Mozambique

Is Mozambique safe to visit?

The south, yes, with care. Maputo, the Inhambane coast around Tofo, Vilanculos and the Bazaruto islands, and the Ponta do Ouro area near South Africa are outside every no-go zone, and most trips there pass without trouble. The far north is different. The US says do not travel to Cabo Delgado province, the Niassa Special Reserve or some northern districts of Nampula because of an Islamist insurgency that has run since 2017. Across the country, armed street crime, road crashes, malaria and seasonal cyclones are the real risks. We score Mozambique 45, below Tanzania and Zimbabwe, with low confidence because the crime data are old.

Where not to go: Cabo Delgado and the north

IS-Mozambique, which is linked to the Islamic State group, has attacked towns, roads and villages in Cabo Delgado with explosives, machetes and guns. In August 2026 the UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul cited ACLED data counting 6,632 people killed since 2017, 2,772 of them civilians, and about 1.5 million displaced. He said the frequency, severity and scale of attacks on civilians had increased over the past year.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises against all travel to Cabo Delgado except Palma town and the area around Pemba and Afungi, and against all but essential travel there. It also advises against all travel to Memba and Eráti in Nampula and Mecula and Marrupa in Niassa, where there have been lethal attacks on hunting lodges used by foreign tourists. The threat of kidnap is acute in these areas. In practice this rules out the Quirimbas islands, including Ibo, and the Niassa Reserve for now.

Unrest after the 2024 election

Protests broke out after Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party was declared winner of the October 2024 presidential election. The civil society group Plataforma Decide counted 315 deaths between 21 October 2024 and 16 January 2025 and more than 4,000 arrests, most of them arbitrary; police gave a figure of 96 dead. Amnesty International said more than 3,000 people were injured.

The streets are calmer now, but the US and FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary both warn that protests can start at short notice and turn violent. Toll gates and border crossings are frequent flashpoints, so a road trip to or from South Africa can be blocked. Avoid crowds and do not travel after dark during tense periods.

Crime in Maputo and on the coast

WHO's model gives 3.3 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary (WHO modelled estimate, 2021), and the last national figure is 3.6, from 2011, so neither says much about today. The advisories are blunter. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says street crime is common in Maputo, increasing in other cities and tourist areas, and has involved knives and firearms. Beaches and offshore islands are not policed.

Carjackers target drivers arriving at or leaving homes after dark, and sometimes fake breakdowns to make drivers stop. Kidnapping for ransom happens mainly in Maputo; most victims are Mozambican, but the FCDO says foreigners may be targeted, business owners especially. Some visitors report robbery and bribe demands by police. Carry your passport, because police will not accept copies, and ask for a written fine if one seems unjustified.

Roads, cyclones and fuel

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 20.1 road deaths per 100,000 in 2021. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises driving outside major cities only in daylight, keeping to main roads and travelling in convoy in rural areas. You must carry two warning triangles and reflective vests, and police fine drivers on the spot for missing kit. Since May 2026 fuel supplies have been unpredictable even in big cities, with long queues.

From November to April, cyclones and floods close roads and flood parts of Maputo. Cyclone Idai devastated Beira in 2019, and Cyclone Gezani entered the Mozambique Channel in February 2026. In remote parts of the central and southern provinces, landmines may remain away from main routes.

Malaria, cholera and care

CDC recommends malaria tablets for the whole country and says cholera transmission is widespread; the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists an outbreak in central and northern areas, plus dengue, schistosomiasis (avoid swimming in lakes and rivers) and mpox. The US calls health infrastructure weak, medicine is often short and some facilities want cash up front. Serious cases go to South Africa, so get insurance with evacuation cover.

How to stay safe in Mozambique

• Stay out of Cabo Delgado, the Niassa Reserve and northern Nampula.
• Drive only in daylight, with doors locked, and carry fuel, triangles and vests.
• Do not walk alone at night in Maputo or on empty beaches.
• Take malaria tablets and drink bottled water.
• Watch the news for protests and avoid toll gates during unrest.
• Call 112, or 848888 or 823388 for an ambulance.

How we scored it

Conflict (38) and health (38) are the weakest factors: an insurgency with do-not-travel zones across the north, and malaria, cholera and weak care. Road safety (44) reflects WHO's estimate of 20.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2021. Violent crime (56) sits just below the 3–8 band of WHO's modelled homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary because the advisories describe armed street crime, carjacking and kidnapping for ransom; with no national figure since 2011, confidence is low.