Maputo International Airport sits 8 kilometers northwest of the capital center. The terminal rebuilt in 2010 handles most international connections through Johannesburg, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Lisbon. Beira Airport serves central Mozambique with regional flights and connections to Harare. Nampula Airport links northern provinces to Maputo and Dar es Salaam. Pemba Airport in Cabo Delgado handles flights to the Quirimbas Archipelago islands and connects to Johannesburg twice weekly on LAM Mozambique Airlines. Domestic routes between Maputo, Beira, Nampula, Tete, Pemba, Quelimane, and Inhambane operate on aircraft ranging from 50-seat turboprops to 120-seat jets depending on route demand.
Visa requirements depend entirely on passport origin. Citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Mauritius, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe enter without visas for stays up to 30 days. United States passport holders receive 30-day visas on arrival at airports and land borders for 650 meticais as of 2024. United Kingdom, Canada, and most European Union nationals obtain visas on arrival under identical terms. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website specifies current fees and eligible nationalities at https://www.portaldogoverno.gov.mz. Land borders at Ressano Garcia connecting South Africa and Nyamapanda from Zimbabwe process visas during official operating hours 6am to 6pm. The Rovuma River crossing to Tanzania at Unity Bridge opened in 2010 but infrastructure delays mean most overland travelers still use the old ferry point.
Maputo port receives cruise ships October through March on Indian Ocean itineraries. The cruise terminal stands adjacent to the commercial harbor 3 kilometers from Maputo Central railway station. No scheduled international passenger ferries operate to Mozambique. Private yacht entries clear customs at Maputo, Inhambane, Vilanculos, Beira, Pemba, or designated Quirimbas island ports.
The Mozambican metical replaced the old metical in 2006 at a rate of 1000 to 1. The currency code MZN applies to notes of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 meticais. Coins circulate in 1, 2, 5, and 10 metical denominations. The Bank of Mozambique controls issuance. Exchange rates fluctuate but averaged 63 meticais per US dollar in 2023 and 68 per euro. South African rand trades widely in southern provinces at rates slightly below official bank conversions.
Standard Bank, BCI, Barclays, and Millennium bim operate ATM networks in Maputo, Matola, Beira, Nampula, Tete, and provincial capitals. Machines dispense maximum 10,000 meticais per transaction with daily limits between 20,000 and 40,000 depending on card origin and bank agreements. Visa and Mastercard function more reliably than other networks. ATMs outside cities appear only in tourist zones like Vilanculos, Tofo, and Pemba. Villages and rural areas operate cash-only. International withdrawal fees range from 3 to 5 percent plus fixed charges of 200 to 500 meticais per transaction set by Mozambican banks.
Currency exchange operates through banks and licensed casas de câmbio. Banks open 8am to 3pm weekdays in cities. Licensed exchange bureaus in Maputo along Avenida 25 de Setembro and near Maputo Central Market trade dollars, euros, rand, and meticais during business hours and Saturdays. Exchange rates at official bureaus track within 2 percent of interbank rates. Airport exchange counters charge premiums of 5 to 8 percent. Hotels exchange currency for guests at rates 10 to 15 percent below street value.
Credit cards work at major hotels, tour operators booking wildlife parks, and some restaurants in Maputo and beach resorts. Visa acceptance exceeds Mastercard. American Express rarely works outside five-star hotels. Small restaurants, markets, transport, and most retail operate cash-only. Travelers carrying US dollars printed after 2013 find easier acceptance than older series notes, which some vendors refuse due to counterfeit concerns.