International Driving Permit in Mozambique

🗓 Facts checked against Mozambique's road-traffic law and official sources. Research last updated: 30 October 2026. You may copy this information only if you provide a link back to this page.

⚠ This page is general information about driving rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and each authority applies its own — confirm your case with the relevant authority before you drive.

ℹ We are a private company. We are not a government body, a licensing or issuing authority, or a treaty organisation, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any of them. The International Driver's Document we sell is a translation of your national driving licence: it is not a driving licence, and it is not a government-issued document.

• Driving in Mozambique: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Mozambique?
• What side of the road does Mozambique drive on?
• How long can you drive in Mozambique with a foreign licence?
• Is Mozambique a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Mozambique with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Mozambique? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Mozambique tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Mozambique
• Sources

Driving in Mozambique: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Mozambique?

Mozambique is not a party to the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, and it does not appear in the UK government's IDP-type table. No IDP form is therefore legally anchored by treaty. Foreign-government guidance nonetheless conflicts: the UK FCDO states a UK photocard licence may be used for up to 90 days and that "After 90 days, you must have an IDP or a Mozambican driving licence", while the Canadian government tells its nationals flatly "You must carry an International Driving Permit." Under art. 129 n.º 1 e) of Mozambique's Road Code (Código da Estrada), international driving licences ('Licenças internacionais de condução') entitle their holders to drive, and no convention model is named. The same article accepts licences issued by other SADC member states and, where the issuing state gives Mozambican licences the same validity, other foreign licences; an IDP, or a licence accepted on that reciprocity, is valid only while you are not habitually resident in Mozambique (art. 129 n.º 5). The Code also accepts a licence Mozambique is bound by a treaty to recognise, but it names neither those treaties nor the states it treats as reciprocal, so for a licence from outside SADC it is not established whether the licence alone is enough: carry an IDP with it, or check with INATRO before you travel.

• Tourists and short-term visitors: carry your national licence together with the document named in the row for your country of issue, in the table below — for most origin licences that document is not an IDP, so read your own answer rather than assuming one.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Foreign-government travel advice.

What side of the road does Mozambique drive on?

Mozambique drives on the left-hand side of the road, and overtaking is done on the right. Cars in Mozambique are right-hand drive.

How long can you drive in Mozambique with a foreign licence?

The Road Code names no visitor period: an IDP, or a foreign licence accepted on reciprocity, is valid only while you are not habitually resident in Mozambique (Código da Estrada, art. 129 n.º 5). If you take up residence, you must apply to exchange such a foreign licence for a Mozambican one within 180 days of settling (art. 131 n.º 5). UK government advice that a UK photocard licence may be used for up to 90 days, after which an IDP or a Mozambican licence is needed, is written for UK licence holders; the Code sets no such figure. (Código da Estrada, Decreto-Lei n.º 1/2011, art. 129 n.º 5 and art. 131 n.º 5. UK FCDO, verbatim: "You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Mozambique for up to 90 days." / "After 90 days, you must have an IDP or a Mozambican driving licence.")

Planning to move to Mozambique? Different rules apply once you become a resident — see the residents section below.

Is Mozambique a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?

Mozambique is party to neither the 1949 Geneva Convention nor the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. An official convention IDP cannot be issued in Mozambique, and convention rules do not bind it — licence acceptance is governed purely by local law and bilateral arrangements.

Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place

Whether a foreign country accepts your driving licence hangs on a tangle of variables: three different road-traffic conventions signed decades apart (1926, 1949, 1968) — the oldest predates the United Nations itself, and only the latter two were concluded under it — countries at different stages of joining each (signed vs. accepted vs. ratified), licences printed in alphabets local police can't read, vehicle-category systems that don't line up between countries, document generations that may not meet a convention's format even when the country is a member, bilateral deals between individual states, and local laws that are looser in one place and stricter in the next. The same licence can be fine at one border and rejected at the next — even at the next rental desk. The International Driving Permit exists to cut through most of it: a standardized, multilingual presentation of your existing licence, with harmonized category symbols, that most officials can read at a glance. It doesn't replace your national licence or grant new rights — you carry both — and it doesn't guarantee acceptance: a handful of destinations still require a local permit alongside or instead of it, but for most it meaningfully improves your odds.

Can you drive in Mozambique with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Mozambique as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Mozambique is outside both road-traffic conventions. Its Road Code accepts a licence issued by another SADC member state, a foreign licence Mozambique is bound by a treaty to recognise, a foreign licence from a state that gives Mozambican licences the same validity, and an international driving licence, the last two only while you are not habitually resident in Mozambique (Código da Estrada, art. 129). The Code names none of those treaties or states, so for a licence from outside SADC it is not established whether the licence alone is enough: carry an IDP with it, or check with INATRO before you travel. The Road Code itself sets no translation requirement; INATRO asks for an official Portuguese translation when a licence written in another language is exchanged for a Mozambican one. Confirm anything longer-term with INATRO. Rules change — confirm with official sources before you travel. Last verified: October 2026.

Legend: "1949" — Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (IDP valid up to 1 year); "1968" — Vienna Convention (IDP valid up to 3 years).

What the Status column means on this page:

• National licence OK — the destination lets a visitor drive on the national licence itself. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the basis, and any period or condition that qualifies it.
• National licence OK — IDP advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, but carrying one is advised. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.
• Not established — the record does not settle whether you may drive here on this licence; confirm with the destination's licensing authority before you rely on it. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what could not be confirmed.

Sources and notes for the table above

[1] Código da Estrada (Decreto-Lei n.º 1/2011 of 23 March), art. 129 n.º 1 b) to e) and n.º 5

[a] Licence categories do not follow the convention A–E scheme — rental staff may ask for an IDP to map them.

Where to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit must be obtained before you travel, and only certain countries may issue one to you — you cannot buy an official IDP from an unrelated country. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention it may be issued only by the Contracting Party where you normally reside and which issued or recognizes your licence — by that Party's competent authority or by an association it has duly empowered. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention it is issued by the competent authority of a Contracting State, or by an association that authority has duly empowered. Which body that is varies by country: a government agency in some, an authorized motoring club in others.

• Travelling from Mozambique? Mozambique's IDPs are issued by Automovel & Touring Clube de Mocambique (ATCM). Official site. Mozambique is party to neither road-traffic convention, so the permit is issued outside the UN convention framework and is not an official convention IDP — check that your destination accepts it.
• Travelling from another country? Ask that country's driving-licence authority which body it authorizes to issue IDPs — a government agency in some countries, an authorized motoring club in others.

Separately, IDA offers a digital International Driver's Document — a translation of your national licence that you carry alongside it. It is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 conventions by the body your country authorizes for that purpose, and it is not a certified, sworn or otherwise official translation: no authority certifies it, and where a country requires an official or certified translation by law, our document does not satisfy that requirement. It is a private translation meant to make your national licence readable at rental desks and roadside checks.

Moving to Mozambique? Rules for new residents

An IDP, or a foreign licence accepted on reciprocity, stops entitling you to drive once you are habitually resident in Mozambique (Código da Estrada, art. 129 n.º 5), and a resident holding such a foreign licence must apply to exchange it for a Mozambican licence within 180 days of taking up residence (art. 131 n.º 5). A foreign national can obtain a Mozambican licence only as a resident: art. 130 n.º 1 d) requires a foreigner to have residence in national territory ('Ter residência em território nacional, tratando-se de estrangeiro'). Official source.

Driving rules in Mozambique tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: Two retroreflective warning triangles and one reflective vest in every motor vehicle except two- and three-wheelers (Código da Estrada, art. 91 n.º 1; fine 1,000 MT). Third-party insurance is mandatory (art. 157). Also sensible: a first-aid kit, spare fuel and water, and all original vehicle documents.
• Drink-driving: The Road Code treats a driver as under the influence of alcohol at 0.3 mg/l or more in a breath test, or 0.6 mg/l in a blood test, the Code writing mg/l for the blood figure too (Código da Estrada, art. 81 n.º 3). For drivers of public-service transport or dangerous goods, while on duty, the limit is 0.0 mg/l in either test (art. 81 n.º 4). Zero is safest. Under art. 81 n.º 7 the fine rises with the alcohol level: 1,500 MT above 0.0 mg/l and up to 0.3 mg/l, 2,500 MT from 0.31 mg/l to 0.40 mg/l, 3,500 MT from 0.41 mg/l to 0.70 mg/l and 5,000 MT above 0.71 mg/l. Driving under the influence is a serious contravention (art. 147 n.º 1), for which art. 148 n.º 3 sets a driving ban of one year, or two years for a second offence. At 1.2 mg/l or more in blood or breath it is a crime under the Penal Code (Lei n.º 24/2019, art. 230), punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine. The two published texts of the Code differ on art. 81 n.º 8 to 10. The 2011 Boletim da República punishes a non-professional driver above 1.2 mg/l with up to 1 month in prison, and an on-duty public-transport or dangerous-goods driver above 0.0 mg/l with up to 6 months, each besides the fine, and fines driving under the influence of drugs 2,000 MT; INATRO's republished text instead fines a professional driver above 1.2 mg/l 10,000 MT, the on-duty driver 15,000 MT and driving under the influence of drugs 20,000 MT. Which of these penalties applies is not established: check with INATRO before you travel.
• Speed limits: Traffic drives on the left (Código da Estrada, art. 17). Art. 33 limits light passenger vehicles to 60 km/h in built-up areas and 120 km/h outside them; with a trailer, and in light goods vehicles, the limit outside built-up areas is 100 km/h; motorcycles are limited to 50 km/h and 90 km/h. A non-professional driver who has held a licence for the vehicle's class for less than one year may not exceed 90 km/h (art. 33 n.º 4). Lower limits on signs take precedence. Poor road surfaces, pedestrians on the carriageway and low driving standards make crashes common.
• Carry the original passport, driving licence, and vehicle ownership and insurance documents. Third-party motor insurance is legally required and can be bought at most land borders.
• If your vehicle breaks down or loses its load on the road, wear the reflective vest while you place the warning triangles, repair the vehicle or clear the load (Código da Estrada, art. 91 n.º 5). The Code requires one vest per vehicle; UK travel advice reports on-the-spot fines for drivers who cannot produce 2 triangles and 2 vests.
• Police frequently stop drivers to check paperwork and sometimes seek bribes. If you are fined for no clear reason, ask for a written fine payable at a police station rather than paying at the roadside.
• Travel by road outside major cities only in daylight, keep to major roads where possible and travel in convoy in rural areas. Fuel supply can be unpredictable and inconsistent, including in major cities, and queues can be long.
• During the November-April rainy season, low-lying areas around major rivers flood regularly and at short notice, making many roads impassable; cyclones also cause landslides and road closures.

Read more about driving in Mozambique

• 10 Interesting Facts About Mozambique
• Best Places to Visit in Mozambique

Watch what driving in Mozambique looks like

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Resident licence conversion rule
3. UK official IDP-type table — Mozambique is absent.
4. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic participants. Mozambique not listed.
5. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic participants. Mozambique not listed.
6. Government of Canada Mozambique travel advice — "You must carry an International Driving Permit"; traffic drives on the left; equipment and emergency numbers. Conflicts with the 90-day statement in UK government advice.
7. UK FCDO Mozambique emergency numbers (112; ambulance 848888/823388; fire 198).
8. UK FCDO Mozambique regional risks — check before driving in Cabo Delgado and other flagged provinces.
9. INATRO — Mozambique's Road Code (Código da Estrada, Decreto-Lei n.º 1/2011), republished text: driving on the left (art. 17), speed limits (art. 33), alcohol (art. 81), warning triangles and vest (art. 91), foreign licences and international driving licences (art. 129), residence, minimum ages and licence exchange (arts. 130 and 131), driving bans (arts. 147 and 148), insurance (art. 157).
10. Automovel & Touring Clube de Mocambique (ATCM) — authorized IDP issuer in Mozambique
11. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
12. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic