Negomano is remote and check-first.

At any land border, expect a queue, a visa or e-visa check, and a customs form. Carry your passport, a printed or saved visa approval, and cash in metical or rand for any fees. Cross in daylight and arrive before mid-afternoon; some posts close early or run slowly on weekends.

By sea, there is no regular international passenger ferry into Mozambique. Cruise ships call at Maputo and sometimes at Portuguese Island near Maputo, and private yachts clear in at Maputo, Inhambane and Vilankulo. Dhow and small-boat transfers between coastal towns are local transport, not border crossings.

Most visitors need a visa; many nationalities can apply for an e-visa before travel or get a visa on arrival at Maputo airport and major land borders. Rules change, so confirm your nationality's status on the official immigration site before booking. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond arrival and have blank pages.

Yellow fever vaccination may be required if you arrive from a country with transmission risk. Check routine and travel vaccines with a travel clinic weeks ahead. Travel insurance that covers medical evacuation is worth having here: hospitals outside Maputo are limited, and a serious incident may mean a flight to South Africa.

Do not try to cover the whole coast in one trip. Fly into one gateway, stay in that region, and fly out the same way or from a nearby airport.

Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula carry current security warnings; check your government's advice before routing north, and never assume a road or airstrip is open.

Prices, flight times and border opening hours are 2026 estimates and change; re-check close to departure.